The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts tire & wheel swap

I was in the salvage (not junk) yard today getting parts for my trucks. I was checking the tires on some of the big trucks. There was this '66 5000? Chevy with 8.25"x20" tires. The wheels were 5 lug front & 10 lug rear. I didn't have a tape measure, but the patterns look to be the same except the studs look bigger. The tires are in great shape with deep tread & they want $50 for each wheel tire combo. If the wheels won't fit, it would be worth it to swap the tires onto the old rims. The question is: How much clearance should there be between the two tires on a dually? There shouldn't be much flexing on such heavy tires. Or is it possible to get the studs off donor truck & drill out the holes on mine assuming same bolt pattern? I did this on my '62 Bel Air with no problems. I would get some later model 19.5" wheels, but they all seem to have small tires. Thanks.
Scott

I am running 8.25" tires on the rear of my '55 4400 so far with no problem. The tires are much bigger than the old 7.50x20" they are replacing. I have not yet hauled a significant load with it, But I have about a ton of junk in the back of it and a sickle bar mower on top...

Thanks Blue66 & Ralphy!! With what you guys told me, I should be alright getting the 8.25" tires. I will take a cardboard template with me when I go Friday. Great idea! I'll even take a lug nut if I can get one off my truck. The truck in the yard has a 292 & a big PTO driven hoist. Too bad I couldn't have been in the right place at the right time. The truck had been abandoned & then hauled away by the city. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks, again.

Scott

54 and up have bigger center holes than 53 down. You don't say what year you have? Those wheels are 10 hole, just use five in fronts. There is a trim ring covering the holes and spreading the force of nuts. Some have a 10 hole ring for back too! I wouldn't be afraid to use the larger stud holes on my smaller studs as long as the center hole is right size and carries the weight. Specially if you have those trim rings to spread the pressure over wheels.

Sorry bout that. I'm getting the tires for my '51 1.5 ton. I will make sure to get everything I can from the donor truck. Hopefully I'll have all summer to pull different parts from it. Not many people around here pick over the big trucks. There is another truck with just as good 9"x20" tires, but those are bigger than what I want. The 8.25"x20" will put about 4" extra width each side but that isn't a problem with the dump bed. I can't wait for morning. I'm more excited than when I was little waiting for Christmas.

I think I'm cursed. I wasn't able to get the tires. I bought a big lug wrench from Sears that went up to 1-1/16" (27mm). It turned out to be just too small. I had a 29mm socket which went on a little loose. Couldn't get nuts off with 29mm & breaker bar & pipe. I went to local parts house for a bigger lug wrench. I told the guy I needed a 1-1/8" lug. He gave me a part #, but to get it that day I had to get it from their warehouse. Not bad, only 8 miles away. Darn wrench was $75. I get to the yard again and darn it wrong sizes!!I return the wrench & the same guy looks in book. Closest options are 1-1/16" or 30mm. The 1-16" is too small, 1-1/4" too big. I didn't want to do all that driving to find 30mm too big, so I said to heck with it & gave up. I'll just save my money until I can buy new tires. I just didn't want to pay more for rear tires than I did for the whole truck. Oh, well.

1-1/8" sounds correct. I use black impact sockets six sided. OR have a 3/4 drive set witha big bar on it to break them loose. I have had to use heat to remove some real bad ones. Keep in mind, these have a 250lb. or so tork when installed and then rust on too. AT home, I usually stand on my bar to break them loose! One yard I got wheels from a **** , just cut the nuts/studs off, didn't even try to unbolt! I wanted some nuts too, darn! Those are huge Budd type, with 300-500lbs torque, those are fun! I've broken tools trying to get those off, and have blown them off with torch myself at times.

GL,
Yeah, I didn't see me being able to get those nuts off. I don't have any bigger than 1/2" drive tools. Maybe I'll try cutting the wheels if they are still there later this summer. Now my problem is I can't get the passenger side duals off. They are froze on pretty good.

I have a 1-1/2 inch 3/4-drive socket I bought years ago when I last owned a big truck. I don't recall how I determined the correct size, and though it was a GMC the running gear was all military Dodge, so I doubt it will fit my big Chevy trucks.

You guys with big trucks, how do you get the wheels off? Do you generally take the truck somewhere, or just use a big breaker bar? I doubt my little compressor and air tools are going to deal with 250 ft-pounds of torque...

I only know about my '51 1.5 ton. A 4way lug wrench with 1-1/16" end & a 3' pipe will work no problem.

Cmon guys, go to harbor freight or other import place, by the $39.95 3/4 drive set with sliding bar. Use extensions to get it out away from outer wheel. Rest that extension and bar on a block of wood or stack for a pivot. Use a square tube lever about 3 or 4 ft long, slip it ALL the WAY onver handle. I, even have mine split to pass the handle joint some. NOW, use plenty of oils, bang on nuts and wheels some with fairly big mallet, and stand on the pipe over wrench set-up. BOunce a little, and SNAP! Either the nut loosens or wrench/socket breaks. My set has lifetime replacement, even in IMport kind. Might try using a big die to clean threads of studs first too to help ease off once started!
Work on this all afternoon, with a few beers, and you'll be a growly animal, wanting to rip some one's head off! Ain't this fun??

I've pretty much used the same attack as GL. If you have a torch handy, heating the lug nut a bit will sometimes make the difference. If they have been bolted on a long time the lug nuts may be only half the battle. I've had to take a hammer to the wheel a few times to shake the rust out between the wheel and hub and around the lug studs.

On my 1959name viking the threads are OPPOSITE on drivers side

On my 1959name viking the threads are OPPOSITE on drivers side

Just went through this saga myself. 3/4 drive and a 6 foot cheater did the trick. Not to mention the case of Bud Light.

62, when I was young I did semi's with the 3/4 bar and a long extension held level with a jack stand under the extension and then jump on the cheater pipe. Recently however I took all the wheels off my truck with a DeWalt 18v 1/2" impact. I don't know how long they where on but all the tires are rotted away. May not have the same rust issue in Colorado as you do!

Guess I was lucky,sorta. I discovered an old torque multiplier set lying in the dirt beside a truck I got. Took about a day of de-rusting and smoothing but it worked pretty well for most lug nuts. Never was able to break loose the lugs on my '57 2 ton's right front though. Did the PB Blaster deal,used a 6 foot cheater pipe,all it did was bend the hex shaped bar into an L shape. Okay-guess I didn't really need to change that wheel anyway.
Speed

While your in the yard find a vehicle nearby with and automatic transmission, take the dipstick out and get some of the ATF to put on the lugs, works better than any store-bought rust breaker/oil/lube...old school trick I learned in the 70's from a veteran yard partsman...

What I do on those big nuts is use a 3/4 in drive breaker bar with extension and a cheater pipe. Use a jack stand and rest the socket extension on the jack stand. Stand on the cheater pipe. If that doesn't work take a heavy hammer and hit the nut/socket at the same time as you have all that pressure going. You probably will need someone else to swing the hammer. One good lick is all it usually takes. I've never had one resist that regimen. If you don't keep your extension and socket level you can slip off the nut or not direct as much force as needed to turn the nut. If you have rust involved use some penetrating oil.

What I would like to clarify is that when your delivering the blow you are not trying to drive the nut or wrench. You just want that instant vibration force to break the nut loose. On smaller nuts it works too and helps prevent twisting them off.