51 f 5 wheels

frank long island

frank long island

Well-known member
im usually on late v8 forum my question is there a wheel that i can use in place of the widow maker split rims on the stock pattern or my option is swap to modern driveline this is my fire departments purpose built truck for the drill team "b" rig for those from ny purchased in 51 and with us through the 80 s found by one of our members and purchased back overall not bad condition i have replaced the firewall due to all the mods and cutting along with floor fenders had the normal rust at the joints reinforced upper to accept the light and siren combo that was on original build it has a small block chevy in it now as its going to be used for parades it had a 454 in it before im working with chevy guys i will be posting pics when i figure out the settings as mine come back as file to large thanks
 
There are three solutions to the “widow maker” Firestone RH-5° rims. These do not include axle swaps because a front axle swap gets really difficult when you factor in steering architecture.

The three options are tubeless 22.5s, tubeless 19.5s, and locking side ring salvage yard 20s. The best option, and the one that matches the tire diameter of your stock wheels/tires is the 22.5”. I know of an available good used set located in MT. Shipping will of course be an issue. New reproductions are also available from dealers like Wheels Now in WI. These, however, don’t look like the old originals. Also available are custom 22.5s built using widow maker centers with new outer 22.5” rims. These can be obtained from Chuck’s Trucks in CT. Link below. If you want to pursue the used set I can post my friend’s phone number.

http://www.chuckstrucksllc.com/startframe.htm

The second tubeless option is the used 19.5”. These can be found in yards on dead Class A Ford or Dodge motor homes. These use a 19.5” tire that is much shorter than your 20s. The 8R19.5” is 34” tall vs your 20s at 37-38”.

The third option is a set of locking ring 20s. The best of these can be found in yards on Dodge and IHC big trucks of the 1950s to 1970s. Stu
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top