The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Trailer wheels on stovebolt

I temporarily put a 15 X 6 - 6 bolt trailer wheel on my 54 to see how it looks. New 6 bolt trailer wheels are easy to find, built as a safety rim, available in a variety of sizes, and inexpensive. With an automotive tire mounted. I don't see a problem other than no provision for a hub cap. Am I missing something?

probably all you are missing is compliance to some DOT regulation. Trailers get subjected to heavy loads so if the strength rating is there, then they should be fine. maybe an insurance company would not pay a claim in the case of using "unapproved" wheels or you may be liable in an accident? in short, i don't think your concern is really with the hardware, but rather the software...

Just my 2 cents here, I'd find the original wheels. I've even run the next generation rims 15", 55 to---? Your original hub caps should fit those that have the clips. Tons of rodders getting rid of those years, shouldn't be to difficult to put a set together.
Best of luck

Very difficult to find original 15" 6 lug with clips in my area. And very expensive. I prefer them to anything else.

I got a set of 15x6 6-bolt tubeless trailer wheels from etrailer for right at $200 shipped. IMO it's the wheel deal of the century. Black powder coat of such depth and quality you can only make out the "trailer use only" stamping if you know where to look...that's how deep and glossy the powder coating is. Three nib design for many/most 60's-70's era hubcaps. I got some chevy bowtie poverty caps. Offset, backspacing, all were dead-on perfect. Rated well beyond truck's weight rating without all the costly regulatory crap required for passenger wheels. I'm running 215-75-15 tires and no worries with tubes because they have the tubeless bead ridge. Pics in my flickr link.

Kinda makes me LOL thinking about DOT compliance. How many other things on our stovebolts would DOT, EPA, OSHA, NTSB, and others like to shut us down for. On a more serious note, I recently read an alarming article in a hot rod magazine. There are many bureaucrats who are working to regulate the old car hobby out of existence, forbidding any modifications of any kind. It's worth doing a little research on, and being aware of.... Just sayin'

More here.

redwing, sign up for the SEMA newsletter and they will help you stay informed about our hobby. I've written several letters to senators/governors due to them being informative.

...correct me if I'm wrong. Several years ago I thought the trailer tires were a odd ball size, as in 15 1/2, to keep folks from running the tires on vehicles???? Perhaps redwing used the tire and rim as long as the bolt pattern was right?

....but I must admit, back in the mid 60's, before the changes, I ran 6 ply trailer tires on my 56 coupe. They were about slick/worn out, and would really bite on the old slick "tar roads" around my home town. Won many drag races with them.

So, what is the skinny on trailer tires and rims?

I wouldn't run trailer tires, if for no other reason than smoothness of the Firestone Destinations...man, they're the quietest tires I've ever run on this truck!

Don't know about all trailers, but mobile home wheels are 14.5". Not sure if it's to keep those tires off cars or to keep car tires off trailer houses.

In CO, you will be fined if trailer tires are used on vehicle.

Ed

Here is an older thread on trailer rims. There was a lot of info that may be used in making your decisions. Have fun and good luck
Dan