Nonetheless, try to keep it below 60. We'd love to keep as many members alive here that like the big trucks. Even if you are only 31.... Most of your contemporarys are building hot rods and you seem to be a rare breed! Now go get that head outa the oven. I just had 4 peanut butter cookies out of mine. I have a great wife!

 

What pressure cap did you have on the radiator. They call for a 4 lb cap, any higher than that would have added to the problem.

 

4Lb cap. I love peanut butter cookies!

Guy on the thread I posted for a new radiator suggested this-
https://www.radiatorexpress.com/prod...MDPRoCZYjw_wcB

I don't know if a two row is going to be sufficient for this thing. I do actualy intend to use it for hauling modest loads of rock, gravel, and such up to around 10k lbs.

Mind you I did think that I was going slower than I was. 65mph is awful fast In my mind for the vehicle. I was at the posted limit and did slow down best I can figure to about 50 in the curves. There is no chance of me attempting that rate with a load on.

the good news out of that cruddy afternoon was the service station in Rosholt SD has 87 octane ethanol free gasoline! Now the only premium I have to purchase is for my 64 F100! non ethanol gas is getting harder to find every year and it does terrors to old cars, trucks, tractors, and small engines.

Will let you know if the head came out aok. Your wife bakes cookies...........Mine lets me bake a cylinder head!

 

If you are planning to use this as an actual working truck, I would suggest having the original radiator recored, if not, expect to spend upwards of $500 on a high quality new one.
With your intended use I was wondering if you have addressed the widowmaker situation? You sure would not want to be hauling a heavy load and have a rim explode.

 

Why split rims are dangerous to work on I have never heard anyone in the area mention one blowing while loaded. Up here in the the high plains you would be supprised at the amounts of old trucks running split rims from the 60s and earlier still bumping around. While they are not used as primary grain trucks much any more they do get used as tanker trucks, drill fill, and other menial tasks. We got a guy at work who still hauls all his grain in with a 53 ford with a 215 six!

People on this forum talk about the inability to secure service on the old split rims but I know of 3 places off hand that do it.

While dangerous......possibly. I cannot find anything wrong with the original wheels.

 

You realize that there is a BIG difference between the widowmakers and other split rims, or do you?
Split rims with the locking safety ring, as long as the metal is in good shape are not really a problem, I have run many of those over the years. But these old Fords were the only one's with Firestone RH 5° rims. Go talk to those 3 shops and ask them about service the old Ford widowmakers, chances are you will get a different reply. But the bigger problem with these is the fact that there have been numerous instances of these wheels exploding going down the road, or sitting in a parking lot.

 

I guess I know a fella that had a few tubes put in his 57 bus a few years back at the one shop.

Where does one find a set of 5 bolt buds laying around cheep?

 

The easiest ones to find are 19.5 dodge wheels, used on the M400 and M500 chassis. They would be a tubless but have a lower weight rating than the 20" and are also smaller diameter. Another option is the 22.5, but they are harder to find and will run on the average of about 3-4 times as much as the 19.5's. There are also some lock ring 20" out there, but they will be very old and it is important that the matching rings stay with their original rims. Check the classified section here to find a few members here that do have rims.

 

I will make one thing clear. I do not own or service dodge products!

I will torch them up for scrap and that is about it.

 

Don't worry, those 'dodge' wheels were made by someone else, like Budd or another wheel company. My '37 and '47 big trucks have 5 hole lock ring wheels. Are these the same bolt pattern? If so, they should be available in your neighborhood in good shape. I have owned 3 North Dakota trucks and the wheels were quite rust free. The last truck I bought from 'Dick's Hot Rod Garage in Minot'. In the photos on his website are tons of parted and incomplete trucks in the background. I bet he has some.

 

I did some poking around on this and the only thing I know is you should loop chains around them while filling to prevent explosions. I have heard of the caution needed on split rims while servicing since I was in my teens but have never heard of one popping apart on the road or sitting idle. I am going to ask the old timers about this however as to find people who ran this type of equipment you have to talk to folks with a minimum age of about 70.

Split rims were pretty much over about ten years before I was born so I will admit that my experience is limited to an occasional pickup and such. I know that if these rims were that dangerous my 81 yearold liability cautious grandfather would have spoke up uninvited and he has said narry a peep.

Short of the severe difficulty in changing the tires is there any reason one couldn ot simply weld the seam shut?

 

Believe me, you don't need to be over 70 to know about these wheels they were manufactured from 1946 through 1973.

Here is one example ....
On June 21, 1978, Artie Little, a lady of 82 years, walking on Fourth Street in Strong, Arkansas, was struck by a side ring of an RH5 ° type multi-piece truck wheel mounted as the left front outside dual on a log trailer owned by appellant Harvey Shelton and pulled behind a truck driven by Shelton's employee, X.L. Baker.

 

You can't get a tire over the flanges once it was welded. Can't weld with tire in place, pressures skyrocket from the heat of welding. The wheels just need to go in the trash.

 

Saw a wheel fall off a dodge Durango this year?
Seen one off a chevy too.
Known a few on ford cars and trucks.

I am not saying that you are lying but 5 years ago this truck was hauling dirt and ten years ago it was tender truck.

lots of old fords around here that as far as I know are on the original split rims. The internet is a powerful tool but it can also generate hype in a sure hurry. Lots of folks will tell you that a 300 six cant pull the hat off your head but I will dig my heels in and disagree.

I will be asking some questions of some folks I know that are honest and knowledgeable. But I aint going to go lay out $2000 for rims and tires asap. If they were that bad my insurance company, the state of North Dakota, or the federal highway admin would have done something about this in the 27 years they were made.

I am listening, but a bit skeptical gentleman.

forgot to mention-I am working on re wiring this thing and looked up under the dash far enough to find a speed changer for the two speed. Now to figure out why it was not functioning!