Truck Rats with 19.5 or larger wheels, have questions

[RickBright]

I am planning my 12 valve Cummins build. Calling for advice on what front and rear axles folks are running 19.5 or 22.5 truck wheels on. I know the knee jerk answer would be axles from a big truck but I think they would be too wide. From what I have found online a GM 14 bolt cab and chassis rear may be the narrowest stock dually rear I will find?

I have a couple of 40's KB International's and a 39 and a 48 Diamond T I will use one of the cabs from. My Cummins donor is a 60 thousand mile 1989 D250 single rear with a non overdrive 727 transmission.

I am thinking maybe a front axle from an Isuzu NPR might work. I have a lead on a NPR front and rear axle for cheap. The front dropped straight axle would be heavy enough for the 6BT Cummins. I know I can replace the 16" rims on the NPR with at least 19.5's. Isuzu NPR Trucks have a big 6 lug bolt pattern that I think would look good on a Rat Truck. The problem with an Isuzu rear is the tallest rear ratio available is 4.11's. That ratio would probably work with 22.5's but I believe 19.5 in the 6 bolt Isuzu is the largest rim I can get. RPM chart is telling me about 60 MPH is all I would get with the 5.9 diesel, 19.5 rims. 1 to 1 final transmission ratio and a 4.11 rear.

Wanting to go with a tubeless tire rather than a tube tire so 19.5 or low pro 22.5's are what I am looking for. My goal is to build a truck I can take on an occasional interstate trip.

So if any of you dually folks would like to share what front and rear axle and wheel combination you are using I would be grateful.....

Hope this makes sense.
Thanks!!

 

[21willys]

Why do you think you need a heavier axle? Or do you just want one? The cummins don't weigh that much more then a big block. A 5.9 weighs about 1100 lbs, and a stock big block weighs about 650 pounds. Only 450 pounds more. I would think you would be ok with any solid axle out of a older truck.

Some of the older grains trucks had juice brakes and where duallies. Would one of those work for ya?

 

[RickBright]

Wanting to go 19.5 "or 22.5" one piece Budd truck rims. Most of the older medium duty grain trucks I have seen have 8.25X20" or 9.00X20" tube type split ring wheels. Just wondering what folks who are running the larger truck rims are using for axles to run the one piece later Budd truck wheels and radial tires in the above sizes.

IMHO 16" one ton Budd wheels are too small for the look I want. I may even mock up with 19.5's on the front and 22.5's on the rear and see how it looks. I know I will need to run numbers on a speed/RPM calculator to check ratio's.

If a lighter truck beam front axle from the 40's or 50's can be adapted to run the wheels I want I am all ears. This would work if the Cummins weight is not an issue. The Isuzu NPR front axle I am looking at has disk brakes.

Thanks for the reply...

 

[MercuryMac]

If you found an old grain truck with a narrow rear-end that accepted 9.00 x 20 Dayton wheels you can put 22.5 Daytons on there. We did that all of the time in the old days. 24.5 Daytons fit on a 22" hub also. None of these are Budd wheels though. On most of the trucks I've owned I've put the bigger sounding tubeless tires and wheels on the smaller sounding Dayton hubs.
More food for thought.

 

[CORPO]

I would avoid the old grain trucks as the rear end gearing will be terrible for those high way speeds you are looking for... Unless you get crazy like I did but I'm running 3 piece rims out back with tubes...

I know a bunch of the restoration guys for the big trucks search out the old frito lays delivery vans for donor axles

But if budget isn't a big concern you can get the semi truck wheel adapters for the modern bolt patterns for ford/Chevy/dodges

 

[RickBright]

I would avoid the old grain trucks as the rear end gearing will be terrible for those high way speeds you are looking for... Unless you get crazy like I did but I'm running 3 piece rims out back with tubes..

I read your build thread, great looking truck you have. I read how you did your rear axle and that is a possibility.

Not trying to lecture or preach here but since the older larger truck rims has come up in this thread here goes

Nothing really wrong with the older truck rims with the outside locking ring if wheels are not rusted, bent and the split lock ring is in good condition. Lots of them are still in use today. Most farm or truck/tractor tire shops in rural areas will still mount them. The owner of the truck and the guy mounting and inflating them needs to know what he is doing. I would never inflate one without some education, a cage, (or chains wrapped around it) and a remote inline air valve that fits on the tube valve so your hands are not near the ring while inflating.

You say your wheels are 3 piece? If they have a continuous outside ring and the wheel itself splits from front to back I would never use them. I am sure you know what to look for but for anyone else here goes. Not trying to lecture here but any one using the old truck rims needs to be familiar with the various types and which ones to stay away from. The real killers will look like a continuous rim (no outside split ring) but if they came off a older Chevy or Ford I would suggest Goggling Firestone RH-5 and Goodyear K-18 and K-28 (widow makers) and make sure they are not this family of wheels. Lots of online information and pictures of these on some of the old truck forums.

The wheels to stay away from are the Firestone RH-5 with the continuous side ring (no split on the ring) and the Goodyear K-18 and K-28 put on Chevy and Ford trucks (and at least 1 Diamond T I have seen) from about 1948 up into the 70's. These wheels split down the rim itself from front to back and are responsible for lots of deaths and injuries. And a lot of the deaths and severe injuries from this class of rims were to people who knew about the danger and were farm/truck shop workers.

Even a radial tire inflated while laying flat on a shop floor can become a missile if it happens to blow on the floor side of the tire. I saw a shop roof with a huge dent in the metal roof when a 16" truck tire blew while being inflated while it was laying sidewall down on the shop floor recently.

OK off the stump now, hope no one takes offense....

Rick

 

[CORPO]

I know all about the rims... I had RH with the split ring on the front (Not the Firestone RH-5° which i have always heard was the worst/most dangerous of the lot, because the split was in the center you could not see that it was engaged properly) but i decided I didnt want any lock rings on the front and welded the centers to new rims...

On the rear I have Type AR which I have been told by a few restorers that these are the best ones to have. Someday when I have more money maybe Ill do the same treatment to the rear rims..

For reference see below

 

[67caddy]

tire rims

ave tried looking at motor home rims most ar 19.5 6bolt try lookin under chev
p30 chassie

 

[Willowbilly3]

You can get 19.5s for standard 8 hole one ton axles. Guessing they are about 33 inches tall that would be 2750 rpms at 65 with 4.11s.

 

[21willys]

You can get 19.5s for standard 8 hole one ton axles. Guessing they are about 33 inches tall that would be 2750 rpms at 65 with 4.11s.

Yep, I had a set on a old 70s Chevy car hauler. Just make sure that the studs and lugs are big enough for the wheels.

 

[RickBright]

My plans changed on the 5.9 build. I ended up putting a 50 International L110 cab on the 89 Dodge Cummins chassis. 5.9 Cummins fit really well under the 50 International cab.
For my next truck I have picked up a 6v92TA Detroit and a 2001 M55 Freightliner bus chassis. Air brakes, air suspension going to do a dually build on this platform. The Freightliner has 19.5 rims but 22.5's were an option. Going to use one of the 40's International cabs on this one.

Thanks