Do I recall casper asking how much room he is going to need for this hobby? It sounds like at the very least you better plan on telling the wife she needs to park in the street or driveway. Maybe check on a storage unit and check in with the neighbors on how they feel about "driveway" art! You also might want to check in with friends you know have extra room so when you call them its not like your only calling to find a home for something you drug home. That hook is set DEEP Stu!

 

Hook,line and sinker I'm afraid!!! HaHa

 

Better off if you dont ask the neighbors. Or at least not until after the driveway is already full. ive been pushing my luck for a while now. Time to clean up my act, and driveway...
Now where am i going to put all this stuff? Hmmm....

 

Dave - since you've found sets of replacement wheels I'll make a suggestion about your present wheels. The pictured wheel sits buried and is likely full of rust. But the ring looks good and can be saved if not damaged. The same might apply to the right side wheels if you find water has damaged the wheel center discs and RH outer rim bases. The rings were galvanized when new so can handle the elements better than the rims themselves.

The Budd 44820's Firestone RH rim is 17" x 4.33" wide. The RH outer rim was spec'd for used with a Budd style riveted center disc. The ring will have cast into its back surface "RI 17 x 4.33". Confusing, but the RH rim uses an RI ring. This is because they are shared with RI outer rims supplied for use in Dayton style demountable applications, commonly used on early Studebakers. I've had Studebaker owners in need of replacements for broken RI rings, and recall sending a ring to a Seattle owner. You might hang yours on a peg in case they find a new home someday. Stu

 

I think that's a good suggestion because even if the original wheels somehow turn out to be usable I doubt that I would due to the fact that nobody wants to deal with them from a safety standpoint. If there's somebody out there that needs those rings I would be happy to help out.

 

As many challenges as our guys face, particularly with the widow maker RH-5°s, Studebaker guys have it worse. They have widow makers that are hub piloted. No simple remedy for that. Stu

 

In the matter of powder coating these wheels, both tubeless and split rim, are there any surfaces that should be omited? I've had other wheels powder coated and understand that a full and complete coating is preferred to prevent chipping and flaking off. I'm concerened about the high torque of our lug nuts and the contact surface of the outer ring to the wheel. Is there a safety issue with the thick powder coat applique in these areas?

 

I've had two sets powder coated, one 19.5" and one 17". The 19.5s are on the truck and I had no issue with separation around the lug holes. The 17s I haven't mounted on the truck yet but have mounted tires with no chipping when I mounted the rings.

After blasting both sets I filled surface pockmarks with JB Weld and sanded smooth. Real JB, not JB Quick, stands up to the heat of powder coating and sticks good. I've also heard that Liquid Metal works, but a guy at the powder coater said he likes JB better. I had the complete wheels done, and have two coats on the outer faces. The ring groves only got one coat.

The rings I blasted and just painted silver. Easier to touch up knowing they'd be hammered on during mounting. Stu

 

Does powder coating add any strength or integrity to the riveted area of the 17's?

 

No, it's just paint. Are your 19.5s riveted? If so they are a real early version. As long as the rivets are solidly set you are good to go.

I just referred a new WA member to you who is also looking for a set of 19.5s or 22.5s. Since you found your set so fast, are there other motor homes in that yard that may be of help to the new guy. His truck is a '47 1.5 ton which the 17s won't work on. Stu

 

I was thinking about the 17's that are on my truck now and if the powder coating might stabilize them enough to be usable. There are other motor homes out there. I'll be glad to take a look for him

 

The damage occurs along the seam where the center disc and the rim are joined. Rust weakens the rivets' grip on their holes. And as seen in my above picture, can eat away enough metal that lets them go bang.

When I bought my first M-H and started my search for the correct 59340 wheels I found two sitting in water in a southern Illinois yard. I bought them and fashioned a sawzall blade chisel to dig the crud and rust out of that seam. Soon I was moving the rivets. I had the rivets welded to stabilize them but have never trusted using them. So they sit on the shelf today. Stu

 

I guess that as long as I have a good set of replacement wheels I shouldm't lose any sleep over whether they are original or not. What's the ID number on those 22's for the new Wa member?

 

No sense being OCD over having the originals. You'll avoid shipping costs and "burn and turn" road trips in their quest. And besides, your 89340s are superior wheels, as are the 66520s. Both are 6" wide vs the 4.33" of the original 44820s and 5" of the 59340s. And both of your replacement sets can be serviced at any Les Schwab in the Mountain and Western Time Zones.

Don't try to find the 22.5s based on part number. There were too many different ones to remember. There were three widths - 5.25", 6.00", and 6.75". And several varied offset spec's. Most were made by Budd but others could be Kelsey-Hayes or Accuride. Below are pics of likely donor candidates. The Ford probably still sits on a lot in MT, and Josh liberated the set from the IHC on the lot in Salt Lake City. Stu

 

Well, Spring Fever is in full throws at my house! The record amount of rainfall that we've gotten here in the NW this year has me bouncing off the walls!!! My wife couldn't take it anymore and sent me to the garage and said " Go do something..ANYTHING..just don't let me see you for a couple days!!" So...I decided to clean up my 'rollers' that I got from the junk yard a few months back. That should be good for a few days. After some soap and water, some hand sanding, more soap and water, watch water dry, a couple of spray cans of Satin Black and I think I have some respectable Rollers ready to get my truck with. Man, June can't get here soon enough!!!