The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 5-lug split rim replacement.

We're trying to figure out what's out there to update the wheels on our 1948 gmc fc303 (1 1/2 ton). It's a dually with, I believe, a 5-lug pattern. Chevy's used a 10-bolt pattern with smaller bolts. And that's the only wheels I'm finding information about.

GMC's need lovin' too! anybody got information on these wheels?

Sounds like "Motor Wheels" a brand and design of wheels that GMC used along with other truck manufacturers, REO being one other make. For the 1.5 and 2 ton trucks GMC most commonly used the same wheels used on a Chevy, usually made by Kelsey Hays, 5 lug fronts and 10 lug rears, but same wheels front and rear.

If you have 5 lugs both front and rear then you have Motor Wheels. They are hub piloted. You may find a stamp near the center of the wheel with the manufacturer's name.

Post the bolt circle dimension, and the center hole size, and I'll do some checking. I think we will find that you don't have any modern tubeless wheel options..

Look at this Tech tip for a little info in wheels all together, but not about Motor Wheels http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/

This Accuride catalog has most all the wheels and bolt patterns listed that are still available new for big trucks. You may find something that will work?
http://www.accuridewheels.com/completeversion.pdf

Grigg

I might not've understood something in that article you gave the link to, but I think ours is the locking ring type? I remembered a picture from a few months ago. covered in cobwebs, but here is a front wheel. i'll check tomorrow to see if I have pics of the back wheels.

http://s271.photobucket.com/albums/jj155/turpentyne/?action=view&current=wheel.jpg

Looks like it has six hand-holes. I'll check lugnut measurements next weekend when I head back out to the property where the truck's at, and let you know. I'm not even sure yet if it's 20" or 22.5

Looks like 20" lock ring type, but difficult to tell for sure with that picture. If all the wheels are the same they are useable.
The ones to avoid are the ones split in the center.

Grigg

Hy Guys, that wheel looks like a two piece Motor wheel

I looked, and no good photos. I'll have to take some this coming weekend to help resolve this. I'll see if my dad can measure the bolts and center hole for me tonight. Kinda far for me to drive.

My grandfather, bless his 90 years, seems to remember it was a two-piece rim, so 3B's suspicions might be correct.

Then we have to track down replacement tires. On another forum (fords) somebody mentioned that Accuride stopped making 5-bolt wheels in the 90's.

The 5 lug motor wheels are a bit hard to find. Chevrolet never used a 5 lug pattern and GMC only used them until the early 50's. Im taking a trip to California later this year to pick up a set since I cant find the wheels I want any closer. I know where a good 50+ Budd wheels are within about 5 minutes of my places, but they wont work even though they are on the same concentric circle and are sized to fit my hubs.

Any shop that does tires should be able to set you up. A friend of mine manages a Les Schwab and it took him about 5 minutes to come up with what I needed.

Another option would be to change out your hubs for an easier to find bolt pattern. I recently rebuilt my rearend and upgraded to 5.43 rear gears. Being stubborn (I like the 5 lug look), I used a 1953 axle with Bendix brakes and I wanted to keep my 5 lug hubs, so I picked up a set of 6 lug drums and had the lug holes welded, and a retired machinist friend of mine redrilled for the 5 lug pattern.

It came out REALLY nice!

Jeff

Ok, this weekend we took a closer look at the tires. Both front and rear are 5-lugs. We cleaned them off and confirmed: They're Motor wheels.

We took some measurements and wrote down some numbers we saw on them. Maybe somebody knows what the numbers all mean.

First, the hub measured 6". Distance between each lug, going around the hub, measured 4 5/8.

On the wheel was stamped a sequence of numbers:
83110 4 3/4 8 48

I don't know what the 83110 means. I wonder if the 4 3/4 was the distance between lugs, and we just measured badly.

Then the 8? That the distance from the hub to the edge of the wheel: 8", so maybe that's what this means?

and 48? maybe the year the rim was made? its the year of the truck.

Anybody got any ideas?

Taken directly out of the GMC Master Parts book;

Stamped: 83110
Part Number: 2223573
Rim Type: LBW
Size: 20 x 5.50s

Motor Wheel, 5 lug, on an 8" bolt circle, 6" hub size.

So it looks like you have most of the information. They are harder to find wheels. I doubt anyone manufactures new 5 lug rims that will fit. GMC gave these up in the early 50's for the 6 or 10 lug wheels. I havent seen any on a GMC newer then 51' but that doesnt mean they didnt use them a little later.

As mentioned above, you can swap for 6 or 10 lug hubs and then you have a greater choice of wheel options available.

Jeff

If you are swapping hubs go for the 6 lug Budd hubs, as the wheel options (and prices) are better than 10 lug on 8.75" hub piloted, and lots better than 10 on 7.25"

I could not find any modern replacements for the 5 lug motor wheels you have.

Grigg

I guess I've lurked long enough. I'll agree with the other guys that replacement stock Motor Wheel Corporation wheels will be just about impossible to find. But I've missed why it is that you want to find replacements. Unless you've got a lot of structural rust or other damage, those wheels should be fine to use. Or, like Grigg said, unless you have a mix of rim designs that include some Firestone RH-5° "widow makers" that split at the middle of the wheel. Them you'd have to get rid of. If not, I'd sand blast, paint, and mount new rubber. If they are all the Goodyear LBW lock ring design they should be as serviceable as any today. This basic system is still being sold new today on demountable applications.

If you have severe damage, or have some Firestone RH-5°s, you could look at remounting your Motor Wheel centers in new lock ring outer rims. A company that has a good reputation on the other forums I hang around is American Wheel Specialist in Pasco, WA. The owner's name is Juan Murillo, and his son's name is Shaun. Nice guys to talk too, and they've kept their customers happy, at least the ones I've heard from. The fact that you live in the Southwest might mean that you'd have to get to them through their contract relationship with the Les Schwab Tire Company. Les Schwab dealers are all over the west, but you'll have to know if they serve your area. If not, American will work directly with you.

Another option is new wheels from places like Wheels Now or Century Wheel. Wheels Now is in Wisconsin and Century Wheel is all over. Accuride has told me that they are both approved Accuride distributors that can put your bolt pattern in new 22.5" tubeless rims. If you decided to go this route you'd have to accept that these modern tubeless 15° tires won't look the same as your old 5° tube types, and they also wouldn't match your old hand hole design. If any of that matters to you. Long winded, but I hope that helps some. Stu McMillan