Upgrading the wheels and tires improves the look, performance and handling. Our 2021 All-Wheel Drive Ford Transit is definitely getting the tried-and-true KO2 tires upgrade (same as our previous van build), but this time we’re also in the market for a wheel upgrade. Keep reading to learn more!
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1. Wheel Size Basics
Choosing a compatible wheel size is critical, but it can be quite confusing. Here is what the wheel size numbers mean:
- Diameter: Measured from bead seat to bead seat (in).
- Width: Measured from bead seat to bead seat (in).
- Bolt pattern: Bolt count x Pattern Diameter (mm).
- Backside Spacing (not always shown): Measured from hub mounting surface to outermost edge (mm).
- Offset: Measured from hub mounting surface to wheel centerline (mm).
- A positive offset is when the hub mounting surface is in the front (towards street side) of the centerline.
- A negative offset is when the hub mounting surface is behind of the centerline.
- Below is an overview of the offset impact:
Not shown in wheel size number:
- Center Bore (Hub Bore): Diameter of the center hole where the spigot fits through (mm).
2. Ford Transit Factory Wheel Size
The Ford Transit comes equipped with the following wheel size from factory:
RWD – Rear Wheel Drive
(SRW – Single Rear Wheel)
16 x 6.5 | 5 x 160 | 60
- Diameter: 16″
- Width: 6.5″
- Bolt Pattern: 5x160mm
- Offset: 60mm
- Center Bore: 65.1mm
AWD – All Wheel Drive
(SRW – Single Rear Wheel)
16 x 6.5 | 6 x 180 | 90
- Diameter: 16″
- Width: 6.5″
- Bolt Pattern: 6x180mm
- Offset: 90mm
- Center Bore: 138.8mm
3. Ford Transit Aftermarket Wheel Upgrade
When shopping for new wheels, it is critical to keep the same bolt pattern; anything else simply won’t fit.
It is possible to choose a slightly different diameter and width, but at the risk of creating issues such as rubbing against the van structure (wheel well) or against suspension components.
Choosing a different wheel offset is possible, but related issues are a bit more complicated than just the fit (e.g. rubbing). Indeed, as opposed to a sport car, changing the offset on a heavy/tall van will have huge effect on performance/handling and can make it potentially dangerous to drive!
So that explains why we’d rather not venture much outside of the factory specifications.
3.1. Wheels for the AWD Ford Transit
The AWD Ford Transit came out in 2020 and the bolt pattern is a bit unusual, so it took quite some time for an aftermarket wheels offering to develop. Fast forward a few years later, here are the available options we are currently aware of:
Method Wheels
MR701
Method Wheels
MR703
Ultra Motorsports
Hunter Van
Black Rhino Wheels
Arsenal AT BR006
Note: Don’t forget to get TPMS sensors:
TPMS Sensors
(choose “Shop TPMS By Vehicle”)
Method Race Wheels MR701/MR703
We decided to install Method Race Wheels MR703 on our AWD 2021 Transit, because the dimensions are identical to the factory wheels, and because, well, we think they look absolutely amazing! If you’re into off-roading, the Bead Grip on these wheels allows to deflate the tire to lower pressures without losing the bead which is quite nice. The difference between the MR701 and MR703 is aesthetic: the MR701 has a 8 window design and the MR703 has a 12 window design. We paired the MR703 wheels with all-terrain KO2 tires (faroutride.com/ford-transit-larger-tires-upgrade) for a HUGE improvement over the stock setup. 🤩
The wheels/tires combo fits like a glove with the FVC roof rack (faroutride.com/roof-rack)! 🤩
Lug Nuts
Good to know: the MR701/MR703 are designed to reuse the factory lug nuts. Aesthetic is not great though, so we went ahead to design and 3D print some covers for them:
It’s always so satisfying to put the 3D printer to work!
Got a 3D printer at home? Great, use the digital download file (.stl) to 3D print it yourself! No 3D printer? That’s fine, we can 3D print them and ship them to you:
Lug Nut Covers
Or get some from Amazon (note: it’s been reported these don’t fit too well on the back wheels, because the lugs protrude too much):
Lug Nut Covers
3.2. Wheels for the RWD Ford Transit
We honestly didn’t mind the look of our factory wheels/covers on our 2016 RWD Transit, so we left them as-is (paired with our usual KO2 tires):
We’d like to add wheel recommendations for the RWD Transit, so if you did upgrade please leave us some feedback in the comment section at the end of this page. Thanks! 🙂
4. Larger All-Terrain Tires Upgrade
We’ve been running the KO2 since 2016 on our Transit, and we love them! Here is the data and useful info we gathered (sizes, load rating, etc.) about upgrading the tires on the Ford Transit:
Hi Antoine, You say your 255 70 16 Ko2s don’t rub even without mods, but another guy in this thread says he has rubbing. My rig weighs in at 7725 lbs. What’s your thoughts on this? Whats your van weigh? Thanks, Mike
There’s a bit of variation in the manufacturing, and I’ve heard of a few cases with rubbing, yeah.
Most people don’t have rubbing though, including us.
Hi,
Just got a 2022 Transit Awd.
Thinking of getting Nokian Outpost Nat.
I don’t have much experience in tire sizes and mags.
Im looking at the Rhino’s Arsenal AT.
And I would like to have slightly bigger tire whitout cutting or mod the truck.
What would you recommend in size?
I was thinking 245/75/R16, would that be a good fit?
Thx
Is there any difference if I’m getting the 9,950/HD as far as the front axle or Method sizing/compatibility?
Method’s only options are: 150, 250, 350 or AWD (AWD all lumped together).
Thanks!
No difference! They all share the same wheel size and bolt pattern 🙂
Great info, does all this apply to duallies as well?
Duallies have different wheel size, so it doesn’t apply to them! 🙂
Hello, I have a 2022 ford transit AWD 350 van. I ordered bigger tires for the front. I didn’t get 50 feet from the tire place and the front end was clunking very bad.
Checked to see if tires were rubbing at all. No rubbing at all.
Should I have the traction control deleted ? Someone suggested that was the problem because the computer was trying to make up the difference of the bigger tire.
I need help with this. The factory tires are so small.
I would think that with tires smaller or larger, that is not four of a kind, you would be inadvertently inputting erroneous information to the ABS system; all four need to rotate alike and that clunking may have been the ABS switching on/off on/off . Try locking up your brakes sometime in the snow and you’ll hear an argument of what is spinning and what is not and the system attempting to control it all.
Stock AWD wheels are 98mm offset, not 90. That’s why the new Transit Trail has a 3″ wider track width (76mm) with its 60mm offset wheels.
Edit: Stock Wheels are 98mm offset, Transit Trail Wheels are ~63mm offset. I was mistaken when I said the Trail was 3″ wider than stock, it’s really 2.75″ wider (70mm). I measured a stock Transit AWD wheel (unmounted) I have in my garage, and another with a tire mounted, and both times got 98mm offset.
FWIW – BFGoodrich provides a nice chart for recommended inflation values for each of their tire sizes. As one might expect, the correct pressure is tied to the load on each tire. This could be helpful when upgrading from the factory default tires. The light truck section starts on page 24: https://cxf-prod.azureedge.net/b2c-experience-bfg-production/attachments/ckhahkw320ez301n4tqt36pe5-420bcacc-01bf-42c9-840e-55344685c842.pdf
Very helpful, thanks!
“without loosing the bead”
Loose beads are easy to lose and I lose faith in advice with anyone giving advice that is unable to spell “losing.”
Lol. Sometimes that kinda thing bugs me. Everyone makes mistakes when writing.. lose/loose is common. Blah blah who cares.