hi all. I am new to this site but not my 47. Had this truck since 68 and lots of good times. Back many years ago we had the original Budd 17 inch rims cut down to a 16.5 tubeless. Now, I want to get back to the split rims that were on it. These must accept a hubcap. I was told that it may have started as a 42 military, but after the war it went to L.A. county. then being titled as a 47. I am second owner after L.A. Also looking for original seat frames or whole seat, the passenger side tipped forward to reveal tool compartment. thanks for any leads. The truck lives in L.A.

 

Sounds like a great truck. First thought I have is that it is probably a tonner, not 3/4 ton. The 3/4 ton was produced prewar and came with the same 16" wheels as the half ton. These had the 5 lug x 10.25" "wide five" pattern. The 3/4 ton was not produced post war. The tonner model, from '38-'47, had 17" wheels having the 5 lug x 6 7/8" bolt pattern. How these variables mesh with its possible military history I don't know. The bolt pattern of your truck will be what matters, and dictates what you need. There were two widths of the 17" Budd wheels supplied on tonners over the span of years. Using the modern width measurement system they are 3.75" and 4.33" wide. The outer rings of one width won't fit the rims of the other width. So in your search you want to find wheels with their matching rings. Sorry that I don't have a line on any of these tonner wheels. Stu

 

I might have a couple. And if I don't, I fully appreciate why you want the originals. I might have some hubcaps too. Just sold 4 of them to a guy in Texas

 

thanks truckdog, I will check that width, isn't the wheel stamped with measurements on the face? thanks ,also, GB I may get with you on rims.

 

Not exactly. Your wheels, before they were modified, would have had their Budd part numbers stamped into their rear rim lips. When you find replacements I can look the numbers up for you if needed. The outer rings will have their Firestone identifying information molded into the back edge where you can't see it (real smart, wasn't it?). The outer rim on the stock wheel is called a Firestone "RH" design. Not to be confused with the "RH-5°" that is the widow maker rim. The rings, if you can still read the information, will probably be an "RI" design and will have the sizing info.

Now this might get confusing. Normally I preach that rims and rings must have the same design, but in this instance an "RH" and "RI" go together because the "RI" is the demountable/Dayton style equal of an "RH". The rings seem to have been used on the same size and width rims whether demountable or full disc wheel in your case.

One more thing to be confusing. During the 1940s the wheel industry, and their National Wheel and Rim Association (NWRA) that established standards, converted from measuring rim width at the outer beads and adopted a standard (still in use today) where rim width is measured down inside across the inner rim base. Rims and rings for your truck produced under the old system could be marked 5" or 6". Under the new system those exact same parts would be marked 3.75" or 4.33" respectively. Make sense?

Add to all this the fact the only Ford one ton models of this era were supplied with 17" wheels with a flat center disc design having the 5 x 6 7/8" bolt pattern. Nobody else used this wheel on a vehicle. There might have been other industrial applications I don't know about. Stu

Edit: here's a picture of the Firestone markings on the inside of a ring. Stu

Edit edit: for those guys that have and rely on the Green Bible, the wheel sizing shown there is based on the old NWRA measurement standard. Stu

 

Great info truckdog. The spare was never resized so, I can get the measurement I need off of it. Just need to break it down. mike

 

Should find the Budd number on the back side rim lip. Post it and I can look it up to give you details. No need to break down the spare to get the info off the ring. Stu