I am confused, there's 20" tubeless wheels and tires? I thought that all 20" wheels were multi piece wheels (split/lock-ring etc) and were all tube-type.......

I was under the impression that the only tubeless were 19.5" and 22.5" etc...

 

No, there are no tubeless 20" truck rims, only tube type multi-part designs. I'm surprised you couldn't easily find a big rig shop to do your service, like Les Schwab or one of the OTR centers like Flying J has along the highways. Stu

 

Nope my bad, I did the cut and paste thing and didn't change the 20" to 22.5"

I'm sure there are shops that do big rig tires but I looked in the phone book of someone who was good enough to help while I was on the side of the road and found only a couple of mobile services who all said good luck when they found out I needed a new tube. It was a not before Monday deal. I finally found someone who would deal with it and I had a second veichle along so drove it with the flat about 5 miles and left it and came back the following week. But the guy did have a hard time finding a new tire and tube to put on it

 

Whe I ran tube type tires I about always had a couple tubes,patch kit,tools,jack and compressor with me.I could do a repair in half hour or less depending on the truck i was driving

 

As a point of information the 6 bolt Budd wheels that our trucks use are the same as the 6 bolt military wheels that the 2-1/2 ton trucks and trailers used. I been buying them with good tires for 50.00$ apiece, at a surplus outlet. Some of the ones I've bought have been new wheels and tires. Most areas have a big truck shop that will change lock ring wheels. Another option is to find ashop that caters to heavy equipment and farm tires, many tire men that do the farms and heavy equipment tires will come to your home or shop and change them. Most of these guys also sell tires and will give you a good deal. My neighbor works for a tire service and does private work on the side.

Just some Thoughts ----- Hotwrench

 

Yup, great point. I've found two similar places on my trips headed west. One in along I-84 near Salt Lake City and the other is near the Oregon/Idaho border on I-84. Each place has rows and rows of these wheels. I've even found at the place near SLC a number of 5 lug x 8" circle 20"ers and 5 lug x 8" circle 22.5"s. Stu

 

I have a 1985 International truck with 6 hole wheels. It originally had 20 inch, but I found 6 22.5 inch wheels in Albuquerque NM for $50 a piece. It was the best thing I did. I can find 22.5 tires all over. This truck is set up with a flat bed and tool boxes. I use it to haul firewood and pull my goose neck trailer. I want to know if anybody could tell me if they know of a company that will make custom wheels with 6 holes. I want to put single tires on the rear, but I want it to look decent. Something like a super single rock tire but I want the front tire to be the same so I dont need 2 spares.

 

When I bought my '63 N600 (really just for the bed and hoist) I casually glanced down at the rims and thought to myself "cool, tubeless rims"! Trailered it home and a few days later took a look at a sidewall and read "900 20"..... Huh? Sure enough, the rims were widow makers. I saw the (semi) drop center, and lack of a ring, and just figured they were tubeless. I'm tempted resurrect the thing - N-series are so cool looking - but I'd have to do something about those rims. As said above, even Les Schwab won't touch 'em.

Does anybody know if 6 hole 22.5 hub pilot rims are available?

 

I sure don't find any record of any. The only companies that are still making truck wheels are Accuride and Hayes Lemmerz. Accuride is the old Firestone Steel Products Company and Hayes Lemmerz swallowed up the old Kelsey Hayes, Budd, and Motor Wheel Corporations. I've been through each company's online catalogs and don't find hub piloted 6 lug x 8.75" mount wheels. Accuride still makes stud piloted/ball seat type, but that won't help you. Your wheels IIRC have a 6.25" center hole where the stud piloted have a 6.5" hole.

You could have 22.5s made at places like Stockton Wheel, Wheel Vintiques, or American Wheel Specialist. It would be expensive, but then you'd be done worrying.

These companies could also make super singles like Jimmy describes. One of our members had a set like that made for his Mack. I'll see if I can find the thread about them and do a link. Stu

Jimmy - Here you go. Super singles on a Mack. The Group Purchase thread is God awful long, but go to posting #149 on page 10 dated March 27, 2009 and click on the webshots link. The member's name is "locomotivebreath". Oh, and BTW, welcome to the group. Glad to have you hanging around. Stu

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/7...wheels-10.html

 

If you can't find hub piloted wheels you can use stud piloted wich were more popular by changing lugs

 

Yeah, there's been another thread going where a member decided to go that route. Not sure if he found the correct lugs, though. Both will be 3/4" x 16 tpi. The stud piloted lugs will be both left hand thread and right hand thread. The thing that prevents you from using your current hub piloted lugs is the unthreaded section (in the second diagram) at the base of the lug that extends out into the lug holes. There's no way the stud piloted inner and outer cap nuts could be tightened into the unthreaded area thus preventing the wheels being snugged against the hub.

Point of interest. Notice how old these designs are. The hub piloted system is a Motor Wheel Corporation design that has been in use on Chevies since the late 30s. Today it is the industry standard. The Budd system in the upper picture is still in use too and dates from the same era. Stu

 

find out who in your area has the contract to scrap out the UPS trucks, they were running 9r22.5 on 6 hole buds on most of there fleet.