well I have driveing my 54 around fixing the little problems that a truck parked for 20 years in a garden will have ..got a lot of help here and parts ..and encouragement ..some parts I just could not get to ..tires and wheels that would replace my widow makers..and a body to replace the rotten bondo filled "restored in the 80s" rusted out shell offered to me but accross the border ..sorry guy's you tried to help thank you.. the old axles I have working again ..but they have problems so my son has brought me a pair of matched axles that will let me have safe affordable tires .8 bolt rims so I can run shiney alloys or steal wheels ....and gearing that will let me on the highway ..so ..does this destroy my truck ??going to newer Ford parts ..am I now a darksider ?? or a mod??and yes my friends got me a truck from Saskatchewan..rust free straight ..and with a dump box..so ..is it no longer as ford made it ..with help from Marmon Harrington ..is it still right to call her ford ..factory 4X4..M-H..improved??

 

ken ken ken.............trying to understand your thread. are you saying you couldnt find any tubeless wheels that would work? i know better than that because i told you where there was a set of four 17.5 tubeless in your six lug bolt pattern. so now after you repaired the front axle you are considering a axle swap front and rear to a later eight lug? that would leave only the t-case as original mh gear. i've got a new plan for you. i will bring you a 1960 t-case out of a factory ford 4x4 to put in your donor truck, put your new axles under the donor truck and bolt on some 8 lug wheels. heck, i will bring the wheels up with the t-case. you can then build your mod darksider 4x4 and sell me your MH. problem solved. what do you think? you dont have to worry about parts falling off when you drive it and i would be one step closer to having a mh in every body style! let me know before i try to buy that coleman in colorado.

 

my problem ..I think is safety ..and cost down the road ..the level of fear for widowmaker wheels has taken away some of the joy of my truck ..17 inch 6 lug wheels like my truck seem to be orphans ..17.5 tires ..are stupid expensive ..to go to a tire shop and ask for tires ..well ..is frustrating ..I do enjoy my truck I like to have the only one like it on the road ..I PLAY with my truck ..but the nagging fear of the W-M rims ..this is the best way I canthink of to enjoy her ...the 2 highway 17 inch tire I did get ..cost over 900 bucks installed ..300 a wheel for "clean up " of rust ..the Scoita Tire/napa service center on Douglas Street , in Victoria BC Canada ..are robbers and I wouldnever send anyone there

 

since your asking;
I would sell this orignal MH they are much more valuable in as original condition as possible.
they buy another 48 to 52 with a decent body.....
and a late 70's early 80's 4x4 truck to use everything from (starting with a complete donor truck will save you $1000's in the long run)

 

I have to agree with 52'F-3's suggestion. Just the historical value of this truck should keep it from being hacked up. I had a chance to buy a M-H some time back but I realized then it wasn't like my other trucks. It would have to be restored back to pristine original condition and I had neither the money, time or patience to do a proper restoration that was needed. I passed on it and left some one who knew these trucks get it.

 

so what has changed ken? now you are worried about the wm wheels? you never were before. and your worried about cost. do you think your gonna find a pile of spare parts for a 60 year old mh at a garage sale? lets run through this quick..........
1. are the free or cheap eight lug axles gonna be to wide?
2. is the pumpkin on the steer axle on the right side?
3. your gonna need 2 custom driveshafts. cost?
4. you gonna need to at least move the spring pads on the donor axles
5. donor axle brakes?
6. custom steering to hook up the donor axle. cost?
7. cost of 5 eight lug wheels with tires. shiny wheels will be expensive.
nothing on that list seems cheap to me and homemade steering is about as bad as running wm wheels. plus, if you can handle an axle swap and custom steering, you should be able to cut the centers out of your wm wheels and have them welded into some new hoops.
why not get two more stockton wheels? that would be easier and cheaper than an axle swap.
do what you want, but if you have the skill to tackle an axle swap on a mh that doesnt need an axle swap, then you have the skill and money to find tires and safe wheels for this truck. or just take it apart, then get tired of it and sell it for parts.

 

the stoctons did not work ..they look stupid..
my son Jason has a pair of axles that will fit ..compleat with drive shafts ..he has friends that do extreem 4X4 builds ..so we have a base of experiance and knowlage ..the idea ..and that is all it is right now ..was to update the axles to ,one save the stockers now that they are all working ..two.. better gearing so I can wander farther afield ..she cannot go down the highway, she complains at 50 mph ..the axles will have the mounts reset not the springs or truck ..so it can be returned to stock at any time ..it has taken a long time to get her to the point of getting it all working ..and yes it is worth it ..but ..wrecking yards have cheep fancy wheels ..8 lug is easy to find ..17.5 tires are not ..17 inch widowmakers are hard to fit as well ..I WANT to drive this truck ..it is the only one i have ever seen ...I am the 3rd owner in her 50 plus years ..I just ..want to play with her a little more often..still don't have a raido in her ..haveing enough fun she hasn't needed one..if you know what I mean ...

 

ken, if you know this truck is rare--why not leave it alone and get another, similar unit and make that your daily driver? hate to see you do all that ---STUFF--- to this truck. just my 2 cents.

 

because I am trying to figger out how to get her on the road and play ..without breaking hard to find parts..

 

As a previos owner of a 56 MH. I can say that there is nothing cooler than an un molested MH.

Its your truck but I would NEVER change it!

You know I'M thinking about buying the 56 coleman thats on ebay, and when I get it home, the first thing I'm going todo is pull the axles out because the front axle/hubs look stupid! YEA RIGHT! thats what makes these things cool! Being different!

 

looking at my "projects"....if I need a long drive ..I have my 68 Ranchero ..still waiting for the near built 428 ..or the 79 bronco that needs...a battery...or finish the 8 year project my 65 T-Bird..interior ..clean and detail the motor..finish the trunk repair..yah ..if I try to change too much she will be like the rest ..lost in the back yard..never played with again..not sure what started this but ..yah she is a pain ..and hard to care for .won't go fast and won't ever have that 5,000 dollar paint job...but ..I rescued her ..brought her back to run and work ..and have fun with ..thanks guy's ..just one of them day's needed a reminder

 

has anyone here had the centers cut and welded to get the rims they need ?? I hve a set of 19.5 motorhome wheels and thinking of sacraficeing the W-M rims and cutting the centers and getting them welded in ..is it safe ?? has anyone done this ?I know I need a good welder . and all that ..ideas ?? warnings ??

 

i havent done this myself but i have three wheels that someone has worked on at some point. 2 look very scary. about the center 10in. were cut out and welded over the top of a couple 16in lockring 8 lug wheels. the last one i picked up from a fellow old truck picker that lives near me. its done so well that it fooled Stu for awhile. i think Stu ruined his knife scraping paint off of it looking for a number that was stamped into it. then it dawned on us that it wasnt rivited. it was welded. the best homemade wheel i have seen. it can be done and i would say safer than WM wheels.

 

My old Benchmade sharpened up just fine. Stu

 

so ..check the guy's work first ..cut up the widows..and have a safer truck , with tall wheels that will look right ..and stop worrying about axle parts an' stuff and have fun agin ..