I just got off the phone with the folks at American Wheel Specialist in Pasco, WA, and have set up to pay them a visit this coming Monday afternoon. The wife and I will be heading west Saturday night/Sunday morning to visit our son and his family in Portland. So, since Pasco is only a short drive off I-84, I thought it'd be good to visit them.

I've got a list of my own questions to go over with them, and have had Petey Shoes ask over on the 47/under page for better pics of their 19.5" tubeless wheels. So, if anybody has other questions for me to ask, let me know. Stu

 

stu, i can have the coach in your front yard saturday early pm. you could ride in the lap of luxury!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So that could be the second thing going for Pasco Washington, Before I just figured the only thing going for Pasco and the Tri Cities was the River! I lived in Richland for almost a year, it was almost a year to long!

Well actaully now that I think about it, Richland did have some pretty good car shows and bands play in the park in the summers. That and the Hydroplane boat race circuit came through every summer. (Nice Spectator sport)

good luck on your trip,
Josh

 

You've lost me. Coach? We've got a motorhome, but will leave it parked in favor of the E-350 Clubwagon. It's a straight though drive, switching off at the wheel, that takes about 36 hours. That puts me near Pasco around noon or so on Monday.

 

Are you taking I 80 through Salt Lake and up 84? make sure your brakes are good dropping out of the Blue Mountains into Pendelton Oregon, because drop is what you do! beautiful country though!

 

Yeah, I've made this trip for a lot of years now and I know the road real well. Summer is easy. The other seasons can get risky if you hit it wrong. But I'll drive anywhere before I'll fly.

 

You lucky dog!!!

 

Scott - How come? I'd feel luckier had our kid settled 36 miles away instead of 36 hours away. Stu

 

LMAO, that's funny right there!

 

Dang, you guys are making me homesick! I grew up in Hermiston, OR, just south of the tri-cities, and had nothing going for it but the Umatilla Army Depot and the largest nerve gas storage center in the U.S.! My grandparents lived in Northern IL and we made that 36hr trip almost every summer. Cabbage hill is beautiful, but it is dangerous. I'll have to get back there sometime...after I update the brakes on my 50!

Have you ever stopped in LaGrande and tried Nell's? It's been close to ten years since I was there, but they have THE BEST milkshakes you'll ever taste.

 

Nell's in LaGrande. Never been there but will mark it on the map. Stu

 

I spent almost 20 yrs in Stanfield, Hermiston area. Did all my shopping in the Tri cities. From the 70's to late 80's

 

Hey Stu, I have a question that is too late for me but might be a good one for others to consider. I bought their 19.5 wheels and am glad I did once I saw the shape my 20" widowmakers were in. H*ll I am surprised I got my 52 F6 from Portland to Seattle on them without blowing up and killing the folks in the Focus next to me!

Now the question: why did they make the handholes so small and the dish for the bolt holes so flat? Can they make a wheel that is close to stock appearance to our 20s? The only regret I hav is that the wheels are not exactly stock looking for our trucks.They are close enough and safe. I'll accept that margin of error. But I am wondering what they can do.

Also, I think I heard through American Frame and Alignment in Kent, WA who did my set-up that American Wheel can take the center out of a 20" wheel and mate it to a one-piece rim. Is that true and what will it cost for those interested in keeping true to the innertube and wheel size? Again this is all academic for me but I am sure others might be interested in the results of your research. Thanks for doing this!!!!!!!!!

BTW: wish I was in the Portland area in the next week so we could meet.I grew up on the SW side and my daughter and family live near PIR. Have a great trip out here.

Eric (Seattle)

 

Eric - Great questions. I've got the one on hand holes on my list too. Please explain more, though, the problem with the dish of the bolt holes being too flat. For instance, on a "stud piloted" wheel design the lug nut is supposed to seat into the dished area around the hole to center the wheel. Is there too little dish to allow this causing the wheel to not center? Or is it possible that we are so used to seeing clapped out old wheels that we don't know what the holes are supposed to look like? I'll definitely ask about this. As for putting WM centers in new rims, I know they mount them in lock rings. But as I understand there are no 20" tubeless rims in a truck design. Another of my questions regards putting WM centers in 22.5" tubeless rims. That I think should be possible, but I've not talked about it with them in detail. Another question I have is about pulling the F-3 WM centers to mount in 17.5" tubeless rims. We talked about this one a little on the phone but I didn't get an answer that I'm comfortable with. The owner's son told me they've done it mounting WM 17" centers in 16" tubeless rims by shaving down the center, but that to me defeats the purpose for guys that still have the 14" rear drums. I've taken measurements of different wheel centers and will see if I can offer them options that will help them as well as us.

Your daughter and family might live near mine. They're in the NW area too in one of the cute neighborhoods a few blocks off I-5. It's always amazing to me the property values out west. I can't see how young families do it. Stu

 

Stu,

Could you ask them about making 22.5 tubeless wheels with 8-hole, 10" bolt center for F7/F8 trucks? That or taking the center from our old 3-piece wheels and mating to their 22.5s?

Have a great time visiting the NW. If you ever up here to Seattle maybe a group of us can get together with our trucks...

Stan