The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 8 lug wheels

Working on a '49 3600 and would like to get rid of the split rims. What offset do I need to fit the front and avoid hitting tie rods?

Thanks,

Dave

Depending on wheel width, the offset should be between 0mm to -25mm. More important is the backspace, which would need to be 3 to 3 1/2 inches, again depending on wheel width.

I bought these for my 41 and I rebuilt the factory tie rods and also decided to off the split rims and these worked out well and clear the factory tie rods, The still ride close but clear completely, I got another set of wheels from a friend which were standard 8 lug rims from a newer truck he didn't want and I use them on the rear.

http://www.etrailer.com/Tires-and-Wheels/Dexstar/AM20766.html

Here they are all ready to go on, The left ones are the front wheels....

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/alb...20truck/4newwheels_zps91ba299b.jpg[/IMG]

Dave I used 16" wheels from a 84 Ford 3/4 ton truck which fit perfect on my 49 3600. Was able to transfer the hubcap clips to use the original hubcaps. Tires do not hit the tierods. Dave V.

It was very common to use Ford 16" wheels on GM products. Ford wheels have a little larger bore so GM wheels will not work on Ford. However they are stud piloted so it doesn't make any difference. The trailer wheels were patterned after the Ford wheels and Ford hub caps fit. If you call the trailer wheel manufacturer, they will tell you they were not designed for a truck. However, all I can say is that a lot of them are used on trucks. I use the wheels on 7,000 trailer axles that were designed for 3,500 per tire at 80 psi.Trailer tandems put a lot of side pressure on wheel, trailers have brakes and run just as fast as the truck. So I will let you make up your own mind about using them.

Here's a comparison of Ford rims vs stock on my 54.

http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/w...mp;_suid=1403128904183042858862895522553

http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/w...amp;_suid=140312897730001373807184310331

http://s1074.photobucket.com/user/w...mp;_suid=1403128944240018879443948690294

The trailer rims are a good way to go too, even though they aren't "listed" for vehicle use. If you look at their load ratings, They're more than up for the task.

http://www.dexstarwheel.com/products.pdf

Working on a 49 3600. Decided to leave the front hubs as is and put in a lower number rear end like maybe a 3.73. I read somewhere that a rear axle from a 1967 - 1973 3/4 ton would fit. Anything newer than that work?

Thanks

Not to resurrect a dead thread, but are there any 17" wheels with the 8 on 6.5 pattern out there that you have used? I found some on Summit and Jegs, but they have large backspacing that may not work. I have a 1955 first series 3600 that came with 17" originally, but all I can find are the 16.5 and 17.5" trailer wheels.

After checking to see if I could get some tires for my 85 GMC that had 16.5's on it, I'd suggest you check tire pricing as well. They quoted me a rather large sum of money for two 16.5 tires. Changed the rims to 16's all around and haven't had an issue. There are several types of 8 lug wheels that should work with you 55 though.

Most aftermarket wheels 8 to 9" wide seem to come with 4 to 5 inch backspacing. The wider they are, the more the backspacing. Determine the width you want, and check the websites of some of the wheel companies.