Hmmm, looks interesting. Let’s start with your stock widow makers. They are 17” tall x 5.50” wide with .625” (9/16”) of positive offset. To calculate back space you add half the rim width (2.75”), plus the positive offset (.625”), plus the rear rim lip (.50”). That gives you the stock backspace of 3.875” (3 7/8”). There is a pretty big difference between a 5.50” wide rim and an 8” rim. Whether balancing the extra width while retaining the same offset I can’t say. You’ve got to watch out for rubbing of the outer wheel well and inner fender on extremes of the turning radius. Might ask the company what they say.

The other issue is tire size. An 8” rim is gonna be spec’d for a wide tire. I don’t think a regular 20” truck tire is gonna be right for that rim. But invite others’ viewpoints. If you go with the 20” x 8” you might think about a 295/65R20” that is spec’d for that rim, has a 11.77” section width, and is 35.13” tall. The other I looked at is a 315/70R20” if there is room for it. It has a 13.72” section width and is 37.40” diameter.

For the money being spent I think you’d be ahead to have your widow maker centers pulled for a remount into tubeless 17” rims. That way you can mount stock 7.50-17s. Stu

 

 

The guy from AKH is not my friend. He’s in business and has inventory of hard to find wheels. He has no doubt spent time on research, and money doing yard searches, paying for gas and motel rooms, etc. Others of us that fiddle with these old wheels are just hobbyists.

My recommendation above was to have your centers pulled and remounted into 17” tubeless rims. I believe we’ve discussed this before, but if not these two old threads go into it. Stu

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...estions-2.html
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post17142300

 

Im using 17.5 ford wheels (not widow makers) on my coe..
They clear 3/4 ton gm disc brakes.
Im going with cockers (sp) 17.5 tires and ford center caps.
I have 3 sets of wheels if u are interested.

 

The SRW 17.5” will clear the early 14” rear drums. I’ve had them and have seen that they fit. This solution I think was also discussed in one of the two old threads I linked above. The benefits are many, and the only drawback is the shorter tire diameter of the 8-17.5” tires. The stock 7.50-17” is 34” tall while the 8-17.5” is 31”. The tubeless .5” tires are constructed with shorter side walls which explains the difference. Stu

 

Where can u get 7.50 17 tires?
That might be a good option for me..
I have 3 widowmakers i can get the centers off of.
Thanks

 

Coker has them, as does Universal Vintage Tire, Lucas Tire, and M.E. Miller. But just to cover the base, you do know I hope that they won’t fit your 17.5s. You should have no trouble finding a fourth widow maker to donate its center disc. Stu

 

I know they wont fit my 17.5...
I need taller tires...its another option for my coe..
Thanks Stu.
Sorry to highjack your thread OP