I am restoring a stock 1948 F1. The spare steel tire rim is rusted and I want to replace it. The rim is 5 lug with a 600 x 6.5 tire on it. Can someone provide me with a website or phone # of someone who has an original rim replacement?

Thanks

 

First, welcome to the group. Glad to have you hanging around. Next, it'd be helpful to list in your postings where you live. This helps if you need to find something or someone close to home. I see from your profile that you live in VA.

I'm not a guy that wants to part with any of my F-1 wheels, but I can give you the specifics that will help you make sure you get a correct one. All F-1s came with 16" x 4.5" Kelsey-Hayes wheels. The Ford part number was 8C-1015 and K-H number was 31283. The wheels have a 5 lug x 5.5" bolt pattern, and have what's called an "R" wheel center. The "R" center has hub cap nubs molded into the steel on the inner edge of the wheel center. Later wheels, having an "RB" center, have the hub cap nubs on the outer edge of the wheel center. Below are pic's of the wheel designs. Stu McMillan

 

Is it rusted through or just rusty and maybe pitted? If it's the latter, then why don't you have it sandblasted and then either painted or powdercoated and use it for your spare.

 

I have a stock '50's 15" rim, but I'll have to check if it is inside or outside nubs. I know for sure it's a riveted center so it may need to be used with a tube. I'll check tonight.

 

The 16 inch rims with the 4.5" bead width are very hard to come by. I searched far and wide and ended up with 2 in a 6 month period. As far as I personally know, no retailer is selling them (and I hope I'm wrong about that). But, if you need a 15 inch rim, I saw some in the LMC trucks catalog not long ago. And I'm pretty sure they had the inner nubs for the hubcaps. My spare rim is pretty rough around the bead on the inside. I'm planning on putting an inner tube in that one and using it truly as an emergency spare to get home. Otherwise, it will be there for looks. You might want to consider that approach. Welcome otherwise. Send us a pic of your truck.