Here's the question for today...

What's the possibility of finding Widow Maker replacements on school buses? I have a connection with a scrap yard who tells me they aren't seeing any Class A motor homes, but are getting in a lot of school buses.

What should I tell him to look for besides the 19.5 or 22.5 inch tubeless, 5 lug on 8 inch circle pattern, steel, one-piece or lock ring type? Should I mention 89340 19.5" or 89810 22.5" Budd wheels?

And are there certain years the buses might have these wheels?

This might turn out to be a goldmine for us.

 

I can't verify this personally, but I have been told:

"The wheels on the bus go round and round!"

so it sounds like you should be good to go

 

Sorry, I just had to... I'm feeling a bit mirthful today.

So anyhow... Looks like blue bird is the most common (everyone else grow up riding a blue bird?), but there are dozens from a Ford cab & chassis with a box put on (smallest Type "A" busses, through B, C, and up to D... )
List of school bus manufacturers - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Any info from the yard on manufacturers and types? If he is getting 99% blue bird Type C's then there is no point in us researching greyhounds as they most likely differ.

I'm not totally being a tease here - I used to live in Lamar CO and a bunch of my friends ended up working for NEOPLAN (a defunct bus manufacturer - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neoplan_USA)... so I have a little yellow under my nails. And I am generally an expert researcher so if you give me the most popular model give me a day on the 'net and I can probably tell you the average cholesterol level of the drivers.

 

OK, so when I found out about this possibility this morning, I was driving my granddaughter to school, mentioned what the wheels were for, and we sang a bit of that song...

 

It's probably been 50 years since I paid a lot of attention to school buses, but they're as good a source as trucks of the era I guess. To me the most likely source would be '70s era IHCs that would have had 22.5s. Ford and Dodge also used the 5 lug x 8" pattern on the early F-500s/600s starting in 1956, but many later trucks/buses would have the 6 x 8.75" pattern.

In 22.5s, besides the Budd #89810 (6.75") there was also Budd #69930 (5.25"), #76310 (6"), #76320 (6"), and #72540 (6.75"). K-H made them with #40159 (5.25") and #41778 (6") that I have records of (might have made others too). I doubt, though, that you'll find numbers on any K-H wheels since they put them on paper tags that were located inside along the rim base. The only record I have of a Motor Wheel product is 22.5" x 5.25" #84807 that is listed as used by Divco. I've read over on the Studebaker site that those were also sourced on Stude's, but don't have the record to show that. I also think I recall that those would have been hub piloted. Last, there is Accurde #27759 (6.75") that was made from mid year 1979 until 1982. This is the gold standard since it's the only 22.5 I've found that is radial tire approved.

Whether you'd find the Budd 19.5s (#89340 or #72070) on buses I sorta doubt, but that's just my gut impression. But there's plenty of them on old class A motorhomes, though. Stu

 

Another (not so common) would be tractors and implements. My step brother once robbed rims off a '46 tonner to put on a caterpiller carry all. Same bolt pattern, width and everything. So while I have no specific interchange I know there are some hit and miss matches there. (though farmers never junk their stuff they save everything till it rots back into the ground)
There's a thread here started about current day UPS van's and their 6 lug on 8" (I think turned out to be 7.87") pattern as well... I'd fab up or buy a lug spacer measure and spend a few hours at the boneyard and log what does and doesn't match and then we can elaborate the data more once we have some makes and models to start with.


Just a dumb question, did you search for RV Junkyards and Motorhome Junkyards first? I found 2 in So Cal... though I am in Colorado so no clue if these are close, reputable, etc...

Find a Salvage Yard on Junk Yard Dog ®

 

Cant hurt to look, you never know what you might find! besides, maybe even if you don't find the right wheel maybe you can find the right size tires in decent usable condition for a good price???

good luck


Josh

 

I'll ditto the comment about alternative sources. Farm and construction equipment could use the same wheels. Trailers too. For example, Mark (thundersnow70) and I went together and bought all the Budd #47210s off those airport tugs because they are the wheels used on the F-2 M-Hs. Stu

 

Thanks for the replies. I think some of the buses are IHCs, and I really would like to find some 22.5s. The buses are being scrapped, so they're pretty old. But we'll see what shakes out. Maybe just dreaming here. If it turns out good, I'll let everyone know.

Stu, you absolutely amaze me! I don't know that much about anything... You are an expert.

 

If anyone wants a 49 [i think] school bus i know were one is. Sure he will sale it. PAINTED UP LIKE A RT.66 DINNER ON THE INSIDE. I told the old guy i would tell yall on fte if anyone might want it. LOCATION NORTH FL.