20" wheel options

[47 dodge 1.5 ton]

What rear, single or 2 speed? I have both here but not sure the drum is interchangeable.

[jsd245]

I have a two speed. Pretty sure it would be the same since they all use the same wheels 

[jsd245]

I guess I misphrased that-I’m  looking for the measurement of the hole in the center of the wheel - theses wheels that are an option have a 5.875 hole- 

Edited January 1, 2022 by jsd245

[47 dodge 1.5 ton]

My wheels measure 5.855” which the inner locates on axle hub.

[jsd245]

Thanks. That seems right for these other wheels 

[47Jim]

I don’t have a dog in this hunt since I have just a tiny one ton but has anyone considered going to 19.5? 
If tire availability is the main issue, also if going custom and using original centers seems much easier and tire choices in many different treads and sizes are readily available. Size difference wouldn’t even be noticeable for those wanting to keep a vintage look 

Edited January 6, 2022 by 47Jim

[jsd245]

22.5 is a better fit. A 9r22.5 almost exactly matches the 8.25-20

[chstrumpetdude]

As others have stated before me on the forum and the facebook group, the Dodge M400 Chassis motor homes from the 1970s use a 5 on 8 lug pattern like our dodges, Internationals, and Fords of this era, but they are on a tubeless single piece rim. I know that Statesmen is one builder.

I have only seen a couple for sale in my area and always still connected to the RV.

 

Something that no one has brought up yet, but others have in the past, is the offset for the brake drums having enough clearance for a center rim swap (which I am unsure about)

[Dunkin]

I went the "used" route in replacing my 8.25 x 20 tires and regret it.  They are better than what I had, but they still have lots of cracks.  I wish I would have used the money I spent on the "used" tires to just buy new ones since they will last me a lifetime with as little as I use my truck.  New tires are expensive and getting more expensive by the month it seems, so I plan to buy 2 at a time as my budget allows until I get all 6 for my 2 ton Dodge.  Too bad there isn't another tire that converts over to use in these split ring wheels.

[jsd245]

So- those of you who are interested I went the route of getting wheels made. I ordered two to make sure  they would fit right front and rear and they fit exactly right.  I think they look pretty good and are a very close facsimile of the original steel rim.

 

the 9r22.5 tire seems to be about 1" taller that the old 8.25x20s that I assume are

worn to some degree, so very close in diameter.

 

Company  that made them was wheels now in Waukesha WI. Very easy to deal with, and responsive, but like the whole World now they had a delay getting  the rim shells. Apparently they are stocked for the year now. 

 

 

 

 

[wallytoo]

that new wheel looks really nice.  you should be set for a long time with those.

[47 dodge 1.5 ton]

What is the offset on the ones you had made? Appear maybe an inch different? 

[ggdad1951]

12 hours ago, jsd245 said:

So- those of you who are interested I went the route of getting wheels made. I ordered two to make sure  they would fit right front and rear and they fit exactly right.  I think they look pretty good and are a very close facsimile of the original steel rim.

 

the 9r22.5 tire seems to be about 1" taller that the old 8.25x20s that I assume are

worn to some degree, so very close in diameter.

 

Company  that made them was wheels now in Waukesha WI. Very easy to deal with, and responsive, but like the whole World now they had a delay getting  the rim shells. Apparently they are stocked for the year now. 

 

 

 

 

 

Please add the company info to the sticky for vendors for our trucks at the top of the forum for future reference!

 

[jsd245]

7 hours ago, 47 dodge 1.5 ton said:

What is the offset on the ones you had made? Appear maybe an inch different? 

I’m not sure, I never measured it. It looks to be the same to me. When discussing what I needed to measure with them basically it was just making sure the bolt pattern and deter hole were correct. The offset is really dictated by the dual wheel spacing, you can’t really change it much. 

[47 dodge 1.5 ton]

Think that will ride very well, radials really made a difference on trucks IMO.  
  If you get a chance, can you lay a straight edge across the face and get a measurement to the rim bead or tire sidewall?

[jsd245]

1 hour ago, 47 dodge 1.5 ton said:

Think that will ride very well, radials really made a difference on trucks IMO.  
  If you get a chance, can you lay a straight edge across the face and get a measurement to the rim bead or tire sidewall?

Sure . Yes I think radial will ride better, the only concern I have is low speed turning effort. I know it will be higher. Yet its not like I'm doing 3 point turns on this thing, and alot of that low speed  turning will happen on gravel anyway. 

[jsd245]

3 hours ago, 47 dodge 1.5 ton said:

Think that will ride very well, radials really made a difference on trucks IMO.  
  If you get a chance, can you lay a straight edge across the face and get a measurement to the rim bead or tire sidewall?

So the new rim measures 1 1/2 inches from the straightedge across the face to the rim bead. The originals measure 1 5/8. So very close. I think it's decieiving when you look  at them- because of the way the rim is built vs the original. The original rim has that bent over flange that is essentially rivited to the rim shell, so the rim look very flat on its face, whereas the new rim is curved in and welded into the rim shell. 

[47 dodge 1.5 ton]

That’s kind of what my thoughts were. Let us know how they feel on the road, I agree — maybe a little harder to steer but most of the steering is done when in motion.

[jsd245]

22 minutes ago, 47 dodge 1.5 ton said:

That’s kind of what my thoughts were. Let us know how they feel on the road, I agree — maybe a little harder to steer but most of the steering is done when in motion.

Will do, I should have the rest by next week sometime. 

[jsd245]

So for those interested- I weighed the old mounted tire and rim vs the new one. New 9r22.5 weighs 168 pounds. Old one weighs 138 pounds. So about 30 pounds more unsprung mass per wheel. So I guess technically Mileage might suffer and it might be a bit harder on the brakes . But probably not enough for me to notice. 

[wallytoo]

yeah.  with the 2-speed rear on my 1.5-ton, i average less than 5mpg.  so you probably won’t notice.

[Dodgeb4ya]

A small increase in tire diameter/height can noticeably affect hill climbing ability in these medium duty trucks...

There is not a lot of excess power available when  driving one of these trucks single speed or two speed.

Be careful sizing tires.?

[jsd245]

On 5/14/2022 at 10:04 PM, Dodgeb4ya said:

A small increase in tire diameter/height can noticeably affect hill climbing ability in these medium duty trucks...

There is not a lot of excess power available when  driving one of these trucks single speed or two speed.

Be careful sizing tires.?

Yeah you said that already. These are the same diameter as the original 8.25x20s . That's what came on this truck.  I looked  at the specs for 8.25 x 20 vs 9r22.5s . Both say 38.3" on diameter.

I measure a few of my old tires - they ranged about 37.5 to 38.25". I guess the differences are wear and I didn't check pressure in any of them, I assume some were under inflated.

 

 

I finally  got all 6 on . I am really pleased. I don't really notice any difference in turning

force, ride does seem a bit better on my short jaunts - But with no bed on the back the suspension doesn't give at all. So it's tough to tell. Spacing is perfect, and I think the look is right. I was also able  to find some decent traction tires.

 

 

[Dodgeb4ya]

They do look great!

Get a bed on it and haul 3 tons...see how it does?

[chstrumpetdude]

How much did those rims set you back?