I have a 65 f350 that has 6092 actual miles on it. I was told that you could take the so called Toledo adapters off of the front hubs and run regular 8 lug wheels. They said that the adapters only changed the 8 lug to 6 lug and created the proper offset for the dually wheels. Does anyone know about this. I haven't been able to get my lug nuts loose yet. Have them soaking in gibbs brand penetrating oil.

 

There are multiple threads inre to 1953/66 F350's with their 6 lug wheels on a 7.25" bolt circle.

The FTE member that knows more about these wheels than anyone is truckdog62563 who posts in the 1948/60 forum.

Despite what you've heard, there is no EZ way to change these wheels....front or rear. If your F350 has DRW (dual rear wheels), you are basically stuck with what you have now.

With DRW: The front/rear lug nuts and studs are right/left specific! If you have DRW, make sure to turn the wrench t'other way on the left (drivers) side, cuz it's not the same as the right (passenger) side.

 

I could NOT agree more with Number Dummy about no easy way to do this conversion. Also that isn't an adapter you see, unfortunately it's a flange integral to the hub securing the brake drum. I am right in the middle of this process with my 59 F350 stake, turning it into a 9' flareside. To get proper width for this bed, I swapped out a rear axle from a '92 F350, thus giving me 16" wheels in the rear. This was somewhat basic, but for my application I had to move the spring perches inboard about 2", so it took some welding. Brakes were easy and worked perfectly. Driveshaft modifications, if needed are relatively inexpensive in most cities.
Last night I tackled the front. I did mine with a huge old angle grinder, and a bandsaw with the v belt removed and run around the front brake drum to power up my 'lathe'. I cut off the 6 lug bell end of the hub and turned it down til a proper and beautifully made dually adapter from Fred Goeske's wheeladapter.com would just tap over it. The bolts (yours might be studs) holding the drum on were removed and replaced with longer ones so they would accomodate the added thickness of the flange on the adapter. While the bolts were out, I faced off the outer face of the flange, testing as I went with a digital micrometer. The new adapter is designed to be 'lug centered' on 9/16 studs. The alignment with the hub, drum and adapter was spot on perfect and gave me confidence I was on the right track. The weight of the vehicle is transfered to the center of the hub by the close fit to the adapter, so I'm not cantilevered out off the brake drum flange.
In closing, all of this could (and should?)have been done by a competent machine shop by just dropping off the hubs and your new Goeske adapter. That is what I would strongly recommend. The stock hub, properly mated to this adapter is a VERY heavy duty setup. As for my excuse, I live on an Island with no machine shop services, top speed around here is 35 mph, and I have 40 years experience as a professional woodworker (lots of big, freehand lathe work)and the same amount of years fixing and modifying old Ford trucks ( one tons and ton and a halfs)as a hobby. This job was difficult, dangerous and taxing to my brain, but the concept is sound. Look at Fred's website, order the adapters and drop them off at your favorite machine shop with your hubs. Ok, I'm headed out to the shop to gaze upon my 8 lug wheels mounted on the driver's side front before my employees show up and spoil my fun. Passenger side tonight........

 

Just a heads up...if anyone is in need of brake stuff etc, I know of where some for this very setup(F350) can be had...DRW too...


- cs65