Suggestions for 6x7.5 lug pattern

[B1Dallen]

I finally got my 1948 B1D moved from my parents house to mine. The tires are literally falling apart. Thank goodness for the tubes still holding air or it would have been hard getting it on a trailer. So first I really want to get some cheap tires on it so I can move out of the way sometimes. But it is proving to be a challenge here in Waco TX. Only one tire shop has said they think they are willing to put a tire on a split ring rim, but they didn't sound very positive. I have no experience at all putting tires on wheels so i'm not willing to take the risk either. It would be nice if i could take it to any old shop, so I started looking around for newer wheels. But now the problem is that the lug bolt pattern is bigger than anything I have found on the internet. Mine has 6 lugs on a 7.5 inch diameter. the closest i have seen in a modern wheel is 6x6.5.

Has anyone else found this to be a problem? If so, what did you end up doing?

It isn't such a big deal if at least one shop is willing to put tires on these wheels, but I am thinking down the road when they finally stop doing split rings I will be back in the same boat again.

Edited June 21, 2016 by B1Dallen

[Dodgeb4ya]

Bring em up here to washington... I'll mount all of them for free. Done many!

[Don Coatney]

I also have done many but always used a cage. I lost a cousin back in the late 50's who did not use the cage and paid the ultimate price.

 

[P15-D24]

First these aren't split ring rims. The are lock ring rims still used on many trucks today. Take them to a truck tire shop. They know how to properly mount them.  

[B1Dallen]

Thanks, maybe the proper terminology will help when I call around.

The lock ring has a split in it so I assumed it was a split ring.

[Dodgeb4ya]

They ( most shops) won't do em anymore because of their insurance policy.

Liability liability......

[bach4660]

I bought a set of rims from Stockton wheel and now run a tubeless radial.

[Dave72dt]

Split rings and split rims are different. Both of the split rim types I'm aware of, I will no longer go near. We quit doing them somewhere around 1975. Split rings aren't that bad but still prefer a cage for them.

I have a skid steer trailer that we made that has that size center and had 17's on it. I ended up cutting the centers out and welding on some 16 inch hoops from some spare rims. 16 " 10 plies are much easier and cheaper than trying to find them in 17"

Edited June 22, 2016 by Dave72dt

[Bobacuda]

The local school district used to practically give old tires away to get rid of them.  Might want to check with them for hulls just to use while you work on the truck.  A farm tractor shop will probably mount them.  When I worked at the full service gas station (in my youth) we changed lots of them.  We would turn them so the split ring faced the floor and we would lower the lift to block the rest of the rim.  Never had one even come close to coming off, but we would check it several times and would pull it apart if it looked sketchy.  They were generally as dangerous as you were careless. 

 

As far as danger went with rims back in the day, a local man (not at our gas station) was killed by a wheelbarrow rim that bolted together.  He took the bolts our to split the rim, then gave it a shot of air to separate the halves - must have done it a hundred times in the past...hundred and one proved fatal.

[B1Dallen]

Thanks for all the suggestions.  Hopefully I'll have some luck with the truck centers. There are quite a few of them along I35.