55.2-59 Need Tires for 1955 Chevy 6400

[Charlemagne65]

I am looking for some tires for my 1955 2 ton grain truck. I need one 7x20 and two 8.25x20. I am going to turn the rig into a car hauler and need a couple of tires to get it on the road.

[buggy5872]

What type of wheels do you have? If they are 2 piece that split in the center....no one will put tires on them. They are rh5 firestone "widow maker" wheels and are not safe. It is not even safe to let the air out of these.

[buggy5872]

Here is a good write up on wheels for big trucks...
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by Charlemagne65

I am looking for some tires for my 1955 2 ton grain truck. I need one 7x20 and two 8.25x20. I am going to turn the rig into a car hauler and need a couple of tires to get it on the road.

Beasley tire sells those tires but as stated some are dangerous to even put air in so find out what rim you have

[Charlemagne65]

I am still unclear as to whether I have the "widow maker" rims?

[55 2nd series]

I have a 1956 6400 flat bed that has the widow makers on them. I can take some pics & send them to you.


Thanks, Gary

[Charlemagne65]

Pictures would be very helpful. Dang, I hope I don't have to replace 6 rims???

[_Ogre]

split rim wheels were common on big trucks, the rim wheel have a locking ring that can fly off if not properly seated



even my single wheel 3800 panel truck had a split rim wheel that separated in the middle
push in and turn the wheel to break it apart.
while they were used for many years, none are considered safe anymore.
check to see if you are running tubes. iirc, all split rims run tube style tires
many were converted to better rims in the 70s

[mr48chev]

Many of them got too beat up or otherwise damaged over time and if everything isn't perfect that ring comes flying off when you air the tire up. A number of tire guys have been killed over the years airing them up and if you walk around and look for the tire cage at most truck tire places (if they still have one) you will see that they usually have the snot bent out of the bars because a ring (s) came off inside them and the impact bent the bars.
Never upon never air one up with you head in front of it or yourself in front of it, Long reach inflating nozzle and a long arm so you only end up with a bunged up hand if it comes off.

It isn't the taking them off or the putting them on that gets you it is the airing them up that is the dangerous part as you don't know who beat them up in the past by doing something wrong or if the wheel hit something that tweaked it a bit.

[buggy5872]

Originally Posted by Charlemagne65

I am still unclear as to whether I have the "widow maker" rims?

I'll take some pics of ones on my 59 GMC tonight......

[mr48chev]

The split rims that Ogre showed in post #8 is commonly called a widow maker.

[OrrieG]

When I was in the Army we always caged the split rims when taking them apart and airing them up. The shop has a bulls eye up high in the rafters where one had hit when it took off, luckily no one got hurt. In the field we would wrap chains around them and pray. I ran them for a few years when I had the 1 ton rear end so I could fix the tubes in the boonies, but got rid of them when the tire store refused to work on them. I do not know of any stores in this area that will work on them because of the liability. They were a good idea when truckers where pretty much on their own if they got a flat, but not today. Start saving for some good wheels, not worth the risk.

[mr48chev]

Probably the best way to go for the present is to hunt for some decent used tires that are already on rims. Guys buy those trucks for the cabs every day and have little or no use for the tires and wheels after they pull the cab off the truck and scrap the frame and axles.

I've got six presentable tires on my 1-1/2 ton that I put on craigslist as a package deal a year ago and didn't get a call on but they are so old I wouldn't trust them for highway use. They would still last for years on a truck that got used in the fields though.

[Dan in Pasadena]

My Dad had split rims on his trucks for many years. The common way then to safely wor ,on them was to place them on the shop floor and lower the lift ONTO them til the lift arms were just an inch or so away from touching. They nerve flew off on him but if one had it couldn't have gone anywhere. He'd have had to change his underwear, but he'd have been safe otherwise!

[Ricos54]

I like Nitto truck tires 420s great for wet and dry

[buggy5872]

Here are 2 pics of the rh5 firestone "widow maker" wheels. The large hump at the center of the wheel is where they come apart into two pieces. If there is a lock ring on the bead of the rim it is not a rh5. Lock ring wheels, commonly known as split rims, are safe to run if they are in good condition

[Charlemagne65]

I guess I will post a picture of mine to see if y'all think they are Widow Makers! Maybe a day or so before I can get it done.

[Charlemagne65]

If I have the window maker rims, and have to change them, who makes a 20" that looks similar to stock?

[buggy5872]

You will need to go to 22.5 wheels. They are difficult to find but I think it will be even more difficult to find lock ring 20" wheels in good enough shape to use. There is a company who started producing the 22.5 wheels again.....
http://www.wheelsnowinc.com/catalog/viewItem.php?id=197 Those wheels and a 9r-22.5 tire will be the set up you need. It will not be cheap. You might get lucky and find a set of used wheels.

[Charlemagne65]

Okay. I'm still not sure if these rims I have are widow makers? What do you guys think?

[55dude]

split rims are very unpredictable,i was working at a mill in the 80's and we had couple year old 10K hyster and one of the guys was walking by it after shift and split ring decided to let loose WHAM! when the dust settled guy had arm broken in 2 spots and mild concussion from head hitting asphalt! this was 2 year old 75K machine not 60 year old truck!

[wahl4m]

i had the rim problem a few yrs ago ! went to a junk yard thet had lots of older {70s-90s} school buses ,found some w/ decent tires /very reasonable -20 inchers _ anyway the yard guy took them off the next day,couldnt seem to get the rims off housing ! finally got them off BUT ruined the rims ! used torch and loader blade banging into rim !! if you find some/.spray nuts and studs w/ anti rust /if possible loosen nuts and drag or drive bus in junk yard -this will loosen up rims

[Charlemagne65]

So Are you saying you used the tires from the buses or the rims?

[wahl4m]

if they got 20" or even 22.5 rims and tires AND THE BOLT PATTERN is the same use them ! most junk yard people know what will fit ! check with a local big school ,mechanic /thay will probably know where some are ? seen lots of rims and tires also on older motor homes ? good luck mike

[OlySezHey]

Found PDF of documentation created by Chevrolet saying that in 1957, anyway, they ran tubeless tires. (IDK what year they started doing this???)
That would also mean rims are not split rims, right?
Thanx 4 the he'p lowering my ignorance level