The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Motor wheel disassembly?

How does this rim come apart? There isnt a notch to stick the tire spoons in. It clearly has a lock ring, but I dont quite know how to get it off. Theres nothing special about this one. It looks like the stacks of others I have around the place, except its missing that notch.

Jeff

is it a split wheel by chance ?

You will have to break the bead then drive the ring down. It will have an area that doesn't have a lip that you will be able to start working it off from. Those wheel get to be a PITA after they get rusty,
Scott

Hey Jeff, I have the same wheels that you have,.
I see what you mean about the notch missing. Is it possible that someone put on a lockring from a different wheel?

Jeff

I agree with Scott,
Break the bead and push the ring down, then see what you have.

I see nothing wrong with it, and very doubtful you could interchange the wrong lock ring, at least not for long..

Grigg

Hey Rustednuts,

I like the wheel that you have pictured.

Can you or anyone tell me what production year the wheel pictured started, and then when was it produced to what year? It looks like you have the 5/8 stud hole as well. Not 9/16.
As a note, the 1941,42-46 First Design utility had a change when the Second design was introduced in the PK series by enlarging the lug stud from 9/16 to 5/8.

I have a 1941 utility parts truck (YS) that has 6 of them, and I am hemming and hawing as to keep them or go with the standard wheel. If I use them, I am almost positive I will need to oversize the hole to fit the studs. I do see them in the 1942 Special Equipment (Silver Book) for Chevrolet trucks. They are mounted on a what looks like the 132-5/8 inch wheelbase 2-ton COE pictured with the heavy duty model Holmes Power Wrecker.

I see you have 7.50 x 20 on it now. Is the offset of these capable for running 8.25 x 20 tires with no interference on the 160 inch PK series wheelbase utility?

What do you call this type of wheel? Is there a name to these? Like a heavy duty artillery wheel? Or 8 spoke or 8 hole? I assume they are native Chevrolet, GMC?
I have now seen about five or six 1941-46 Chevrolet utility’s with these special wheels. As always, thank you for your assistance.
Dale

Thanks for the input. Ill throw rocks at this thing and start swearing at it for a week or so before I tear into it.

Dale, they are GMC Motor wheels with 8 hand holds, and yes the studs are larger. These came from a '39 GMC 1 1/2 ton truck. Chevrolet didnt use the same 5 stud lugs that GMC did. Im not sure they ever did. On the fronts of many large Chevy trucks they do have 5 studs, but those take the 10 lug wheel with a small plate that covers the other 5 holes. I think GMC used them through '51 on some models, but maybe as late as '53. After that they started using either the 6 stud Budd wheels, or the kept with the 10 lug Chevrolet pattern.

I dont believe the GMC and Chevrolet wheels have the same concentric bolt circle, so before you get to far into it, you may want to check them out and make sure. Plus the center of the GMC wheels have a larger ID to slip over the larger GMC hubs.

These 5 lug wheels are a pain to find. I was planning on buying a set from a member here, which meant driving down to California and back to get them. Luckily, another member here, John Henry (olblue) checked out that '39 GMC for Ken Brown on the oldgmctrucks site and after several emails I had 5 out of 6 matching wheels. A trip to Vancouver and a day spent tearing the '39 apart and now their here.

I personally like the larger 5 stud look, especially with the 8 hand holes. My COE had a set of 6 hand hole wheels, which do look better then the 5 hand holes that Chevy has. To me they look like big artillery rims.

Hope that helps.

Jeff

Generally they are called "Motor Wheels" as that's the company that made them, similar to "Budd" wheels but different.

The distinguishing feature is they are hub piloted, the bore in the wheel snugly fits and is located off of a spigot on the hub.
At he time Chevy and GMC mostly used their own hub piloted 10 lug wheels on the larger trucks, these could have been made by a few different manufacturers. Best I can tell the 5 lug "Motor wheels" as the name implies were made by Motor Wheel.

I've most commonly, although somewhat uncommon, seen these 5 lug motor wheels on GMC trucks in the 50's. Edit-- and apparently earlier
The 10 lug on 7.25" circle is much more common on the GMC, and as far as I know the only choice on AD Chevy trucks.

More wheel info here, but not specifically about "Motor Wheels"
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/

Grigg

Rusted nuts, the lock ring will not come off until you knock the tire down. You will either need a large tire hammer like this http://www.bigdogtoolz.com/kn35429.html or a slide hammer like this http://www.bigdogtoolz.com/kn35429.html I prefer a hammer. Put plenty of rubber lubricant such as Ruglyde or soapy water on the bead. Once you get the bead knocked down an inch or so, you can pry the lock ring off with one of these http://www.keenzo.com/showproduct.asp?M=KEN-TOOL&ID=1433144&ref=GB.

I have the tools, Ive just never ran into one without the notch.

Thanks, Jeff

Some of them don't have a notch. They have 2 gaps opposite of each other in the seating edge where you can pry them up. Once you knock the tire down, but will be able to see what I am talking about. After you pry the ring up, hit it with a hammer almost skimming the tire. It will jump off. I don't really like this kind of wheel. They are not as bad as the Firestone widow makers, but they are certainly not as good as other lock rings. I would sure put it in a cage during inflation. Our workers comp would have a fit if they saw me doing it, but I like to tap the lock ring when I am inflating it. The lock ring seats better.

Here are two links showing the parts truck. I plan on using the 2-speed axle off of this truck, and they are the 10 hole, with the five hole plate on the front:

http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo352/46Canopy/2.jpg
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/oo352/46Canopy/5.jpg

It may be that the wheels are used with the 2-speed rear axle?
That is main reason why I bought this truck, for the two speed, manual floor shift. Rustednuts, is yours a 2 speed?

Grigg, you lost me on this: The distinguishing feature is they are hub piloted, the bore in the wheel snugly fits and is located off of a spigot on the hub. Spigot? Is this like teets? Or a keyway? Or like the flywheel with the pin extending from the crank? I have not brought the truck home yet, but should have it by July 1st. I also googled "Motor Wheels" and found a catalog of wheels from Buick to Desoto Chevy etc. dated 1949. All listed were up to the 19 inch range, (1 ton) but no 20 inch.


Dale

Dale,
Your parts truck does not have the same wheels that Jeff started this thread about.
You have the normal Chevy 5/10 lug wheels as expected on 1.5 and larger trucks.
Jeff has "Motor Wheels" which are 5 lug front and rear and use different hubs.

Both of the above wheels are hub piloted.
They are not stud piloted "Budd" wheels.

Check this Tech Tip out for an explanation on hub and stud piloted wheels http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/ even has pictures, just click the links.

Grigg

Thanks Grigg,
I saw the photo and went off on a tangent. Just have not seen too many trucks with the 8 hand holds. I will take a look at the tech-tip for further review.
Dale

If you get a chance see if there are any markings on the wheels, you may find that they are made by Motor Wheel but obviously with the Chevy bolt pattern. If so then that explains the similar looks, they probably used the same centers but machined them for different bolt patterns.

Grigg

There is a notch. Once you hammer the ring down a little & keep going around you will find it. The politically correct location is near the stem but it is not usually there.

Grigg, you are right, they are made by Motor Wheel,
Mine are stamped "Motor Wheel" and the date, right above the center hole.

Grigg - What mounting system do you think that is? Maybe an "AR" three piece. The kind with a solid side ring and real small split locking ring? With the paint it's hard to see whether the small ring is there. Motor Wheel would have used the same variety of outer rim designs as would Budd, K-H, or Firestone. I just can't think of anything that it would be other than an "AR". Stu

It's a single ring that has a certain way it comes a part. It's one of the more difficult wheels to service, especially after it starts showing it's age,
Scott

Stu,
I'm not sure what the proper name or model is for that wheel/lock ring type?
But I agree with Scott, The ring looks like a single one and a complete circle at that.

Grigg

If it's a single ring it'll be the first I've come across that didn't have a tool notch. Please come back with more disassembled pics once you've got it apart. We're goin' to school here. Stu