Discussed here with technical drawings and cautions:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-diameter.html

 

I'm back on a (more) diligent search to replace my 6 (or 7) WMs... I have a buyer for the truck who I fear might forego the upgrade if I don't do it for them.... (or at least locate rims).

The use of the truck will be as a "portable sign"... actually a rolling art-project. They already run a 1 ton Step Van as an Art-Van all over the area so are "up" for the project if/when funded by a local grants project. It will *mostly* be sitting in parking lots for weeks at a time... which sounds to be the best/worst case scenario for the WMs (not being rolled around much, but in fact in very public places while waiting to be moved).

Any fresh sightings of a full set of 6 or 7 rims would be excellent!

 

Atomic Electric and Solar (and everyone else) =

The American Truck Wheels blanks option sounds good... I don't know what to expect from a machine shop to drill and chamfer 30+ holes to spec... it sounds doable but maybe a little technical? The detailed specs here make it look like something a good machinist can figure out easily?

In any case, it sounds like one of the tubeless rim sizes is a good option. This truck won't be hauling weight (although some of the poems *will be* kinda "heavy" I suspect, nor handling rough roads... original appearance isn't critical either, but looking moderately vintage is a good thing.

What I see offered on the website look to be $250/per ($1500/6)... I presume up to another $1500 for tires and at least $500 for machining?

Advice welcome before I go too far down this road.

 

@DieselDog409 had a lead on a set of 19.5 wheels he was looking to obtain for himself, but passed on them as he has chosen to look for larger wheels for easier highway speeds. Maybe he could hook you, @49F6GrainDump , up with that set as your sign won't care about speed.

 

I have 2 750/17 split ring wheels that would fit the front hubs and two 19.5 wheels that would fit over the rear drums to make it a roller. I'm ready to move the entire 51 F5 5 star deluxe or just the wheels. NW Ohio. If your interested PM me.

 

I'm not picking on you I'm only trying to save your life. You NEVER weld on a rim with a tire still on the rim. They will explode
Here ius a video in a controlled environment doing a very brief weld and the temperature and pressure rise rapidly
https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/wel...rning.1161212/
here is the full video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBUVzgCHHuA
the reaction is called pyrolosis

split rims kill. There are reasons why they are not used and why no one has already thought to weld them. You do you but I'm only trying to help keep you out of a bad situation

https://www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/incident-investigation-report-summaries/welding-on-assembled-wheel-results-in-explosion?lang=en#

 

You forget that i will have no valve stem in the tubes and chains on them.

 

But i will think further on this subject before i decide to take action.

 

@49F6GrainDump, I still have acess to the 19.5 rims if you need them.

 

View the other link of the death of the deflated tire that blew up. The rapid reaction is deadly, but all I can do is "lead the horse to water, I can't make him drink"...........
please post pics after you weld the rims with tires mounted

 

We have some tubeless 22.5s available in SE South Dakota.

 

Will do, but in that video it still has a valve core in the stem so it contained the heat induced pressure instead of just letting it vent out of the tube.
I understand your concern but it cant blow up if it cant hold pressure. thats why i have the tires flat on it now and the valve cores out so they cant go boom and hurt my idiotic brothers that kick them for fun.

 

@63flareside i will look for local options first but i will keep that in mind if i have to source some rims to weld centers into.

 

If i were to go for the 22.5s how would i correct the speedometer?

 

You wouldn’t have to. A 9R22.5” tire has the same 38”ish diameter as an 8.25-20” bias ply. Stu