Prior to this article, we talked about the bolt patterns of other pickup trucks in the three-quarter-ton (2500) category like the Chevy 2500.
This time, we’re going to focus on something from Ford in the form of the F-250, which is one of several “Super Duty” pickup trucks from the renowned manufacturer’s F-Series.
As usual, we’re going to be providing you with details about the F-250’s bolt pattern and other accompanying specifications for proper wheel fitment.
What is the bolt pattern of a Ford F-250?
Every Ford F-250 Generation from 1999 until the current one (2022) utilizes a bolt pattern of 8×6.69 inches (8x170mm).
The Ford F-250 uses a total of 8 bolts that form an imaginary inner diameter of 6.69 inches (170mm) from the center of one bolt to the one that’s opposite to it.
The rest of the bolt specifications, however, may vary slightly depending on the year model.
Therefore, we’re going to take a look at the other bolt specifications of each F-250 generation as well.
We have also included the various factory tire and rim sizes available for each generation. These two will be collectively referred to as “wheel specifications”.
Wheel and Bolt Specifications for the Ford F-250
The “Super Duty” Ford F-250 models actually span four generations, and each generation has a lot of similarities with the others when it comes to bolt specifications.
As you read on, you’ll see that we have listed the center bore diameter, type of wheel fastener, thread size, and tightening torque specification of each F-250 generation.
As for the wheel specifications, they will be dependent on the various trim levels offered within the generations themselves.
But before we start, we have to clarify Ford’s use of the 4×4 and 4×2 drivetrain designations on the F-250’s trim levels: the 4×4 drivetrain is interchangeable with the term “4-wheel drive” (4WD), while the 4×2 drivetrain is otherwise interchangeable with the term “rear-wheel drive” (RWD).
4th Generation Ford F-250 (2017 – Present/2022)
The 4th and current generation of the Ford F-250 can be divided into “facelift” (2020 to 2022) and “pre-facelift” (2017 to 2020) production years.
Both the facelift and pre-facelift models share the same set of bolt specifications, which are actually passed down from the previous generations, as you’ll see later.
Their trim levels are also almost exactly identical. The only differentiating factor is that the top-of-the-line 7.3-liter engine trim was only added after the facelift models were introduced.
As seen in the table below, you can easily tell the difference between the wheel specifications of the 4×2 and 4×4 trim levels.
The 4×2 options have three different tire sizes paired with two rim sizes, while the 4×4 ones offer two additional tire sizes and one more rim size on top of the already-existing ones.
Center Bore Diameter: 4.91 inches (124.9mm)
Wheel Fastener: Lug Nut (8)
Thread Size: M14x1.5
Torque Spec: 165lb-ft (224Nm)
2020 – 2022 Ford F-250 (Facelift)
2017 – 2020 Ford F-250 (Pre-Facelift)
3rd Generation Ford F-250 (2011 – 2016)
The 3rd-generation F-250’s wheel and bolt specifications were a lot more straightforward, as there were slightly fewer trim levels and tire and rim sizes offered during that time.
Once again, we can see the same bolt specifications used in the previously-discussed 4th generation for this one.
Just like with the 4th generation, the 3rd-generation F-250’s tire sizes were also determined by whether it has a 4×2 or 4×4 drivetrain.
But if you look closely, both of these drivetrains actually used the same two rim sizes from the factory, namely the 7.5Jx17 and 8Jx18 which both have a +40mm offset.
Center Bore Diameter: 4.91 inches (124.9mm)
Wheel Fastener: Lug Nut (8)
Thread Size: M14x1.5
Torque Spec: 165lb-ft (224Nm)
2nd Generation Ford F-250 ( 2008 – 2010)
Compared to the other generations, the 2nd-generation F-250’s production run is a shorter one.
In spite of this, it did offer more trim levels that included Ford’s sole V10 engine that was first used for Super Duty trucks back in 1999.
The bolt specifications of the 2nd generation were almost identical to the ones mentioned above, with the only distinction being that the torque spec was slightly lower at 147.5lb-ft.
Its wheel specifications are also very easy to keep track of, as all 6 of its trim levels share the same two tire sizes and one rim size from the factory.
Center Bore Diameter: 4.91 inches (124.9mm)
Wheel Fastener: Lug Nut (8)
Thread Size: M14x1.5
Torque Spec: 147.5lb-ft (200Nm)
1st Generation Ford F-250 (1999 – 2007)
The 1st-generation Super Duty F-250 was first introduced in 1999 with only a single 5.4-liter engine trim level.
It remained this way until the 1st generation’s production run ended in 2007, but there were several changes made to both its bolt and wheel specifications over the years.
For instance, it initially had a thread size of M14x2.0 but eventually switched to an M14x1.5 in 2003, which started the trend of thread sizes used in later generations.
The owner’s guide for the F-250 during that time also suggested that the bolts should be torqued between 150 to 165lb-ft, so you’ll have a range to work with instead of one value.
Ford’s workshop manual further elaborates on this by stating that the lower value is used for when the truck is unloaded, and the higher value for when it’s loaded.
Moving on to the wheel specifications, the tire and rim sizes of the 1st generation can simply be split into those made from 1999 to 2004 and 2005 to 2007.
It first started off with one tire and rim size until 2004, but then switched to the same wheel specifications found on the 2nd-generation F-250 afterward.
Center Bore Diameter: 4.91 inches (124.9mm)
Wheel Fastener: Lug Nut (8)
Thread Size: M14x2.0 (1999 – 2002)
M14x1.5 (2003 – 2007)
Torque Spec: 150/165lb-ft (Unloaded/Loaded)
How to Tighten the Bolts on a Ford F-250
Whenever you tighten the bolts (or lug nuts) on any car, there will be a specific tightening pattern that you would need to follow depending on the number of bolts.
As previously discussed, every generation of the Ford F-250 utilizes 8 bolts, and we can also refer to it as having an “8-lug pattern”.
8-lug patterns are very commonly used in trucks in the three-quarter-ton category, so we will be using the most applicable tightening pattern for them for the F-250 as well.
Compared to 4 or 5-lug tightening patterns on passenger cars, the 8-lug tightening pattern requires a bit more specificity and complexity.
You’re going to initially start with a simple criss-cross pattern while tightening bolts 1 through 4, which is basically what the 4-lug tightening pattern would be.
Continue following the arrows from bolts 5 through 8. Notice how it still follows a criss-cross pattern, but diagonally this time around.
If you’re simply retightening the bolts, then you can go ahead and tighten them up to the full tightening torque specification for your F-250’s generation with a torque wrench.
But if you’ve completely removed the wheels and the truck is still raised, hand-tighten them to about half of the torque value or at least snug enough first.
After you’ve lowered the truck back down, you can then proceed to torque the bolts to their full specification.
After driving for 50 miles (80.5km), check the bolts again to see if there is any change in their torque value. Retorque them accordingly if you notice any changes.
If they keep coming loose after only a short while, then you can check the calibration of the torque wrench that you used or clean between the wheels’ mating surfaces.
If the loosening still persists afterward, then you may need to replace your wheels entirely.
How to Change the Tires on the Ford F-250
Now that you’ve learned about the F-250’s bolt pattern and other specifications, it’s time to talk about how long its tires last.
Tire changes should be included on anyone’s to-do list if they want a full-size truck like the Ford F-250 to perform its best during heavy-duty work.
The F-250’s tires last for about 60,000 to 75,000 miles (97,000 – 121,000 kilometers) depending on the tire manufacturer and how they’re used.
Even if you’re not driving it around that much or doing a lot of towing and carrying, it’s still generally recommended to change your tires every 4 to 5 years.
As for checking the tread life of the tires yourself, you can make use of the popular “penny trick” by inserting a penny upside down between the treads and checking if Lincoln’s head is visible.
If only half of it is visible, then you still have pretty thick tire treads. But if you can already see the top of his head, then it’s already time for a tire change.
Alternatively, you can also look for your tires’ “tread wear indicator bars” that initially sit deep between the treads on newer tires.
If your treads are already at the same height as the bars, then your tires are already too thin to drive on and it’s time to swap them out for new ones.
When to Rotate the Tires on the Ford F-250
If you’ve confirmed that your F-250’s tires are still good to go, then the next thing to keep in mind’s when to rotate them for even wear.
If you’ve ever checked our guide on the Chevy 2500, then you would realize that the F-250’s tire rotations are performed using the exact same pattern with the same frequency.
As we’ve explained earlier, the F-250’s 4×4 and 4×2 trims are interchangeable with 4WD and RWD trims on other vehicle models respectively.
Thus, we are going to use the “rearward-cross” tire rotation pattern that’s applicable to both 4×4 and 4×2 trims of the F-250 as well.
For this pattern, the truck’s two front tires are moved to the back diagonally, while the rear tires are simply moved to the front without switching sides.
As for when you should use this pattern, it’s going to depend on whether your F-250 is a 4×4 or 4×2.
4×4 F-250s need their tires rotated every 3,000 to 5,000 miles (4,800 to 8,000km), which is basically the same for a lot of 4×4 vehicles out there.
In comparison, the tires on 4×2 F-250s can be rotated a little later at 5,000 to 7,500 miles (8,000 to 12,000 kilometers).
The difference in their frequencies lies in the fact that 4×4 (or 4WD) vehicles considerably wear out their tires faster due to the delivery of the engine’s power through all four wheels.
