Looking for wheels for 1948 Chevy 10 bolt 7 1/4 on center. Have two split rims on front 8.25 x20; 4 in rear are 8.25x20 two piece wheels.
No one willl touch first. Thought is find 4 more split rims for rear.
Bought new rims from online store. He said he knew exactly what I had. They sent me 8 3/4 on center. The guy I bought truck from [super nice guy] gave me 19.5 10 bolt bolt pattern right, but would not fit over drums.
Any idea??? I'm new to Stovebolt -- looks like a neat deal. Always had old trucks. Then got busy with life. Now I'm retired, living in Oregon. I have a saw mill on property and I bought this old girl to fetch logs.
Truck runs well. Had no brakes, bad steering. Now I've overcome that and need tires desperately.
Thanks
Last edited by Peggy M; 05/02/20249:25 PM. Reason: added more info to the title
Hey Steve. Glad to have you hear. Moved your post to the Big Bolts forum where there your find more "super nice" guys who can help you.
~ Peggy M 1949 Chevrolet 3804 "Charlie" - The Stovebolt Flagship In the Gallery || In the Gallery Forum "I didn't see this one coming. I don't see much of anything coming. :-O"
Steve, A very good starting point to learn more about your wheels and existing upgrade information can be found in this Big Bolt Wheels Tech Tip. Give it a thorough read, including the warnings about early RH-5 wheels (sometimes better known as Widow-Makers), before you get too much more into trying to find solutions. You can also read through some of the many recent posts in the Big Bolts forum that discuss wheel and tire upgrades/replacements and sources. Good luck on your project!
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
10 hole 22.5 inch wheels for an 18 wheeler can be redrilled to fit your 10 hole bolt pattern by shifting the bolt holes a few degrees. Those wheels will fit over the brake drums, and the 22.5 tubeless tires will be tall enough to look right. The19.5s are low profile, and will look ridiculously small on your truck, even if they would fit over the drums. Ed Pruss has posted pictures of the 10 hole big rig wheels that he's drilled to the smaller 10 hole lug pattern.
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I had some rims built much like what Hotrod mentioned. They are 22.5 with tubeless radials and they are about the same tire height. They were pricey, so if you can get away with the 18 wheeler wheels, it would be cheaper.
A day without laughter is a day wasted- Charlie Chaplin When wrestling a grizzly bear, you have to keep at it until the bear gets tired, not when you get tired. 1948 Chevy 2-Ton
I'm building a "doodlebug" tractor with an early 10 hole hub vacuum shift 2 speed rear axle. I've got some 10 hole 24.5 wheels and tires that I scavenged from a refrigerated road trailer that I'll be redrilling to make the rear wheels. Haven't decided whether to run single or dual wheels in the back. I'll be running a Mercruiser 4 cylinder engine, a Turbo 350 main transmission, and a Chevy crash box 4 speed as a second trans- - - - -24 forward speeds and 8 in reverse! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
The wheels I used are 10 on 8.75”, which can be redrilled and reamed to 10 on 7.25” by alternating locations. Must be done with a rotary table and mill, not drill press work. One must build appropriate spacer for difference in hub diameters.
These wheels come in at least two widths, 6” and 6.750” , so make sure you get a matched pair.
Pictures of 10 on 8.75” 22.5’s redrilled 10 on 7.25”. First picture shows bearing adapter in place, black. Mounted on small bolt pattern, with factory torque plate installed.
Ed
Last edited by EdPruss; 05/07/202411:35 PM.
'37 GMC T-18 w/ DD 4-53T, RTO-610, 6231 aux., '95 GMC running gear, full disc brakes, power steering, 22.5 wheels and tires. '47 GMC 1 ton w/ 302, NP-540, 4wd, full width Blazer front axle. '54 GMC 630 w/ 503 gasser, 5 speed, ex fire truck, shortened WB 4', install 8' bed. '55 GMC 370 w/270, 420 4 speed, grain, dump bed truck from ND. Works OK.
Ed, I'll probably be doing it the quick and dirty way- - - - -making 3/4" thick adapter plates on my lathe and bolting them onto the hubs, then attaching the 24.5s to the plates. The tractor might see a maximum of 15 MPH on a long downhill run with a tailwind! LOL! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
...Ed Pruss has posted pictures of the 10 hole big rig wheels that he's drilled to the smaller 10 hole lug pattern.
Ed, where is that post? Or even better, how about re-posting those images Jerry's referring to here. Thanks!
~ Peggy M 1949 Chevrolet 3804 "Charlie" - The Stovebolt Flagship In the Gallery || In the Gallery Forum "I didn't see this one coming. I don't see much of anything coming. :-O"
Ed and Jerry, Is this the thread with pictures of the Redrilled Big Bolt Wheels that you are all referring to???
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
Yes, that's the one. It requires some machine work, but it's a viable alternative to trying to use the Widowmakers, or having custom centers made up for wheels with a different lug spacing or number of studs. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Guys that do heavy commercial truck tire replacements on the side of the road are the best ones to search out for split rim assembly as they are used to bustin' down tires & rims & installing new rubber on the side of the road with nothing but sledge hammers & pry bars.
My tire guy had no problems with mounting tires, tubes & flaps on the original 3 piece 8.25 X 20 rims for my '54 COE.
Been driving on them for years now with no problems.
But...I did take him nice painted & powder coated parts to assemble....
The 3 piece wheels are the safest ones made for tube required tires. And they are simple to change. I am 80 years old and I can still change them. However, I would rather supervise and watch a younger guy do it. The ones with a removable lock ring are safe also. It is the Firestone RH-5° get dangerous when they rust.
I am running 3 piece wheels one my axle swap because they were cheap and stored inside all their life since they came off of a fire truck. I believe you can still get specialty tools for them but really don't see why you wouldn't be able to do it with some pry bars and elbow grease.
1967 Chevy c50 327 w/ sm465 5000Ib front 15k 2 speed rear w/ 22k springs, single axle, hydraulic brakes
The right tools for the job make it much less labor intensive- - - - -and minimize the risk of pinching a hole in a tube. Buy once- - - -cry once if you're going to do your own tire work. The tools last forever. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
