I never liked the black wheels that were on Fessick when I purchased him. Also with four 35″ wheels, the size of the spare tire was so different (31.5″) that I really didn’t have a spare.
I was finally able to assemble all the pieces needed to change the wheels and tires last month. In addition to improving the looks of Fessick, the Wander Wagon, my cabin got quieter and my mileage and acceleration improved.
Last summer I bought four aluminum wheels that were offered as a dealer installed accessory in 2001. Sadly, the tires mounted on those wheels were dry-rotted so I couldn’t put them under the truck immediately.
Its actually a good thing I didn’t try to mount the aluminum wheels, as I didn’t have the correct hardware. The aftermarket wheels use a cone seat lug nut, while the Ford wheels need a flat face lug nut. The cone seat lug nuts would probably have cracked the aluminum wheels had I torqued them down.
The center caps were a bit of a challenge. There are third party reproduction caps available, but I was leery of the quality. Found several sets of center caps on eBay, but most of them were priced like they were made of gold. The ones with reasonable prices seemed to be sold by total flakes. All I can say here is be wary when buying used parts.
The Cooper tires I took off were unbelievably loud on the highway. I never realized tires could be that loud until I was halfway home with the BFGs. If you’re due for new tires, I would suggest you hit up your favorite forum for suggestions. These BF Goodrich KO2’s seem very popular with both the Excursion owners and the Overland crowd. I’ve tested the BFGs, on wet and dry pavement and I have nothing bad to say. Hopefully I’ll be able to run them through some slop this spring.
On the way to the tire shop, I filled the tank with winter blend #2 diesel. The lie-o-meter indicated 11.5 miles per gallon. 450 miles later (same tank of fuel. I freaking love this truck!) the lie-o-meter indicates 13 mpg. I use the Fuelly app to track my fuel economy. I’m looking forward to seeing what the actual increase is.
The 7.3 has never been (and never will be) known as a fast engine. Especially when wrapped up in four and a half tons of luxo-barge. That being said moving from the 35 inch diameter tire to the 31.5 diameter made a noticeable difference in acceleration.
Speaking of speed, my speedometer is now accurate. Which I guess is useful(ish).
Since the rubber on my spare was 19 years old, and the steel spare was the same size as the aluminum wheels, I had matching rubber mounted on all five wheels. If I get a flat now I don’t NEED to call a tow truck.
Working speedo, useable spare, more miles per gallon, better acceleration (more smiles per gallon), and a cabin where I can have a conversation with my wife. Not bad for a single afternoon.
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