Center Cap to Use F150 Wheels?

[ricechrispy]

Hey there. New member and I’ve been reading about what I’ve learned is a known issue. I have a 2019 Expedition Max Platinum which came with 22” wheels. My family camps a lot and I’ve gotten tired of the anxiety that comes with driving on rutted dirt roads with 22” wheels, so I bought a set of 18” F150 takeoffs. I had read that all the specs were the same, but now they’re on the truck, I’ve discovered the axle stub issue on the rear wheels (axle stub sticks out too far for the center cap to go on). I’ve read a few threads about this now and have seen the suggestion that people either use a spacer, trim the axle stub, or do without the center caps. I was wondering: has anyone found a center cap that would accommodate the axle stub? It seems like one with a more domed shape would do the trick.

 

[GAINMOB]

none have found a cap and doubt u will cuz wheels are made with the axle stub in mind...u gotta go without but u wouldve been fine with the factory 22's

 

[ricechrispy]

Thanks for the reply! That's what I was afraid of and was starting to realize as I did more research. I actually found a set of Expedition 18" wheels for super cheap, so I snagged those and put them on my Expedition. Now I've got two sets of wheels to sell (my original 22's and the F150 18's)...haha. Oh well. I agree the the 22's are probably fine for most stuff and they def look better than the 18's, but it will be nice to have more all-terrain tire options since hardly any are sold in the 22" size. Also, I imagine I'll get a slight boost in fuel economy since it's a lighter wheel/tire combination.

 

[sanman28]

Most just hog out the cap some. That is what I did. I do run a .25 spacer.

 

[ricechrispy]

Good to know. That sounds like a decent option and one I would’ve considered if I hadn’t found such a cheap set of Expedition wheels. Guy just wanted them gone and let them go for $250.

 

[Hawkpilot]

I know this is an older thread, but I wanted to move from the stock 18” to OE 20” and add an all terrain tire at same time.

I bought older style 20” F-150 wheels (Hollander 3787). The center caps clear the rear axle shaft no problem.

The tires are BFG Trail Terrain 275/55R20. They ride nice, less aggressive than the KO2s , but still 3PMSF.

 

[kjshank]

I trimmed about .25” off the axles with a sawzall

 

[pathfinder_88]

I run 20” F150 wheels with 1.5” spacers with a 34x11. They sit nicely and no center cap issues.

 

[crod1964]

I know this is an older thread, but I wanted to move from the stock 18” to OE 20” and add an all terrain tire at same time.

I bought older style 20” F-150 wheels (Hollander 3787). The center caps clear the rear axle shaft no problem.

The tires are BFG Trail Terrain 275/55R20. They ride nice, less aggressive than the KO2s , but still 3PMSF.

what year f150 wheels did you use

 

[chad81]

I trimmed about .25” off the axles with a sawzall

Is there any downside or reason not to cut them down a bit? I’m leaning towards doing the same but don’t want to regret it later for some reason I’m not thinking of now…

 

[techdude99]

I'd like to know the answer before trimming the hub. Thanks

 

[GixxerJasen]

Just cut em off. You won't even think about it later.

 

[Going_Going_Gone]

Expeditions have independent rear suspensions and F-150s have solid rear axles with relatively flat ends on the axle shafts. The Expedition rear hub assemblies have the long spindle shaft probably due to some machining requirement for that extra length. If not, some bean counter would calculate the fraction of a cent savings that could be achieved by eliminating that extra half inch or so of shaft plus machining the extra five or six threads. In practice, the threaded shaft beyond the spindle nut is surplus so you can cut off enough of it to allow for the F-150 center caps to fit without compromising shaft integrity. Usually less than an inch to remove, then clean up the cut end to with a file to allow easy removal and reinstallation of the spindle nut should it require service sometime in the future.

 

[techdude99]

Thanks for the replies. I have a cutting wheel that should make quick work of it if I can't find my 1/4" aluminum spacers.

It's frustrating because the new 18" wheels look nicer to me than the 22's and they ride a lot better over rough roads.

I'll do what I need to do to get the rear caps attached.

 

[GixxerJasen]

I used a digital caliper to measure exactly how much to cut off. It was right around a quarter of an inch. Easy decision.

Gratuitous shot of F150 wheels on an Expedition.

 

[techdude99]

Found the 1/4" Rough Country spacers for the rear.

Just enough room to get on the caps with plenty of thread left.

Not a fan of spacers so I still may cut the axles if I keep the wheels for the long term.