Widowmakers or no?
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,887
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From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
Not a good idea and you probably won't find a tire shop that will touch them. You need to look for a different set of wheels. There are alternatives out there. IH, Dodge and Studebaker ran multi-part wheels that weren't WMs and most truck tire shop will still service them. You also have the centers of your wheels removed and welded into new rim. Do a search for "widow makers" on FTE. Since you don't have many posts you may not be able to use the search feature, if not go to Google enter "window maker" and in the URL enter "www.ford-trucks.com" you'll get a lot of results.
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New User
Joined: May 2021
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From: Glendale, AZ
Not a good idea and you probably won't find a tire shop that will touch them. You need to look for a different set of wheels. There are alternatives out there. IH, Dodge and Studebaker ran multi-part wheels that weren't WMs and most truck tire shop will still service them. You also have the centers of your wheels removed and welded into new rim. Do a search for "widow makers" on FTE. Since you don't have many posts you may not be able to use the search feature, if not go to Google enter "window maker" and in the URL enter "www.ford-trucks.com" you'll get a lot of results.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2009
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From: Burbank, WA
There are several custom wheel shops around the country that will take the centers from the WM's and put them in new 22.5" wheel rings. It's not a cheap alternative, but it will give you the best of both worlds, keeping the correct, vintage look while having a safe wheel that will accept a modern, tubeless radial tire.
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New User
Joined: May 2021
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From: Glendale, AZ
There are several custom wheel shops around the country that will take the centers from the WM's and put them in new 22.5" wheel rings. It's not a cheap alternative, but it will give you the best of both worlds, keeping the correct, vintage look while having a safe wheel that will accept a modern, tubeless radial tire.
Marmon-Herrington Man
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,986
Likes: 446
From: Central Illinois
I’m wanting to hear a little more about your plans for the truck. Your other thread makes it sound like you’re wanting to drop the truck with a bagged suspension. Spending serious money on that plus thousands on custom wheels seems like a bad plan. A way to keep the Budd wheel look for cheap, while lowering it, would be to find some common 17” Budd 66520s. Old motor homes have them. A better, but more money, choice would be motor home tubeless 19.5” Budd 89340s.. The 19.5s will fit both from and rear axles, but the 17s might not. Unless you’re swapping rear axle too.
Edit - And if you are wanting a better final drive ratio, grab the Dana 70HD rear axle from the motor home too. Straight forward swap and yields a 4.56/1 ratio. Stu
Edit - And if you are wanting a better final drive ratio, grab the Dana 70HD rear axle from the motor home too. Straight forward swap and yields a 4.56/1 ratio. Stu
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New User
Joined: May 2021
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From: Glendale, AZ
I’m wanting to hear a little more about your plans for the truck. Your other thread makes it sound like you’re wanting to drop the truck with a bagged suspension. Spending serious money on that plus thousands on custom wheels seems like a bad plan. A way to keep the Budd wheel look for cheap, while lowering it, would be to find some common 17” Budd 66520s. Old motor homes have them. A better, but more money, choice would be motor home tubeless 19.5” Budd 89340s.. The 19.5s will fit both from and rear axles, but the 17s might not. Unless you’re swapping rear axle too. Stu
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Cross-Country
Joined: Nov 2016
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Jack's government surplus had plenty of split ring 20" 5 on 8" wheels at one point. Worth a call. They are in Tucson.
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From: Glendale, AZ
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,887
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From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
Do they have plenty of the WMs we talk about here that are two almost equal halves or the other type of rims with a snap ring type of set up? The snap ring wheels are often called "Widow makers" but are still serviced as long as they're in good shape.
Parts Nerd Extraordinaire
Joined: Sep 2010
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From: Western NY
I run multi-piece rims with 20" bias ply on my equipment.. The rims were sourced from other period dodge/international etc trucks that did not have the true widow makers.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 16,887
Likes: 3,129
From: SE Wisc. (the Rust Belt)
Very good to point out that Widow Makers has been misunderstood - it really refers only to the Firestone RH5 rims and not all multi-piece 20" rims. Multi-piece rims with lock rings and bias ply and such are still safe and serviceable if not in poor condition.
I run multi-piece rims with 20" bias ply on my equipment.. The rims were sourced from other period dodge/international etc trucks that did not have the true widow makers.
I run multi-piece rims with 20" bias ply on my equipment.. The rims were sourced from other period dodge/international etc trucks that did not have the true widow makers.
Cross-Country
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 70
Likes: 17
What Jack's has is the lock ring, split ring, snap ring type 20" from military power wagons. Not the RH5 widow makers. You can still readily buy 20" tires. I did not go that route since I needed more diameter for my diesel. Not that you can't get large diameter 20" tires just not narrow and wide for the same diameter. Went with 22.5" wheels so I could go wide single in the rear and narrow steers up front.
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