OLDSCHOOLFOOL

My wife is in general not too picky about what she drives. I have noticed her "creating" reasons to drive the TC. She says it drives awesome and stops even better. She is right. I would still trade those big brakes for the ability to run 15s though.

The foil that you appear to have over the window. Is that just what you would find at Lowe's or Home Depot kind of place? Or is it more something special use?

Looks good. How long did it take you to install?

I love the way engineering guys can go off on a tangent. The decision to use the larger tire is already made. Its just a question of how to get there. Regardless of weight. Regardless of handling. The wheel almost certainly WILL be heavier in an effort to accommodate the extra width. Matter of fact, I'd put 305/40-16s on the back if I could easily find the wheels for it with a good marriage with what is up front. Japan Racing makes a good looking wheel in their JR15 (that weighs in at just over 19 LBS. for a 16x9), but not in 5X108 however they can be custom drilled. They offer both 16x8 and 16x9 in the same style which is rare as hen's teeth. Ronal makes a similar setup but only offers 16x6.5 and 16x7.5 in a wheel that's not too bad looking with a van load rating. A little skinny for my tastes and while the cost per wheel is not that bad, by the time you pay shipping and duties the cost creeps up. American Racing offers some custom drilling but their offsets tend to be so low that it creates some potential problems with the front. And over 2 grand for a set is a little hard to swallow.

If you can add to that sentence..."and that are at a minimum of 8 inches wide and aren't ugly as homemade cow pies"........then I sure would like to know where that is. I also have an 03 Outback. Of course, light is not the real goal anyhow, appearance is. Now I can go overseas and find some things but that will cost me. And with the 5x108 it generally means custom drilling.

Out of curiosity I looked up the weights and its actually a 1 pound net improvement over the factory steel wheels with factory tires. Pretty much a wash. 16x6.5 steel (25 lbs.) + 215/55R16 (23 lbs.) 16x7 aluminum (20 lbs.) + 275/45R16 (27 lbs.)

This is good information and I thank you. Why is simply a question of looks. There is no real benefit regarding performance. Has absolutely zero to do with performance.

Ran across these very nice 2013 Ford Focus wheels. I really like the way they look. What I want to put on them is 275/45R16s (for the rear only) but they are only 7 inches wide which is well under tire manufacturer's recommended width. I am very familiar with that. The general rule is that the minimum wheel width should equal 70% of the width........until......you get to an aspect ratio of less than 50. Then it increases to 85%. The question is why the sudden increase at that particular point? That the percentage would increase as the sidewall height decreases makes perfect sense, but it is the same for a 50 aspect ration as 55, as 60, as 65 and so on.

Ease of removal is also a key feature for me since I don't plan on it being dedicated to one use. I agree with Mrtn on the table. That's a great use of space and I am a huge fan of the low tech approach. I believe I will use some version of that myself. Since weight is an issue, an alternative for the support ribbing could be angle aluminum.

Did the Aerostar ever come as a cargo van? I don't remember seeing any. My only real memory of an Aerostar was a trip to an old drive-in and while the memory is not a bad one it wasn't really worth the effort I put into taking out the rear seats.

I like what you've done here. The minimalist approach is how I think I want to approach mine once I get started. Been looking at the different things people have done for inspiration and ideas. I like to see the different approaches to solve similar problems. My time is limited right now but I am approaching retirement (but not soon enough). That looks like a six? inch single pipe on the solar shower? How does that work out in adequacy? Is it enough volume for long enough time? Like those new wheels too. I see what you mean about the extra holes.

The TC reminds me a bit of the first generation Econolines. Takes a little imagination I suppose but something about the short "boxy" look. My personal favorites are the second generation (68) 69-74.

I found some chrome spline nuts that should work for my application. Its a compromise to what I really wanted but often you have to shift to get the job done properly. BRANDSPORT.com gives plenty of info on the specs to make an informed decision.

See if these might do the job. https://www.ebay.com/itm/G1392BLK-20-Pack-Weld-Wheel-Black-Plastic-Hole-Push-In-Plugs-Draglite-Rodlite/332439820832?hash=item4d66f51a20:g:pFgAAOSwOA1aAHvZ&vxp=mtr Jegs was where I first saw them and just assumed black would be easy to find since black wheels are so popular these days. Maybe not so much.

Thanks, I do appreciate it. However they seem to omit the overall diameter too. Most of the time its not that critical and a standard one will do the job, but these wheels have only a little more than .8" with a deep hole that the lug has to sit within. I didn't realize it when I ordered them.

I didn't know they existed either until you mentioned it. Maybe those guys can't spell Google.

I don't suppose you would know a good source? I am having trouble finding a set (not for the TC) of small diameter lug nuts. Trouble is being able to pin down what the specific dimensions really are. I need something basically .80" or less and I need to be able to get a tool on it (also less than .80"). Definitely don't want open ended because of the same rust issue you mention. Amazon and Ebay are about worthless in narrowing down choices. What do you think of aluminum nuts? Aluminum is generally soft and I started to shudder at the thought but I'm trying to keep an open mind.

Yep. It shouldn't be an issue to begin with. I get heartburn every time you pull a code. Think about the interface system to do that. With all the technology today and car manufacturers provide.........an idiot light.

And I was obviously yanking your chain a little. So the question was "So a staggered wheel setup could cause an error (regardless of pressure)?" .

If I have learned anything in 40 plus years of mechanical design, its that you can do ANYTHING with enough money and time. Carroll Shelby: "I'm not going to take this defeatist attitude and listen to all this crap any more from all these people who have nothing except doomsday to predict." And since Carroll Shelby is/was a god...........I'm going to stay on his side.

By staggered wheel setup I mean running different diameter tires in the rear than in the front. Perhaps even radically different sizes. Nothing to do with turning the steering wheel that I know of. Maybe the pic will help. Sorry for you Ford guys who may be offended.

So a staggered wheel setup could cause an error (regardless of pressure)?

Wow! I think I just had a seizure.............. What does the outside look like?

They make plugs for the extra holes. You should be able to get black ones if that's your preference. I'm glad you mentioned this cause I like chrome and I have the extra holes too.

Do you know how this works? I haven't the foggiest. I have been saving my stock wheels and tires in case I have an inspection issue.......just in case. Don't ever want to put those ugly wimpy things back on my truck.