The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 54-3/4 TON OWNERS HELP!!! 8-lug Wheels...It's gotta be easier...

Hello Stovebolters...

My wife's 54 3600 (I'm just the mechanic...)that "she" has been restoring needs tires...it has the orignal 8-lug 15" rims with 6.50 tires, that I think may be 50's orignal...Cracked and cupped..

Now when she bought the truck, the po gave her 4 new 16" 8-lug rims with P235 70 R16 on them. I installed them a while ago and noticed the fit on the front with the tie rod...

EVERY where I go I get different answers...Please advise on these:

1) Are there ANY other 1 piece rims that you can use? I will make the tabs for the h/c
2) I know about the place in S. CA that rebuilds them into 16", but $100/ea.??

3) I know about the possibilty of using a different tie rod...but would like to avoid major hammer work.

4) The split rims we have are pretty pitted, and I am guessing could not be saved...Could I buy a set of decent splits and put radials on them?

It has got to be easier that this...Come ON...what are all you 3/4 ton owners DOING?

PLEASE help me...my wife wants to drive her truck...and my ears are getting tired...

ANY and ALL comments apreciated.

Jim

I recently saw a truck with one-piece GM rims that worked on the front. So, yes, there are some out there, but this was the first for me.

I am running 7.50R16's on the rear with rims from an early 90's pickup. Setback is deep enough that there is only about 1" clearance between the tire and frame. Fronts I have 7.00-15's on the stock lock-ring rims.

I have been told that you can use the front end pieces from a second series 55, but I don't know for certain.

Another option, but not the best, and far from cheap unless you can do the machine work yourself. Make 2" spacers for the fronts. To work they have to bolt to the hub using the existing studs and have their own studs to bolt the wheel on. This is a last resort in my camp.

Yet another possibility is to take a set of modern 16" rims and get the setback changed. I have no idea what the cost would be, but it would be worth checking into.

The only way to put radials on the lock ring rims is with a tube. Some place will do this, but not all.

I went through the same thing you are going through. My 61 3/4 ton was sitting in a field for 9 years so you can imagine what the rims looked like. I took it to a truck tire place that is owned by an old guy that grew up working on these trucks. I decided to go original so he tore down the rims, cleaned them thoroughly and mounted snow/mud tires on the rear and steering tires on the front, both bias ply. The truck rides and handles great----I can even turn the steering wheel with the palm of my hand as if it had power steering. It also retains its original look.

There are some Fjord 8-lug steel 16" wheels that should fit.

Use the search function of this site. Search for rim, etc. If you search for rims and use my stoveboler number you will find a post about rims I bought.

May want to try some 16.5" wheels. I don't know how much more clearance you need, but they are a little bigger in diameter and have a tapered bead to add clearance. If you can find one I would try it on for size.
Good luck,
Scott

Better re-think that 16.5" option. They will be the same height as a 15" tube-type tire, and might be too short to work in place of a 16" tube-type. The equivalent tubeless, tapered-bead tire for a 16" is a 17.5". Those tires are available, but expensive!
Jerry

I have a '54 3600 and have the original 15" split rims. I found a local tire shop that does truck tires and they put radials - uniroyal I think - on the rims and the run great. I noticed a hugh improvement in the handling, while keeping the original looks. My rims were in pretty good shape though and the guy at the garage said if they weren't he wouldn't have mounted them. He seemed most concerned with the lock rings and whether they were bent or not.
So my advice would be to find a Truck tire place and show them the rims before you give up on them.

One more note, if you do decide to replace the rims, let me know if you're going to sell the hubcaps.

Saylor, I have a 49 3/4 ton that had 15" wheels and dry roted tires on it when I bought it. So, I thought I would go to a local salvage yard and get some modern 16" wheels and I bought some used 245/75/R16" tires just to be able to putter around with until I could find the original split rims. I told a guy that I buy used truck parts from about the wheels, and he told me that they would hit the tie rod ends, and that I would have to shim them out to have clearance. Ends up that I did not need to do that. The 16" 8 luggers I bought were **** ,wheels, and they came off a Fed Ex delivery truck. They work great. I don't know how soon you need them, but I plan to go get the split rim wheels in a couple of weeks, and I won't need these wheels. Let me know if you think you might want them.
KT
------------------------
1949 3/4 ton Chevy

There are "modern" tie rod ends which do not extend quite as far beyond the stud. These have an integral stud instead of the spring cup ends and ball stud on the steering arms. You will end up with about 1/2" less, plus the end is rounded instead of square cut. This would be very similar to what the end of your drag link looks like. CPP has them, a little pricey, others also stock them, maybe Napa. The same one fits 46-59 half and three quarter ton trucks.

This problem has been debated on several boards, many times. The one solution that does come up from time to time is to use those spoked rims, made for trailers. They are white with a small red pin stripe around the outside edge. They are available new and it is my inpression that they have just enough clearance.

I have a 51 3/4 ton Chevy and I found a set of rims from a 96 3/4 ton Chevy, installed 750/16 tires. I had to use 1/4" spacers in the front to get clearance for the tie rod ends. This setup works well and the large diameter tire helps top end with the low gearing.
If I knew anyone still wanted the split rims I would'nt have tossed em'

My after market 16" rims work just fine with 235/85/16 tires on my 3/4T. Here's the info from a previous post.
16" rims which work on my \'48 3/4T

Not exactly sure of the differences in the drums and all, but when I brought my 49' 3800 Pick-Up home I had to replace a flat tire with what I had, guess what it was, a d***e 1 ton Van Rim, that was a 17" wheel and I was told I could have used any of the following 8 bolt's, Chevy (my 1st choice), D***e, or a pre metric F**d. Maybe this may help you.

WOW...lots of GOOD ideas!!! Thanks for all the help...So the F***D 16" pre-metric rims should work...right...Any ideas on the years?

Thanks again!

Jim

I ran into a similiar problem with my '50 3/4T. I ended up using the original split rims, with a Goodyear radial passenger car tire and a bias ply tube (for a valve stem long enough.) If you want the tire size and tube info, I can probably get it for you. The tires ride absolutely great. The only problem that I have had is getting someone to work with the split rims. Around here, the only places that will work on them are shops that work on heavy trucks. I ended up having mine done at the local Goodyear shop. They did a great job, the price was right and I am still happy with the result.