The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts 57 Stock 2 ton Rims Safe or Not

Hi I have a 57 6100 and I`m looking for new tires but I have the stock rims and I`m finding out that most people wont change the big rims with the rings around them.Is this rim type hazardous to people going down the road? Is there any type of truck that will match my current rims? My truck has 6 lugs in the front & back? OR where can I buy new rims at?

Welcome!

Read more about rim types here: http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/
Your original rims are probably OK and safe, you may not need new ones if you don't want to.
If you do change rims to the one piece tubeless type you will need new tires to match, this entire swap can be expensive.

New rims are available from Accuride, catalog: http://www.accuridewheels.com/completeversion.pdf
You would be looking for 22.5" 6 lug Budd stud centered wheels.
Page 18, probably part number 28157.

Grigg

Not so much dangerous to people on the road so much as they have the potential to be dangerous to the person working on them, especially if they aren't paying attention to what they are doing. The main hazaed comes during airing up the tires to seat the beads. If the retaining ring isn't properly seated in the gutter, it can come out with extreme force. These type rims should be inflated in a cage (actually, an OSHA requirement) for this very reason. The problem these days is that many trucks that used to run that type rim are no longer using them. They are going to the single peice rims, so manay shops (especially newer ones) simply won't service them and may not even have the proper equpment to service them.
If you have one nearby, check out the local truck stops or tire shops that do actually handle large OTR/construction trucks.

If my measurements are correct the 6 lug rim is 8.5 inch lug spacing and a 5.5 inch hole. I have seen a number of International School busses with a six lug 22.5 tubeless rim. With the correct tire, OD should be about the same. I haven't had a change to try them on my '59 but if they fit I'll keep an eye out. Schools are always selling retired busses and surplus tires, some pretty cheap. Grigg's tire & wheel article in Tech Tips spells out the hazards of the types of wheels even if it doesn't cover 56--59 specifically.