Hi all - I am new to the forum and fairly new to the hobby. I have done some restoration work but still consider myself an amateur. I recently acquired a 1946 1.5 Ton, 99T-xxxxxx, and I need to ask the first couple of what I'm sure will be many questions.

Regarding the wheels, I managed to find two new 7.50-20 tires to fit on the front. The back tires (all four) hold air, so I'm not going to mess with them until I actually know I have a running truck. The front wheels are Firestone RH type with a solid locking ring. They are NOT widow makers. With the help of the forum and YouTube, I learned how to remove the ring properly and dismount the tire. Interestingly, however, there is scarce information about how to put the ring back ON... and I'm stuck at this point. I do not want to damage or warp the ring by doing it incorrectly. I have tried pry bars, but gave up before I damaged the ring. I found two T23A tire iron tools on eBay that apparently were made specifically for Firestone RH wheels, but I still don't want to misuse the tool and damage the rings. I'll post pictures of the wheel below.

Also curious where to source parts for the 1.5 ton trucks... most of the Ford parts stores that I'm familiar with from other projects only carry parts for the 1/2 ton trucks. I'm hoping not to need many, but safety items such as brakes will be a must, and I'd be surprised if they weren't a different fitment from smaller trucks.

Thanks in advance for any help, and I look forward to learning from others on the forum.

 

Good source for big truck parts is Chuck's Trucks:
Chucks Trucks LLC., Ford Truck Parts and Restoration, Chuck's Trucks, Chucks Trucks
(203) 288-2769
Can't help on the ring install correct procedure. BUT after you do get the ring seated be extra careful when airing up the tire in case the ring pops off. I always used to wrap 2 chains around the tire, passing through the cut outs in the wheel to keep a ring from flying if it did pop off.. And I used a clip on air chuck with with a 4 foot air hose before the air valve so I was no where near the tire while it was being inflated. Of course a proper tire cage would be best.

 

hi ! is there not 2 flat spots on the ring like at 3 and 9 oclock . you need those to pass over the wheel. like starting at 6 oclock passing the 2 and 9 oclock flat spot and pulling hard on the groove and a sledge hammer might help . make sure the groove on the wheel is clean so ring can go in it deep enough to help you finsh of the installation . once in place make sure to center ring before inflation . not sure this is understandable !!! in my head it sounds right . i prefer split rings much easyer to work with . i might have a leftover wheel to take pictures of if needed.

 

Thank you both for your responses.

51504BAT.... Completely agree, and forgot to mention in my OP that I have heavy chains and a long air line. I've searched and searched for someone with a cage close by, but no luck. I figured local tire shops wouldn't touch these things (mostly out of unfamiliarity, but also because of safety), but I tried anyway... no luck. So I'm on my own. That said, thanks to YouTube and this forum, I'm going to take as many safety precautions as I possibly can to do this properly. But it always bears repeating that these things can be dangerous, so I appreciate the warning! Also appreciate the Chuck's Trucks link.

bernette... This is exactly the instruction I need. I had been starting at the notch end and doing it in reverse (...er... in all honesty I tried from both directions without luck)... I figured the flat spots had a lot to do with it, but I couldn't get the ring to seat enough to even get to the flat spots. The mating surfaces are cleaned with a wire wheel, free of debris, and painted with a rust converter.... I'm hoping I prepared the mating surfaces properly to make this doable. Hopefully the T23A tool will help. The split rings look so much easier!