It has been talked about alot I bought a 48 f-6 and plan on putting a cummings in it and pulling cattle and horse trailers with it I am looking for wheels or wheel conversions for the 5 lug. Have widow makers on it and need to remove before i kill myself with them. Thanks!

 

First, glad to have you hanging around. Welcome.

Sounds like you've done some homework on widowmakers. Are you looking to replace your wheels with tubeless style, either 22.5 or 19.5, or go with the more commonly available "locking ring" tube type 20s? Either way we can go over your options. Below is an old thread that goes thought a lot of this. Stu

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...0-ford-f6.html

 

Thanks, I want a strong wheel that is tube less and can handle the road and the weight of hauling. I think I need the bigger ones because of gear ratio I am wanting to keep the original 2 speed rear end but don't know if i could get the road speed I need.

 

Howdy,

Welcome aboard!


I have stayed with the 20" lock-ring wheels and 9.00-20 tires.

With the 5.83:1 (2 speed) axle in high range and the 0.71:1 OD in my transmission, I expect my 292 to turn about 2100 at 60mph, empty on a flat highway.

If I drop out of OD (but keep theTC locked) , it should turn around 2900 at 60 so I think I'm probably geared just about right.

I have TOYO 9.00-20 radials on the front and re-capped radials on the back on rebuilt lock-ring wheels.

The tires are rated high enough to easily meet (or exceed) the original MAX GVW.


Regards,


Rick

 

I live in montana so i need to squeeze 70 to 75 mph out of the truck to keep from getting blown off the road. Thanks guys!

 

I think you're asking a lot of an old truck. Yes, you can swap in the 6BT, and probably would need to swap rear ends, but the issue that hasn't been discussed is brakes. Hauling your load through the mountains at 70 mph would present a need for serious braking ability, and fade resistance. Whether the old drums and plumbing would handle that needs a lot of thought.

But back to your wheel question, the desire for tall tubeless tires puts you into 22.5s. The 19.5s will have only a 34" outside diameter where your stock 20s and replacement 22.5s will be about 38". No Budd Company 22.5s with your bolt pattern were rated for use with radials. An SAE report from the era shows that Budd experienced rim failures associated with use of radials. The only 22.5 that I have record of that was rated for radials was an Accuride #27759. It is a 22.5" x 6.75". It was first offered in mid 1979, and was last listed in the 1982 Accuride catalog. I've never heard of anybody finding a set.

That puts you into custom wheels. Companies like American Wheel Specialist in Pasco, WA, do this work. I visited AWS a few years ago and was told that the limiting factor in doing custom 22.5s was the availability of narrow (6.75") replacement outer rims. Anything wider rubs. We have since heard from an FTE member that got a set of custom 22.5" x 6.75"s at AWS, so they may have now found a reliable source for them. Their method is to take widowmaker centers and remount them in new outer rims.

Stockton Wheel also does this work. They take other complete wheels, weld on a new face plate with the needed bolt pattern, then machine out the original wheel center. Their wheels don't look exactly like originals, but should work well. Below is a pic of the Stockton wheel on a Chevy.

If you could convert the truck to the 6 x 8.75" bolt pattern hubs you'd have no trouble with wheels. Accuride still sells them new, and used ones should be plentiful. Stu