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Yep, The raised band on the concave side is indicative of the 'widowmaker'.
EditL Excuse me but welcome to the forum. Ask lots of questions and show lots of pictures.
Yup, widow makers, you did your homework and your seller is dead wrong. (This is an extension of a conversation over on the 1947 and under forum). Hope you and Josh can firm up a deal. If I may suggest, the seller needs to drop his selling price to compensate for your wheel expense. Stu
Thanks guys! Now that the rims are confirmed, they need to be replaced to make this truck a safe daily driver. Any leads on where I can pick up a full set of 19.5 tubeless single-piece steel rims? I am I correct in saying the 5 lugs are on an 8 inch bolt circle?
Also, once I find a set, how much will the rims and all new tires set a guy back? I'm just trying to understand my investment into getting this truck restored. I have been told that a restored F4 won't bring nearly what a F1 will, so I have to be careful not to end up with way more money in this that what I could ever recoup if I decide to sell someday.
Hi Stu,
Just curious as to who Josh is that you mentioned in your reply? The seller I'm working with is not named Josh. I tried to find the thread you mentioned under "47 and older", but no luck. I'm new and still trying to find my way around the website.
You posted your question in two places that I saw. Here, and over on the 1947 and under forum on a thread related to another guy’s 17” wheels. Here is a link to that other thread. Click on the link to read it.
Josh is our member Josh Madsen who has the set of wheels you are seeking. He commented on the other thread with his contact information. Hope that clarifies. Stu
Thanks guys! Now that the rims are confirmed, they need to be replaced to make this truck a safe daily driver. Any leads on where I can pick up a full set of 19.5 tubeless single-piece steel rims? I am I correct in saying the 5 lugs are on an 8 inch bolt circle?
Also, once I find a set, how much will the rims and all new tires set a guy back? I'm just trying to understand my investment into getting this truck restored. I have been told that a restored F4 won't bring nearly what a F1 will, so I have to be careful not to end up with way more money in this that what I could ever recoup if I decide to sell someday.
I’ll reply to this post separately hoping to avoid bending FTE rules against talking money. You are correct that the bolt pattern is 5 lug x 8” circle. The wheels that most closely match the 18” originals on F-4s are the 19.5” x 6” wide Budd 89340s that you found discussion of, and that Josh replied having an available set of. The amount that I recall seeing in Josh’s posting in the FTE Sell/Swap thread is fair. Here is a link to that posting.
If you are buying this truck intending to put a little into it then flip it you are making a big mistake. The only guys that come out ahead on any old truck, F-4 or F-1 irrespective, are the fake TV show guys who at the end of every half hour episode have made a killing after a little investment. Tires alone in the 8R19.5” size will top $1000. Probably there alone close to your seller’s asking price. These old trucks, none of them, are investments. They are mistresses that drain our wallets. Stu
Stu you are right on!.....$1120.00 for 6 19.5 tires.......I was in the same boat years ago when I bought my 1949 f-4........ after about a week of checking old junk yards I was able to score 7 budd wheels......had them blasted and powder coated.....this is a great site for info....
Yeah, yards can still be found with old dead 1970s/80s era Dodge and Ford motor homes waiting to donate their wheels to rescue old widow maker equipped Fords. Yards also tend to isolate these old motor homes away from the general population which makes for a more direct path for a guy willing to do the search. You just have to know to avoid the GM based motor homes. Five lugs visible on the front but ten lug on the rear. GM used a 10 x 7.25” pattern and put a blanking plate on each front wheel to cover the unused holes. Stu
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