progress

[ChrisCoccia]

http://<a href="http://s550.photobucket.com/albums/ii419/cocciado/?action=view&current=100_0097.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i550.photobucket.com/albums/ii419/cocciado/100_0097.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

[ChrisCoccia]

let me try this again

[ChrisCoccia]

[buds truck]

wow!!!!! Looks great. Keep it up

[H Suhling]

Looking good. It is a great feeling when you can start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Harvey

[Guest Kuster13]

Looks great!

What size tires will you go with and did you have any issues with your rims?

Tom

[ChrisCoccia]

Thanks for the comments! I haven't really done anything with the rims yet. I'm going to have them blasted then put 235/85/r16s on. I'm debating putting traction tread on the rear since I am going original and I see a lot of thes trucks with them.

[DanOlson]

That really brings back memories. Great job.

Dan

[MBF]

Chris-looking good! Keep us posted on the tire situation-are you planning on using the original Budd rims? If your tire dealer is going to put radials on them let me know how you make out with them. My tire dealer wouldn't do it as he said they'd "walk off the rims" because the rims are narrow?!? He said if I could find 16" Budd drop centers that matched the lug pattern he could keep me in takeoff radials. There's a chassis for sale on Ebay in CA that has those rims on it-was going to ask the guy where he came up with them, but it sounds like the truck was something that he inherited vs something he did himself. Mike

[grey beard]

I put 215 x 85-16 Dayton radials on my original rims. Tubeless - no tubess or liners, etc. Much skeptacism from the dealer. Finally had to tell him I'd PAY him to put one on just so we could see how they looked. He did this and once they saw how well they fit and looked there was no further question. This is the same tire size used by GM dually pickups, so they are sorta' plentiful and easy to find most places.

I like the tall skinny old-school tire look, and besides I needed all the help I could get to slow down my crank rpms with that 4:10 rer axle ratio. Now it purrs at 50 mph and doesn't mind 60 nearly as much. My fear of those 235 width tires is that they'd be really hard to steer when parking, with all that footprint on the ground. My tires are over 31 inches tall, and really make the truck sit up higher. They also make a 670x16 radial tire that is even taller, but it cost almost half again as much as my Daytons. Radials will work fine on 4 1/2 inch rims if they are blasted and either painted or powder coated. Mine are powder coated.

Truck looks really nice. I'm impressed.

Good Luck

[ChrisCoccia]

Thanks! I hadn't heard that about the radial tires walking off the rims. I will ask my tire guy about it. I am glad to have somebody who is willing to work on split rims. I have thought about bias ply tires, but the handling isn't that good, and at this point I think they are more expensive than radials. I was thinking about the 235s to get the most speed for the rpms. I can see your point about the steering though. When I bought the truck the springs were welded to the frame and the front wheels pointed in different directions when I moved forward. When I get it running it will be my first opportunity to drive it with an intact front suspension. Before I dismantled it, steering in the driveway was a bear.

[MBF]

GB-I was referring to the 16" Budd style wheels with the locking ring, not a drop center rim. If I could find a Budd styled drop center that fit my 6 hole bolt pattern that would solve a lot. Mike

[Flatie46]

Man I really like that shade of red, I'd really like to have one of these trucks. when I get my bussiness coupe goin' I think I'll get me one!

[ChrisCoccia]

It is international harvester farmall red.