Hi Guys,

As a fairly new member here I have read a tonne of info regarding the Widow Maker wheel(AKA RH5)

Lets start a thread for replacement wheel solutions- No axle swaps,wheel adapters etc.

What have people done who have the early 5 or 6 hole pattern widow maker?

Post your wheels size,bolt pattern,and a picture if possible,and post your fix or solution.

Cheers!

I for one have 17" with a 6x7.25 bolt pattern SRW. My plan is to find 19.5" stockers and make them work,but have had no luck so far.

 

Stu has covered this over and over.....

 

yup Stu has.. I got a pair of Stocton rims..in 19.5 ..friggin' heavy but nice ..when I get more money I'll get more rims..

 

I have sympathy for what you're after here, but there's so many variables that I hesitate to let you think it'll be this easy. For instance, in your case there have been no 19.5s made with 5" dish, or close to that, to match your widowmaker 17s. There were two styles made, one with 1/2" dish and the other with 3.5" of dish. Whether the ones with 3.5" would rub your fenders is unknown. You'd have to find a set to try it, and that's the real task. I know of them only from the catalogs, never seen a set. A more logical alternative for you is the 17.5" dually wheels that were optional on later F-350s. They are Budd #71320 and have 4.75" dish. They show up on Craig's List every so often. The other option is custom 19.5s like Ken has done.

Here's a couple threads from the 61-66 forum where guys have struggled with this same subject. Stu

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/8...-ton-rims.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/9...5-f-350-a.html

 

Ugh... sounds like fun. Hopefully I can come up with something reasonable. The wheels on the truck are in good shape and the tires are new,but it was difficult finding someone to service them. I may have to consider wheel adapters to maybe a 10 bolt,which opens up a world of possibilities,and a ton of tire options.

I have plenty of room in the wheel wells to move the tires outward,so that is not an issue. With all these truck around I cant believe there is no off the shelf options.

 

IMHO there's no such thing as a "good shape" WM. If you have trouble getting them serviced in Canada, wait till you get into the states on your planned trip. You might not find anybody to touch them along I-15 deep into "Nowhere", Idaho.

Custom adapters we've found will approach the cost of custom wheels.

Another option to think about are 16" lock ring wheels from a Dodge, IHC, Studebaker, or Ford dually. Make sure you find them for 5/8" studs, some were 9/16". They are fairly common in yards, and can be serviced. But it'll be a shorter tire which takes you in the wrong direction since you're wanting to improve road speed. Stu