First post here. I been reading and searching a bit but still confused. I bought a 1953 F6 with the widow maker 8.25 x20s, 5 lug. I want to go with 22.5s, one piece. Used looks out of the question. So what are my options for new? I called Juan at american wheel specialist, he can do it. He said the are working getting up and going for brand new wheels. But that will be a few months out yet. My understanding is that they take old 20s and weld them on to 22.5? Will this be strong and safe? Anything seems safer than the WM.
He asked what size I want to run. I don't know. He said that 10r is the most common but will be quite a bit taller than the 8.25x20. Will this size work?
This looks to be quite expensive but can't use the truck without tires, right? It takes big bucks to play with big trucks! Lol
Last edited by MIspecial; 05-11-2009 at 10:14 PM.
Reason: pic
First of all, welcome to the group. Great to have another big truck guy hanging around. Nice truck, but I think you meant '52.
I'm impressed that you've done a lot of homework on this. I visited Juan Murillo last year and sat with him and his son Shaun at American Wheel Specialist most of a morning firing questions at them. He told me that making the 22.5s out of old WM 20s can be done, but that they don't have a good source for new narrow tubeless rims. (It'd be great if he comes up with a source like you mention). The old 22.5s would have been either 5.25", 6.00", or 6.75" wide. New rims are generally much wider. New 22.5s are available from Accuride in a 6.75" width, but not in the 5 lug x 8" circle bolt pattern.
If you were to get rims from AWS, strength would not be a concern. Juan told me his wheels are stonger than OEM because he double welds the center, both inside and out, to the rim. Your old 20s being riveted wouldn't be nearly as strong.
Going with wider replacement rims creates rubbing and, as he said, adds height to the tire profile. As tires get wider they also get taller. Technically a 9 x 22.5 tire (which has what's called a 15° bead profile) is a direct replacement for a 8.25 x 20 (which has a 5° bead profile). Here's a diagram that shows it better than I can say it.
So, your options depend on how the truck is to be used. There is a member here that has a set of used 22.5s for sale now. He may have them in the classifieds here (I haven't looked), but I know they are on eBay. Here's the link.
Another option is to go with either new or used 19.5s. There are members here that have them on their trucks and say they fit fine over the rear drums. They won't have the weight capacity of your stock 20s or 22.5s if you use your truck as it was intended. Old motor homes is a good source for 19.5s and I think a member has a set of them for sale too. Also, AWS sells new in a 19.5 x 6" size. They have a different center profile that makes them look a little different if that matters to you.
A third option is to go to Stockton Wheel and have them put your pattern in new 22.5s. I've seen pics of wheels they made and it appears they cut the face off a new Accurides and weld on a replacement face with your bolt pattern. They too look a little different than old because the new Accurides have a different hand hole design. Also be aware that Stockton has been flamed violently on the HAMB in resent years for service issues.
A fourth option is to go to Century Wheel or Wheels Now to have them put your pattern in new Accurides. I'm not sure what technique they use to do it, but know that they are both Accuride authorized dealers and their wheels will carry Accuride's full warrenty.
And last is to stay with 20s, but find the old lock ring style. AWS can do those for you. Also, there is a guy on ebay that has 7 listed ending today. Only five match, but they'd all work for you in a pinch. The price is right, but shipping might kill you. But I see that you are in MI, the seller is in Chgo. Here are the links:
WOW-Thanks Stu! That was very helpful. And yes the truck is a 52. Good catch.
My truck tire guy has a recapping shop and told me that 9r22.5 are not too common. Do you know if the 10r22.5 will rub between the duallies? I don't want to go through all this and than have a problem. I plan to use the truck as a work truck and a few local car shows. I am starting to sell a bit of firewood as a side work and this will be good advertisting. But not as a daily driver. I am sure that these tires will last for a very long time and most likely won't get worn out.
Thanks again for the help!
Matt
I have a 55 F-600 and I used a set of wheels made by those guys in Pasco, Wa. I got them from Les Schwab Tires in Bonney Lake, Wa. I paid about $200 each for the rebuilt lock ring wheels and also bought new TOYO 9.00-20 radials for the front and recapped 9.00-20 radials for the back.
They're close in the front but they don't rub! (pics in my gallery)
The whole deal was about $2800 3 years ago.
I REALLY wish I could have found 19.5 or 22.5 wheels so I could have used tubeless radials but I think what I have will work just fine.
I did drive it a little before I started taking it apart and it tracked true and drove pretty nice on the freeway...
Cheers,
Rick
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1955 F-600 // D I S C L A I M E R: No animals were injured while test driving my F-600 except the ones I RAN OVER INTENTIONALLY!!! (RESISTANCE IS FUTILE) 73 de Rick
Yeah, tires is where it gets difficult. I've done Google searches and found that 9R22.5s still are made, but they'll be from China. Whether 10s will rub depends on which rims you find, and whether you use spacers between the rear duals with longer studs.
A Budd chart I have from 1979 says that a 10" tire is approved to be used on either a 6.75" or 7.50" rim. The required minimum dual spacing respectively would be 11.1" or 11.4". A 9" tire is approved to be used on either a 6.00", 6.75", or 7.50" rim. Required dual space there would be 10.0", 10.3", and 10.6" respectively. To use the narrowest 5.25" tubeless rim you'd be into an 8R22.5 tire. Fat chance of finding them. An Accuride catalog of the same era (1981) gives exactly the same figures.
The wheel you want to find is either a Budd 22.5 x 6.75, part #89810, or Accuride same size with part #27759. Both have 11.7" of dual spacing which satifies the 10" tire standard. I couldn't find the exact Budd number to look for in a 22.5 x 6.00 size but the required dual spacing for them would be in the 10.7" or 10.8" range. The 5.25" rim is obviously the oldest made and I found no dual spacing info on them.
So probably a 10" tire on a 6.00 rim would need spacers based on the above. And whether you could get by using a 5.25" rim with a 9R22.5 I can't say. I think I've read here that some guys have done it and they seem to work. I'll let them give their experience. Stu
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Stu
'52 F-3 Marmon-Herrington V-8
'52 F-3 Marmon-Herrington I-6
When I bought my F-4 it has 22.5"s on all six. I sold them when I found a set of 19.5s. I did it for two reasons. First, the the 22.5X8 tires on the front came within a inch of rubbing the front fenders and the only tires I could find, which wasn't that easy, were 22.5X9 and I figured the 9"s would come closer to rubbing. Second, I thought the bigger wheels made the F-4 look like a circus wagon. During the period of looking for 22.5" tires I noticed some of the UPS trucks ran 22.5X9s. I asked the UPS driver who supplied their tires and called their supplier, the tire guy acted like I was from Mars when I asked about 22.5s. He wasn't very helpful at all. You'd think if a fleet like UPS bought a certain tire they would be available.
__________________ Old trucks, it's a sickness-one I hope they never find a cure for! Bob Jones--Fat Fender Aficionado--
49 F-2 pickup/48 F-1 panel truck
48/51 F-4 flatbed (2 in 1)/49 8N tractor www.fatfenderedtrucks.com
I need to amend/correct something I said in this thread. Stock Budd 17s will fit F-4/5/6 fronts, but not backs. I was out at Chuck's a couple weeks ago and we tried a rear drum in a stock Budd 17". Would not fit. So, the fact that 19.5s fit these drums says that the drop center of the tubeless rim yields more clearance than does the flat center of the tube type rim, even though the centers are exactly the same. I have both 17s and 19.5s for my trucks and have measured the centers of several. All the same. So, I stand corrected. Stu
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Stu
'52 F-3 Marmon-Herrington V-8
'52 F-3 Marmon-Herrington I-6
I just went to town and while there stopped in at Midway Tire. I asked the old guy that knows what he's talking about if he can still get 9R22.5s. "I can get 'em all day long. How many ya want". I explained why I was asking then we went out to the shop and looked at some used ones he's got and talked to the install guy. I asked him if he'd ever put 9s on any 5.25" rims. No, but he shrugged and said "I guess you could do it". But it didn't sound like such a great idea. So, excluding the 5.25s, at least the 6.00 rim is in the ball park for you if you were to go with 9R22.5s. Stu
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Stu
'52 F-3 Marmon-Herrington V-8
'52 F-3 Marmon-Herrington I-6
Thanks,
I also went to my local truck tire shop and they have a contract with Fedex. They run 9R22.5s on their trucks, so he has them new, take offs and new recapps.
I also spoke with Shawn at AWS and he said that they have plenty of hubs but are trying to locate me some narrow 22.5s.
Things are coming together and I'm learning alot. What I did learn is I need more money for this project off the bat than I figured!
The fellows at American Frame and Alignment in Kent WA were going to put 9R22.5s on my Budd 5.25 rims. They are not recommended but will fit as I recall. You might want to call them about it and remind them that a guy with a blue F6 flatbed was in for wheel exchange last year. If they dont recall me they might remember that I decided to go with the American Wheel updated new wheels and tires from American Wheel (no relation to American Frame) in Pasco. My decision was not cheap but the work on my rims and the cost of the tires warranted the decision.
Here is their contact info:
American Frame and Alignment
911 W James St
Kent, WA 98032
(253) 854-2311
Well, I ordered 6 wheel from Juan @ American Wheel. I hope to get them in about 2 weeks. I am going to have them powder coated. Then new tires. Wow this is going to be $$$$$........
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