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 loosing 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? We do have the .stl file available for the lug nut covers:
Lug Nut Covers
(Digital download for 3D printing)
Or get some from Amazon:
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:
Salut, avez vous deux set de pneus ou vous avez un set de 4 saisons pour l’hiver ? De plus, est ce que votre consommation d’essence est augmenté en changeant les pneus ?
Merci
On utilise les KO2 été comme hiver, c’est plus pratique quand on voyage temps plein.
Si vous avez du storage, utiliser des pneus d’hiver donne de meilleurs résultats.
Des pneus tout-terrains affecte la consommation d’essence, mais nous n’avons pas noté l’augmentation désolé.
Au plaisir,
Antoine
Bonjour! J’ai adoré vous lire! Votre texte est super! J’ai un Transit 350 HD AWD 2020 avec roues doubles. Est-ce que les mags que vous proposez sont compatibles? Merci
Merci!
Malheureusement non, la dimension des roues est différente pour les roues doubles.
Merci Antoine! Est-ce que vous proposez des marches pieds pour Ford Transit 2020?
Flatline Van Co est sur le point d’avoir des marches pieds, on va attendre que le produit soit disponible!
https://flatlinevanco.com/collections/transit-exterior/products/transit-side-steps?ref=FOR
Hello – FYI these are the lug nuts you need for BLACK RHINO WHEELS ARSENAL AT BR006: https://amzn.to/3OYqQsm
Hey there. I’m sure y’all hear this a lot, but what a great resource you guys are!! Really appreciate all the information provided. So I have a 2020, 148 WB, HR that I am upgrading the tires and wheels on (based from the information provided). I intend to get the KO2 tires and the Method MR701 wheels. I saw all the information about fitting oversized tires in the factory spare tire holder, curious if you guys bought 5 matching wheels? If so was the spare tire (the method rims) compatible with the factory spare tire mechanism? I saw one video that a guy had to modify the bracket in order for the method rim to fit.
Thanks!
We bought 4 rims, but we mounted a KO2 on the spare wheel (so we bought 5 KO2). So if anything happen out there we have a matching tire size. 🙂
Hello,
Thanks for all the great info! I have a 2021 AWD Transit 250 (regular length) and would love to upgrade tires and wheels. Does your spec match mine? I would think so but I want to make sure. When I click on the MR703 link you provide- The wheels don’t look anything like what you have on your van- How can I make sure I get what you got?
Thanks again,
Lou
Yep, we’ve got a 2021 AWD Transit as well, I’m positive you’ve got the same “specs”. (All Transit AWD do).
The photo on TireRack does not represent what you’ll get exactly, because the wheel they use for the photo has a different offset. In other words you’ll get what you see on OUR photo if you use our link! 🙂
Cheers,
Antoine
how can i buy transit 2023 trail wheels what width are the rims?
I have also fitted the MR703 on my AWD Transit but in the Gloss Titanium finish with 245/75R16 tires. Your lug nut covers look great, I used ColorLugs LugCaps for a uniform look due to the rear threads being longer than the front. One correction to your description of the MR701/MR703 – these rims are Bead Grip and not Bead Lock. Thanks for all you info.
Thanks for the correction, done 🙂
Happy vanning!
antoine
Any issues with the front tires and the clearance with suspension components? I know the 255/70s are a bit wider than the 235/65s.
No issues! 🙂
Is your new van also xl, 350WB and eco boost?
Yes! And AWD 🙂
Door sticker here: https://faroutride.com/we-got-a-new-van-2021/
Just a quick heads-up on wheels:
Our 2021 Transit 350, rear wheel drive, single rear wheel has 6 bolt wheels (6 x 180mm bolt pattern), which is odd. Everyone (Tire Rack for wheels, Weldtec Designs for a lift kit, Ford when we give them the VIN) thinks it has the 5 bolt wheels. Our wheels are the sames as the all-wheel drive model. Maybe Ford was out of the right parts and built ours that way. Who knows. Be careful ordering wheels.
J’ai un transit allongé aussi et j’ai installé les sumo spring en avant et en arrière.
j’ai gagné peut-être 1 pouce en hauteur, mais toute une différence sur le comportement routier.
Do your new KO2s fit in the spare tire area under the van?
Do you experience any extra lean when going around curves as compared to the factory wheels?
Yes, larger tires fit under the EXTENDED LENGTH Transit.
For the REGULAR LENGTH Transit, larger tires have to be deflated to fit (from what we’ve been told), or an aftermarket rear door carrier can be use.
We didn’t feel any extra leaning!
Cheers, antoine
Hi, we just ordered our van (high roof, extended, DRW, High capacity) ..i know will take a while, but super excited. I will be following you guys plans 😉 .. thoughts on tire options for the DRW configuration? not sure if the spacing will allow for bigger tires on the rear. Are you guys following same timeline for the van conversion? Thank you so much!!
Not sure about the DRW, but I’m sure someone would know on the Ford Transit group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/472339682915770
The timeline will be similar I guess, just much slower than for our first van 😉
First, cool wheels/tires. The 6-lug design is so cool (esp for one who has wheels rollaway while on the highway…)
Now, questions:
1. How do you deal with the difference in inflation with the bigger tires? They don’t need as much air because they are bigger. If you inflate them to factory specs, the middle of the tires will wear out. If you inflate them properly they trigger the tire sensors.
2. Do you sell your old rims/tires? You could use them in the summer…
3. Did you get a sensor on your spare?
Hi Don,
1. We always inflated our larger tires to factory specs in the past, no issues really.
2. Haven’t sell them yet, but that’s the plan. I still want the KO2 in summer, for when we climb steep off-roads here in BC 🙂
3. No sensor on the spare, we don’t plan on including it in the tire rotation. The spare carrier mechanism is a bit finicky and we’d rather leave it alone. Maybe they improved it on the 2021, but it broke once on the 2016 van.
Have a good one! antoine
Hello… quick one… Do you plan to ”Lift” your new AWD van?
It’s not in our plans at the moment, the Air Lift (faroutride.com/air-lift-springs-installation/) worked pretty well for us on our previous van! We liked that we could lower/raise the back of the van “on demand” with the onboard compressor, for off-roading but for leveling the van left/right as well (for sleeping).
Your are killing me, I had an eye on thoses for the last 6 months as one of the best look ever. I ordered my transit back in Ocotber 2021 and it just arrived at the dealer. I will take posssession of tonight! I end up choosing a close copy of your current one base on your amazing recommendations. The only exception is that I picked the all window for view and will deal with the window insulation as needed as we will usually be in moderate climate. I someone choose a Ford Transit, your are the reference, thnaks for your great work and detailed explanations.allet ne
Merci Isabelle et Antoine
Haha we’ve been trying to get them for a few months as well, they finally became available so we jumped on them 🙂
Glad your Transit was built, so many people get their order cancelled these days…
Happy build!
antoine