David Evoy
New member
1951 F4 wheel replacement
My 1951 F4 came with Widow maker wheels. All of the wheels were very rusty and two of them had dented rims. The tires looked to be many decades old with the worst case of cracking I have ever seen.
I obviously needed new tires and the wheels cleaned up and painted and at least two of the wheels replaced. After chasing this solution for a long time, I found new wheels at a reasonable price. The wheels are imported by Wheels Now from Turkey. They have the 5 holes on 8 inch centers and clear the brake drums. The brake drums on a F4 are very large, especially the rears.
So I purchased 6 new wheels, had them powder coated, and had 6 new tires mounted. When I had the wheels powder coated I also had my nuts powder coated. Just to be clear, the trucks lug nuts. This was a mistake, as the powder coating got on the threads in some places and it does not really stand up well for the 450 ft lbs of torque required for these monster wheels.
I could have gone for new axles, Mustang disk brakes, etc., and this would be a good way forward if you want the truck to be modernized and lowered. It may be the only way to go if your drums cannot be turned, which is another story for a different day. For now, I just say I was able to completely rebuild the existing brakes, which was my preference.
Cost? Per wheel, $245 for the wheel, $40 shipping, $70 powder coating, $237 tires, about $592 per tire + wheel. With tax and new lug nuts valve stems etc about $650 per wheel, or just under $4000 for a full set of 6. Held down costs by shipping directly to a tire shop, paying cash for the powder coating and using the cheapest tire I could find for a 19.5 inch wheel. Don’t expect your local Discount tire to help with this, these wheels are for semi-trucks.
A few downsides. Like the Widow makers, wheels plus tires are heavy. Back braking heavy and 30 lugs nuts with 450 ft lbs of torque is a lot of work. I can only put air in the rear tires or even check the pressure by taking the tires off. At the rear dual wheels the valve stem is 1/8” from the monster brake drum. I have finally found the magical valve stem, a 31 degree stem with a 2 inch length, on order, but untested, part is a FR 572-F19 with 31 degree bend. I need them on the two inner wheels but will put them on all six to keep them interchangeable. $22 dollars for 10 on ebay.
Wheels from Cory Steffel at wheelsnowinc.com, “19.50 x 6.00 wheel with the 5 on 8 pattern”, imported from Turkey. (19.5” tubeless replaces 18” tube tire, I know this seems wrong but check out lots of data online about this conversion if you are unsure). The wheels have approval and origin stuff stamped into them, and the welds are not well polished, so if you want chromed showroom quality wheels these are not for you.
Lug nuts were hard to find, but not impossible. You will need four different types. Example: Outer Wheel Nut, 1-1/8"-16 Right Hand Thread, 1-1/2" Hex. I got cheap ones with a gold anodized look. A surprise was how great they look reflecting in the glossy back powder coated wheels. They look industrial yet really standout with gold against the gloss black. IMO, they look better than the powder coated gloss black wheel nuts.
Final thought on wheels. Buy budd wheel sockets, a ¾ inch drive 40 inch breaker bar, and high impact ¾ inch extension set. I snapped a ½ inch Craftsman extension in two removing the wheels. When it breaks you fall. With a series of adapters extensions I could use my 2 foot torque wrench or 2 foot breaker bar, but the wobbly mess is dangerous when working with the outer rear wheels. Easy to remove with a 40 inch bar and correct sockets. I use a 24 inch bar to install and stand on the end of the bar, as I weigh 220, so 220x2 is 440, close enough.
My 1951 F4 came with Widow maker wheels. All of the wheels were very rusty and two of them had dented rims. The tires looked to be many decades old with the worst case of cracking I have ever seen.
I obviously needed new tires and the wheels cleaned up and painted and at least two of the wheels replaced. After chasing this solution for a long time, I found new wheels at a reasonable price. The wheels are imported by Wheels Now from Turkey. They have the 5 holes on 8 inch centers and clear the brake drums. The brake drums on a F4 are very large, especially the rears.
So I purchased 6 new wheels, had them powder coated, and had 6 new tires mounted. When I had the wheels powder coated I also had my nuts powder coated. Just to be clear, the trucks lug nuts. This was a mistake, as the powder coating got on the threads in some places and it does not really stand up well for the 450 ft lbs of torque required for these monster wheels.
I could have gone for new axles, Mustang disk brakes, etc., and this would be a good way forward if you want the truck to be modernized and lowered. It may be the only way to go if your drums cannot be turned, which is another story for a different day. For now, I just say I was able to completely rebuild the existing brakes, which was my preference.
Cost? Per wheel, $245 for the wheel, $40 shipping, $70 powder coating, $237 tires, about $592 per tire + wheel. With tax and new lug nuts valve stems etc about $650 per wheel, or just under $4000 for a full set of 6. Held down costs by shipping directly to a tire shop, paying cash for the powder coating and using the cheapest tire I could find for a 19.5 inch wheel. Don’t expect your local Discount tire to help with this, these wheels are for semi-trucks.
A few downsides. Like the Widow makers, wheels plus tires are heavy. Back braking heavy and 30 lugs nuts with 450 ft lbs of torque is a lot of work. I can only put air in the rear tires or even check the pressure by taking the tires off. At the rear dual wheels the valve stem is 1/8” from the monster brake drum. I have finally found the magical valve stem, a 31 degree stem with a 2 inch length, on order, but untested, part is a FR 572-F19 with 31 degree bend. I need them on the two inner wheels but will put them on all six to keep them interchangeable. $22 dollars for 10 on ebay.
Wheels from Cory Steffel at wheelsnowinc.com, “19.50 x 6.00 wheel with the 5 on 8 pattern”, imported from Turkey. (19.5” tubeless replaces 18” tube tire, I know this seems wrong but check out lots of data online about this conversion if you are unsure). The wheels have approval and origin stuff stamped into them, and the welds are not well polished, so if you want chromed showroom quality wheels these are not for you.
Lug nuts were hard to find, but not impossible. You will need four different types. Example: Outer Wheel Nut, 1-1/8"-16 Right Hand Thread, 1-1/2" Hex. I got cheap ones with a gold anodized look. A surprise was how great they look reflecting in the glossy back powder coated wheels. They look industrial yet really standout with gold against the gloss black. IMO, they look better than the powder coated gloss black wheel nuts.
Final thought on wheels. Buy budd wheel sockets, a ¾ inch drive 40 inch breaker bar, and high impact ¾ inch extension set. I snapped a ½ inch Craftsman extension in two removing the wheels. When it breaks you fall. With a series of adapters extensions I could use my 2 foot torque wrench or 2 foot breaker bar, but the wobbly mess is dangerous when working with the outer rear wheels. Easy to remove with a 40 inch bar and correct sockets. I use a 24 inch bar to install and stand on the end of the bar, as I weigh 220, so 220x2 is 440, close enough.