Are Jeep And Ford Wheels Interchangeable? (Explained)

Jeep is one of the best brands when it comes to customization. On the other hand, Ford has the same kind of rugged spirit. 

That’s maybe the origin where the idea of interchanging the wheels of Jeep and Ford came from. Or it might come from an urgent need! Are Jeep and Ford Wheels Interchangeable? The question remains.

The old models like the Ford Rangers and Explorers used to have interchangeable tires with Jeep Wranglers TJ or Cherokee XJ. Later, both companies started making cars with different tire dimensions, including unique bolt patterns, thus making it impossible to interchange the Jeep and the Ford Wheels.

We will dive deep into the topic of learning to measure tire dimensions. Again, there will be a comparison between the recent Jeep and Ford models. Let’s see what comes up next.

More About Wheel Dimensions

Wheel dimension is the first thing we need to consider while discussing interchangeable wheels.

Think of it like this: when you want to wear another person’s shirt, first you need to know the size of the other person’s shirt. If you wear an M-size shirt, there’s no way an S-size will be compatible with you. 

So, how many dimensions do we need to consider? Well, the answer is four dimensions. Let’s have a brief discussion about all the measurements.

Count The Bolt Pattern

To count the bolt pattern, you must determine if the wheels have an even or odd number of lugs.

Then, measure the diameter of BCD or bolt center diameter. It goes like this,

Bolt pattern = Number of Lugs x BCD.

Measuring BCD

BCD is the diameter of the imaginary circle consisting of the bolts. 

For even-numbered bolts, BCD is the distance between two bolts. In the case of odd numbers, the length will be from one bolt to the boundary of the imaginary number.

Measure the Rim Diameter

You must measure the rim’s diameter with care. Remember not to count the edge from the outer side because the diameter is measured from the tire beads. 

Check the Rim Width

The rim width also needs an accurate measurement. Measure the distance between the bead seats from outside to inside. And voila! You have the desired rim width.

Consider the Back Spacing

You cannot ignore backspacing while talking about wheels. When you encounter more backspacing, the wheels get nearer to the brakes and wheels. 

Thus, there might be a chance of damaging the brakes and wheels by rubbing. So, it would be best if you were extra careful while checking the backspacing.

If you get one measurement wrong, it may cause serious problems. Moreover, the problem will not feel like a severe one at first. After some days, it may cause a serious problem costing you more money. 

So, changing wheels may look cool, but you must be extra careful when measuring the wheels.

Can I Interchange Jeep And Ford Wheels?

You see, there is a difference in the center bore of the vehicles. The nut lugs are not in identical positions. 

Again, there are also some differences in the wheel dimensions. But the hope is not dead yet. 

Older Models Used To Have Compatible Tires

Older Ford and Jeep SUVs used to have interchangeable wheels. 

But here’s the catch – models of the same year did not have a matching wheel. Instead, you have to look for editions that are compatible with each other.

For instance, the 1997 edition Jeep Wrangler’s wheel could be interchanged with the 1993 edition Ford Car. However, the front tires did not match. Again, the 1982 edition Jeep Wrangler used to have matching tires with the Ford cars from 1974 to 1982. 

Be careful about the backspacing and the offset. Interchanging wheels without observing these will be a hassle. 

Recent Models Have Different Bolt Patterns

As you can see, Ford’s and Jeeps’ models used interchangeable wheels some decades ago. But today, the wheels of jeep Willys or Rubicon are not alike because the bolt pattern has changed, including the other dimensions.

The latest jeep wheels have five nut lugs, while the fords have six. So, you cannot interchange the wheel between Ford and Jeep vehicles.

Comparing Wheel Sizes

We will compare the Jeep Wrangler and the Ford Focus SUVs for better vision. You see, there are some similarities and dissimilarities between the two wheels. 

For starters, we have the rim diameter. The Jeep needs wheels of 17 or 20 diameters with 35 or 37-sized tires. On the other hand, Ford Focus can have a rim diameter of 17, 18, 20, or 22 as an extra size. 

They both have the same stud size of M14 x 1.5. But there is a significant difference of about 16 mm. Having 87.1 mm of Center bore, Ford F-150 is bigger than the 71.5 mm center bore of the Jeep Wrangler. 

Again, the tightening torques for both SUVs are different. For a Jeep Wrangler, it’s 176 Nm, and another needs 204 Nm of torque. 

But the most significant difference is in the bolt pattern. From the very beginning, we are talking about the bolt pattern. If the bolt pattern is different, you cannot install a wheel of one vehicle in another. 

Jeep Wrangler has a 5 x 127 mm (5 x 5 inches) whereas Ford F-150 has a 6 x 135 mm bolt pattern. Even the number of nut lugs is different! Remember, if you use wheel spacers for better facilities in your Jeep, you must count all dimensions after opening the spacers.

So, there is no way you can install a 2021 edition Ford F-150’s wheel in a Jeep Wrangler and vice versa.

Here’s a comparison table between the Jeep Wrangler 2021 edition and the Ford Focus 2021 edition.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Conclusion

Jeeps are pretty handy SUVs, and you need proper vehicle maintenance. But there might be situations where you need to interchange the Jeep’s Wheel with Ford’s wheel. But it may not go the way you want. Ultimately, the decision might damage your car.

Take essential jeep jacks and try to interchange; if your jeep or ford bronco is older, otherwise not. In this article, we explained why the Jeep and Ford wheels are not compatible. Additionally, you will also learn about the wheel dimensions. This knowledge will help you in the long run. 

So, you have got the answer to your question. Are Jeep And Ford wheels interchangeable? Check out our other articles to learn more about SUVs and different handy kinds of stuff about cars!