39 1 ton tire question

Couple of things here. Yes there is a certain amont of 'egg shaping' that occurs. On the inner diameter of the ring is a raised ridge which is a true circle. Just inboard is a ledge that has two cutouts that make it easier to get it started over the wheel's retaining lip. Without a tire, tube and flap in the way, one can coerce the ring over and into its seat with a 3 lb hammer. Add the three needed rubber parts and it's a bit more of a struggle. At it's worst, the moulded rubber tire flap has a flat base that is so wide it doesn't allow the two tire beads to get close enough together to set the ring. I use deep throated C clamps to help out in that case. Even with the cutouts on the ring it gets somewhat egg shaped as it deforms with a few blows of the 3 lb hammer. I recommend you measure the assembled width of rim and ring between the lips and then the thickness of the tire beads and whatever is left over is max width of the flap, which is sometimes referred to as a 'boot'. There are four types of tube stems in truck tubes. I like a long brass stem that can be bent.
I told you there's a lot to know. And we haven't yet started on the hard part, which is removing the old stuck, hardened tire which is fused to everything from 50 years of heat. Yours with 12,000 miles may be original and 85 years old! There are a couple of tools required that make a huge difference in the process and your mental well being. If you are interested I can get some photos of the tools and rims/rings etc tomorrow. I am no real pro, but I have seriously changed at least 30 of this exact same tire/wheel combo and learned the entire process the hard way in my almost 40 year love affair with these Ford tonners.
 
Of importance in all this, 1938 to 1947 Tonner owners have no readily available alternate set of wheels to just bolt on instead of these originals. No other vehicle has been found that had the 5 x 6 7/8” bolt pattern in a SRW type application. One of our guys has found that 1948-1952 hubs and wheel end parts will swap onto the earlier axles. This gives an 8 x 6.5” modern bolt pattern and alternative wheel options. Stu
 
I have no helpful information, but I love your truck. When you get a chance please post some more pictures of it.
 
Appreciate the input Stu & GB. Definitely sounds like a process to say the least. Swapping hubs sounds interesting and would probably make life easier, but I really don't want to lose the original look. Do any of you know of an exploded view or even pictures of all the parts? The combination of being a visual learner and being new to the old truck scene is making it difficult to picture the process. 😅

Thanks again guys, as well to those of you who have commented on the truck.

Brad
 
A couple tips...you must get the bead of the tire to move down on the rim before you try to remove the ring, or you will bend it. Lots of soapy water. Also, after its all mounted and the ring fully seated it should still be inflated in a tire cage for safety. I just lay the bucket of my skid steer on them, just use something. Then, while still in the cage with some air in it, hit around the ring with a BFH to make sure the ring is seated before you air it up fully.
 
I should add that on old rock hard truck tires I have been known to cut about a 10" chunk out with a chain saw as close to the rim as your skill will allow, pull out the tube, then the exposed bead can be cut with the acetylene torch. squirt bottle of water on hand to slow down the fire.

I am a bit of a savage, but it works well.
 
Yeah, I use a sawzall to cut the sidewalls of the tires all around, then use the angle grinder to cut the steel cords in the beads. A buddy of mine runs a repair shop and his tire recycling guy doesn’t seem to care that these old dead tires are in pieces when he picks them up. Stu
 
If for some reason you want to save the tire and need to get it down from the ring for changing (like for a flat tire) I have done a lot of stunts like driving a heavy truck onto the sidewall and used my skidsteer forks straight down alongside the ring. I have also contemplated fabbing up a fixture to add to or replace the wedge on my hydraulic log splitter set vertically, but yes the sawzall, torch and chainsaw are my choice tools when appropriate. Ring removal can be tricky, as Stu said. I have found no tool better for this than the lug wrench/ring tool that Henry furnished with the tonner when new. If you have one it's a game changer. I found one behind the seat of a parts truck about 15 years ago and couldn't believe how well it worked. Second best is a long bar from Ken-Tool with two different ends that are similar to Ford's. The square notch where you insert the tool is usually hidden in the wheel's groove so you look for the two dimples in the ring and stab in between them. Your buddy probably knows all this, but thought that this was the right place to share this info.
 

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GB SISSON said:
If for some reason you want to save the tire and need to get it down from the ring for changing (like for a flat tire) I have done a lot of stunts like driving a heavy truck onto the sidewall and used my skidsteer forks straight down alongside the ring. I have also contemplated fabbing up a fixture to add to or replace the wedge on my hydraulic log splitter set vertically, but yes the sawzall, torch and chainsaw are my choice tools when appropriate. Ring removal can be tricky, as Stu said. I have found no tool better for this than the lug wrench/ring tool that Henry furnished with the tonner when new. If you have one it's a game changer. I found one behind the seat of a parts truck about 15 years ago and couldn't believe how well it worked. Second best is a long bar from Ken-Tool with two different ends that are similar to Ford's. The square notch where you insert the tool is usually hidden in the wheel's groove so you look for the two dimples in the ring and stab in between them. Your buddy probably knows all this, but thought that this was the right place to share this info.
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truckdog62563 said:
It might be that you can find which wheels you have by their part numbers. Budd commonly stamped their numbers on the back side rim lips. The 5” was #44620, and 6” the #44630. Stu
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I pulled the spare. It's stamped Budd 41620. Assuming a misstamp and is a 44620, meaning 5 inch?
 
NCSUDucker said:
I pulled the spare. It's stamped Budd 41620. Assuming a misstamp and is a 44620, meaning 5 inch?
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Nevermind, a little forum searching and I see the 5" part number was changed from 41620 to 44620 later on. Looks like it will be the 7.00x17 car firestones
 
No, the 41620 was a good number. But the 1941 Budd numerical listing shows it was replaced by the 44620. Same 17” x 5” (3.75”) having the Firestone RH rim/ring. Importantly here though, the two different rim widths do not share the same ring. Each width has its own ring, so you need to make sure the other four match it. If there is a mix of widths on the truck, just make sure they each remain as a matched set. Stu

Edit - we were typing on top of each other. Stu
 
truckdog62563 said:
No, the 41620 was a good number. But the 1941 Budd numerical listing shows it was replaced by the 44620. Same 17” x 5” (3.75”) having the Firestone RH rim/ring. Importantly here though, the two different rim widths do not share the same ring. Each width has its own ring, so you need to make sure the other four match it. If there is a mix of widths on the truck, just make sure they each remain as a matched set. Stu

Edit - we were typing on top of each other. Stu
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Cool. Is there a way to make sure it is the correct ring assuming there is a mix of rims? And thanks again for all the info.
 
The rings have identifying data molded into their reverse sides. Too often though the years of rust and corrosion have made them unreadable. But I have both 1938 and 1942 Firestone rim catalogs that contain diagrams and measurements of each ring. Unfortunately since I dumped my Photobucket account years ago I’ve been unable to post pictures here from my phone. Maybe Gary would be willing to help here and post the pics if I email him the pictures of the diagrams. Stu
 
truckdog62563 said:
The rings have identifying data molded into their reverse sides. Too often though the years of rust and corrosion have made them unreadable. But I have both 1938 and 1942 Firestone rim catalogs that contain diagrams and measurements of each ring. Unfortunately since I dumped my Photobucket account years ago I’ve been unable to post pictures here from my phone. Maybe Gary would be willing to help here and post the pics if I email him the pictures of the diagrams. Stu
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Stu, I can do that... Send away if you haven't already, but really busy in shop today and my laptop is in the house so will post after work..
 
This is what copied from Stu's email. Not sure if it shoulda been the whole chart??? Little wheel **** thrown in....
 

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