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Hi Every one
I am new to the Forum, but have been surfing awhile. bought a 1968 C-50 Flat bed, with 8.25x20 true widow makers.(will try and post pic. of truck and tires later. we just got new rims and tires for the truck so i thought i would share all information for other guys out there in the same boat.
Rims are Accuride- 21680 century wheel office Calf.& Aurora CO.
Tires 22.5Rx11
there is plenty of room and no rubbing hope this helps. it took me awihle and a lot of phone calls.

Welcome,
Glad you found whet you were looking for, do you have pictures of your truck?

What is the bolt pattern on your truck, hub centered 10 lugs on 8.75", or 6 lug stud centered Budd wheels?

I did not find the part number you mention, could it be 28160, this would be 22.5" wheels for the 10 lug on 8.75" circle??
Here is the Accuride catalog; I'm looking at page 12 : http://www.accuridewheels.com/completeversion.pdf

(for 22.5" 6 lug Budd wheels look at page 18, part number 28157)

More wheel info can be found in our Tech Tip: http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/

Grigg

I would tend to agree with Grigg. If your truck is a Chevrolet the part number should be Accuride 28160. I was wondering what did Century Wheel charge for those wheels? The correct tire size would be 9R-22.5. That is the closest to the original 8.25-20 diameter. I have seen the GMC version with Bud style wheels.

what would be the equivilant to 7.50-20 tires in 22.5 size...
I am also looking for modern rims 10 bolt style on my 56 1 1/2 ton
chevy dump.....Please help!

Are they 8x22.5 tires, rims 22.5 x 5.25 or 6.0 (too big???)
looking for steel 5 hand hold style tubeless one piece....

i found wheels for my 56 off a fed-ex truck that was being scrapped out.it had 22.5's w.7.50 tires.
cant remember the year but was an older truck

Tech Tip: http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/

7.50x20 updates to 8x22.5, but I don't think you can get 8x22.5 tires any more.
9R22.5 is the next choice. However there are some lower profile 22.5 tires, but they are wider than you may want.

for 9R22.5 tires the book calls for 6.75" or 7.5" wide rims. I have some on 5.25" rims, they fit fine but probably should not be loaded to the max.

More details about what tires are equivalent to what newer ones, and what rims width is recommended for what tires can be found in the Accuride catalog, linked in the tech tip, or here: http://www.accuridewheels.com/completeversion.pdf

Grigg

What was your bolt pattern? 6 lug Budd I'm guessing? if so these can also be bought new, see part numbers a few post up.

58GMCnut's 56 1 1/2 ton Chevy dump likely has 10 lug hub centered on 7.25" circle, in which case new wheels are not available, but check the tech tip for your options.

Grigg

My 56 Chevy 6100 two ton and 57 Chevy 6400 two ton have 22.5 wheels with a 6 on 8 ¾ stud piloted bolt circle My 56 GMC 1 ½ ton has 22.5 wheels with a 10 on 7 ¼ hub piloted bolt circle and my 64 GMC two ton has 22.5 wheels with a 10 on 8 ¾ hub piloted bolt circle.
Both the 56 6100 two ton Chevy and the 64 GMC two ton have 10.00X22.5 tires the 56 GMC 1 ½ ton has 8.00X22.5 tires.
Do to the width of the wheels I know that the 10.225s will not fit the 1.5 ton truck but I am not sure 9.00X22.5s mite fit the 10.00s fit great on the other two trucks and the extra height helped make their low gearing bearable to 60 mph I will add that both of those trucks have been repowered the 64 with a 350 small block and the 56 with a 496 big block I am not sure if the extra height would be a benefit without the extra power.

There's a set of 10 holers on ebay now. Here's the link.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110325774276&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT&viewitem=

It is a bit funny that the seller has them posted as being 1938 22.5 wheels when the tubeless tire was first commercially used on the 1954 Packard and not by Chevrolet on 1 ½ ton and 2 ton trucks in 22.5s till 1956. I have a set of these wheels on a 56 1.5 ton GMC and the bolt pattern is the same as that 38 but they are not original on that truck. This guy has a buy now price of $1500 wow if they go for that my GMC is going to be sitting on brake drums LOL.

Well I guess that is not so bad for 7 wheels it is less than $100 a piece and they are hard to find but I bet that they are from a 56 or 57 I know that there were no 22.5 tires before 54.

I've asked him a question to see what the center hole diameter is. I'm guessing it is 5.25", which would be 54 and later, in which case they will only work for the last two years he listed (without making bushings)... sure won't work for a 38 without bushings.
Now if they have a 4.75" center hole that would be very odd and unusual, as they would have been new replacement wheels made in the mid 50's and later for use only on pre 54 trucks.

Sure does sound like a lot of money, then figure shipping on top of that, and once you get them you would likely sand blast and paint or powdercoat.. throw in some new tires and they could cost a few times the value of the truck you put them on.
Usually when I see them for sale the price is a whole lot less than he is asking, but I don't see them for sale very frequently.

Grigg

Thanks for the link on the wheels. I will watch them to see how they go.

By the way Toyo tires still makes a 8.25R-20 load range G 14ply rated tube type tire. This should work for people with serviceable lock ring wheels. You will need to talk to the commercial truck guy and they will probably have to order them.

The Toyo line is M140Z. It is an all position tire.

The bolt pattern is 10 lug on a 8.75 spread. sorry about the mix up of the Accuride # the Correct number is 28160 cost is $365.00 per rim. the reason i went with a 11R x22.5 is availablity this truck pushes snow in the winter and if it hits a hidden obstical i must be able to get it replaced quickly. still gets up to 65mph speedo is off by 10mph i.e. @50mph speedo = 60mph accutal speed. have to wait and get the right gear for the adapter. for pushing snow most of its life this is still a solid truck.

Trying to post pitchures but cant figure it out.

I've been curious about "widowmaker" rims. With all the old vehicles I've owned and currently own, and been around, I guess I've never actually seen one..or I didn't know what I was looking at if I did.

The 1959 Viking I bought a couple months ago has 9.00 X 20 tires, with 6 hole rims. It's sitting on the tires that came with it, though one on the inner driver's side rear does have about a 10 inch chunk of it's "recap" tread missing.

I've got a 1955 Spartan Mobile Home and a late 40's, early 50's "Hub" camp trailer that have "lock ring" type rims, and my first 1959 Chevy had them. I never changed a tire on the old 1963 International R-185 I once owned. It had 8.25's or 8.75 X 20 if I remember right.

I've looked at the diagram of "widowmaker" rims here on the website, but I'm still unclear what to look for on the truck itself...I suppose if I break one down it will become apparent, but honestly, right now, I don't even have a lug wrench big enough to take the lugs off! I might have a socket that big though.

Is there any way to easily identify a "widowmaker" while still on the truck? Stampings on the rim, or something similar? If I read right, they are "Firestone" rims..would that be marked on them somewhere, or is "Firestone" merely a design used by any rim maker of the time?

Everything I've read about "widowmaker" rims is that they are dangerous during the tire mounting process, but is there any danger using them once they are on the truck? I've not heard of any danger then.

I simply don't have the funds to buy six rims right now, so I'm going to have to use what I have in the meantime. I'll probably even have to mount a tire on the one with the tread missing, but realize the danger and have the capability to air the tire remotely, from up to 50 feet away.

The technical name for "widow makers" is "Firestone RH-5°". Virtually all truck wheel outer rims were either Firestone or Goodyear designs. Firestone made (and their spin off Accuride still makes) several "lock ring" designs that have stood the test of time. The RH-5° design, though, they got wrong. It's the only design I'm aware of that doesn't allow the technician to visually see if the rim halves are solidly connected prior to inflation. For that reason, and because rust and wear weakens the finger joint connection, they can come apart violently without warning. The greatest risk is to the tire technician, but they also can come apart at a stoplight or on the move and injure anyone in their path. There are stampings on the rim, but they will be covered by the tire. I'll post some links to my pics of widow makers, and a link to an OSHA site that is real informative. Stu

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll89/truckdog62563/wheels/FirestoneRH-5degree003.jpg
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll89/truckdog62563/wheels/firestonerh5closeup.jpg
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll89/truckdog62563/wheels/RH5concaveside.jpg
http://www.tireindustry.org/pdf/osha_Rim%20Matching.pdf

Here are a few pictures I have.
This is what you see when installed as a front wheel, note there is clearly no separate lock ring or rings.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2966649030080251109YGPdjz
It's easy to spot these Firestone RH-5° rims even at a distance.

Here is the inside, similar to the last picture Stu linked to above, the "lump" in the center inside is what you look for, a normal lock ring type rim is completely smooth here.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2962492320080251109cWSTan
Don't confuse this relatively low and flat "lump" for the more pronounced and angled drop center on a tubeless rim.

Grigg

What I hear lots of times from guys is that they insist they have one piece rims because they don't see a lock ring on the face side. Like Grigg says, the back side is where you see the proof. But to the experienced eye, it's easy from the front because the widow maker has a 5° outer lip while a tubeless has a 15° lip. Here's a link to a pic of the 15° design. The pic is a comparison of what are called "Well Weld" versus "Ledge Weld" designs.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll89/truckdog62563/Wheel%20Profiles/WellWeldvsLedgeWeld.jpg

Help, I have a '41 Chevy firetruck w/20" rims. Have a guy that has 19.5 rims (as I learned here) but ask about pilot rims fitting my truck.(5 on front 10 on back - lugs)

Here you go:
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/

Yes, you will need to make bushings to adapt the newer wheels (with 5.25" center hole) to your 41 truck with a 4.something center hole.

Grigg

Truckdog I don't understand the example you have given as it is just where the center of the wheel is welded to the hoop both pictures are of tubeless wheels

Thanks, I will let you know. I'm sure I will have other problems

FWIW, the book says that the center hole on a '41 with 10 lug x 7.25 bolt pattern is 4.75".

HevyHauler - The point I was trying to make with the last link was that the angle of the lip on a tubeless is much more acute, and more shallow, than on a tube type. Sometimes guys that have widow makers look at the front side of their wheels and wrongly think that since there's no lock ring it must be a tubeless rim. My point was that you can tell by looking at the lip whether it's tube type or tubeless. Here's maybe a better link to show the comparison of the tube type 5° lip compared to the 15° tubeless lip. Hope this does a better job of explaining it. If not, let me know. Stu

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll89/truckdog62563/wheels/5degvs15deg.jpg

Also a quick but not always accurate way of determine a tubeless rim from a tube type is the tire size.
The vast majority of truck tires/rims that are tubeless will be half sizes like 16.5", 17.5", 19.5", 22.5",and 24.5"
And tube type will usually be whole sizes.
But there are exceptions.

Grigg

OK, I finally got the information to identify my wheels, and they are split rim. Now where do I find 18x7 or 7.5 tires for a 1 ton?

Ask your local tire shop, and or some of the antique tire folks that advertise in old truck magazines.

Also consider buying new or used 19.5" wheels (probably Accuride #29015) and using 8R19.5 tires. Check your local truck tire shops again, and junk yards, and http://www.ricksontruck.com/

I would go with the newer 19.5" combo if you're not concerned with originality and plan to use the truck a lot. If you get wheels at a junkyard you may find this is also a cheaper option, tires may also be cheaper now and in the long run.

Grigg

If original is your goal, and if you want to buy American, here's an option. STA 18 x 7s at Universal Tire. Stu

http://www.universaltire.com/cart.php?target=product&product_id=24900&category_id=343

My '55 C600 has Firestone RH-5s all around, but I found a set of (4) tubed 9-20s. The truck has bad 8.25-20 recaps, some are soft and I am not dealing with them! I get to swap the wheels over for a grand total of $200. But if I wanted to keep the Rh's, $400 outright. I will still have the front wheels to replace, but I am making progress.

Hi, Grigg. I checked tire prices. To stick with the original wheels will cost about $200 per wheel, including new tubes and installation. To switch to 19.5s will cost about $165 per wheel, plus whatever I have to pay for the rims.

There you go, I thought they would be comparable, or even cheaper.
Start looking for some used 19.5 wheels, hopefully with good used tires, and even if you buy new tires you will have a better wheel and tire combination for less money.
Then when you wear them out it will again cost less for a set of new tires, and easy to get.

Grigg

I haven't found any rims yet, let alone with tires already on them. I guess I need to get on the road and do some serious looking. It just seems like no one in this area uses 19.5s, although I know that can't be true.

starkweatherr are you going to use the 19.5 wheels on your 73 C30? If so I have a set of six 19.5 wheels from a 1972 C30. The shipping to your location would be pretty high, but it is an option.

Here is a note to others who are trying to use 19.5 wheels on big bolt trucks. You need to measure the brake backing plate or drums outside diameter. If either one is greater than 16" the 19.5 wheels won't work.

I'd love to put 19.5 inch wheels on the '73, but my primary concern is the 3800 now. Thanks for the offer. I may check back with you later on, though.

Has anyone else purchased the Accuride 28160s from either century wheel office in Aurora CO or anywhere else? I haven't had any luck finding a used set of 4 as of yet so was looking to see where I could buy them new and what the cost would be. Also, how well do the 11r22.5s fit on that rim? (Do you have any pictures?) I was shooting for putting the 10r22.5s on those rims, however if the 11s will work and I might look to do that instead. Thanks.

That part number is for a wheel that is 22.5 x 6.75
On a 6.75" wide wheel the largest recommended tires are 10R22.5 or 235/80R22.5 or 245/75R22.5

Found in the same catalog, http://www.accuridewheels.com/completeversion.pdf
On page 39

Yes that is what was my understanding too, however "1968C50" said he was running 11r22.5's so I was curious to hear how he was making out with them and how they looked on those wheels. Grigg do you have any idea which of the three tires you listed are really the best to go with at this point (pros and cons)? Thanks.

No idea which tires you want, but tall and skinny is probably the best, at least that's the look I like on my trucks.
Also consider that at one time different width rims could have been available with that bolt pattern. So what tire someone else runs might not be what you can run depending on rim width, and fender clearance too.

Grigg

Thanks Grigg. For those three tires you listed do you know what the approximate heights and widths are?

Nope..