Swapping Wheels

[Robin97396]

I want shiny wheels.

[cowlitzcoach]

Swapping your old tube type lock ring wheels for tubeless one piece wheels will probably cost about the same as paying to mount/dismount a tube type tire plus the cost of a new tube.

Used wheels are available but the difference in cost between an old wheel and the shipping to get it to you in BC is probably going to be about what a brand new wheel will cost.

The only real downside IMHO that Dayton spoke wheels have is tire balancing machines are not set up to spin balance them. You will need to either get the tires/wheels balanced on the vehicle or use some sort of balancing product that goes into the tire when it is mounted up.

I have never used those products so I have not opinion, good or bad, about any of them. But anything that will smooth out the bumps is a good thing.

[Robin97396]

Any of the junk yards in your area should be able to tell you where to find the nearest medium duty truck scrap yard. It's very possible to buy bent wheels so make sure you can return them if there are any problems.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I want shiny wheels.

ME TOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Robin97396]

I'm going to make it a point to drive through the rust belt so I can try to get some of those nice shiny wheels they use on buses back there. That probably wouldn't do all that much for performance, but it would look faster while it's parked.

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I'm going to make it a point to drive through the rust belt so I can try to get some of those nice shiny wheels they use on buses back there. That probably wouldn't do all that much for performance, but it would look faster while it's parked.

Aluminum wheels add 15 mph to your theoretical top speed, minimum.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Rameses

Aluminum wheels add 15 mph to your theoretical top speed, minimum.

Ramesis 1:4

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

Rameses 1:4

Verse 4 was about perverts and getting more than you asked for. That makes this 1:5.

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by Rameses

Verse 4 was about perverts and getting more than you asked for. That makes this 1:5.

And so it was.

[nighttrain79]

My rears are 8.25 20r so if I go with a bigger front tire don't I have to do the same with the rears? My rears are already tubeless type though, so should I just look for 8.25 20r Demountable 1 piece front wheels? Slightly perplexed at this point.

[cowlitzcoach]

You do NOT have to have the same size tires on the front as you do on the back. You do NOT even have to have the same wheels on the front as the back.

I once owned a Loadstar/Blue Bird that had disc wheels in front and spoke wheels in back. I thought someone had changed out an axle but the Line Setting Ticket told me the bus came from the factory that way. I think perhaps the original owner, a large fleet owner, set them up that way so that a re-cap drive axle tire could never be "accidently" installed on a front steer axle.

As far as tires sizes are concerned, you want the same type of tire on both sides of an axle. You do NOT want to have taller tires on one side--on a steer axle it will tend to make it not want to steer straight and on a drive axle it could cause the differential to work overtime and burn out. You also want all of the duals to be the same height otherwise one tire will be supporting more than half the weight on one side--a good way to cause a tire to overheat and blow out.

If your current tire size is 8.25x20 you should be able to find a 9x22.5 or 10x22.5 that will fit. Just make sure that if you go larger that the tire will clear all suspension and steering parts at full steering lock and the fender will clear.

[Rameses]

Originally Posted by nighttrain79

My rears are 8.25 20r so if I go with a bigger front tire don't I have to do the same with the rears? My rears are already tubeless type though, so should I just look for 8.25 20r Demountable 1 piece front wheels? Slightly perplexed at this point.

Can you post a picture of a valve stem on one of your rear wheels for us, please?

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

ME TOOOOOOOOOOOO

EC - you can do what I did on mine at least on your shorty since it has budds and put simulators on..

ALCOA wheels look nice but are pricey if you scrape one up.. wheel simulators are cheap if you tear one up on a curb or such..

they make Sims for daytons too.. although they are more pricey.

I thought about them for my DEV bus, but that bus is old-school / techie / Irony of old school-bus look mixed with tech so no sims on it..

-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

EC - you can do what I did on mine at least on your shorty since it has budds and put simulators on..

ALCOA wheels look nice but are pricey if you scrape one up.. wheel simulators are cheap if you tear one up on a curb or such..

they make Sims for daytons too.. although they are more pricey.

I thought about them for my DEV bus, but that bus is old-school / techie / Irony of old school-bus look mixed with tech so no sims on it..

-Christopher

IDk man I priced simulators and it seemed like I could buy some nice alcoas for a couple hundo more.
I'm not worried about scraping up some shiny stuff. Aluminum is easy to clean. Once the shiny is all gone I can live with the "brushed" look.

[cadillackid]

Originally Posted by EastCoastCB

IDk man I priced simulators and it seemed like I could buy some nice alcoas for a couple hundo more.
I'm not worried about scraping up some shiny stuff. Aluminum is easy to clean. Once the shiny is all gone I can live with the "brushed" look.

true you are using 22.5's. simulators for my 19.5's were Cheap.. i got really decent ones for $230, but my wheels on Red are basically Ford F-450 Dually wheens from 98-04, just a different thread on the studs.. so theres a zillion sims made for it..

tons of trucks and campers were built using those rims..
-Christopher

[EastCoastCB]

Originally Posted by cadillackid

true you are using 22.5's. simulators for my 19.5's were Cheap.. i got really decent ones for $230, but my wheels on Red are basically Ford F-450 Dually wheens from 98-04, just a different thread on the studs.. so theres a zillion sims made for it..

tons of trucks and campers were built using those rims..
-Christopher

I've found alloys new for $250 or so. I figure I'll hold out and grab some when a DEAL pops up.

[REDD]

Originally Posted by Robin97396

I'm going to make it a point to drive through the rust belt so I can try to get some of those nice shiny wheels they use on buses back there. That probably wouldn't do all that much for performance, but it would look faster while it's parked.

Salt plays hell on aluminum, turns chalky and doesn't seal very well. Once it starts to get to that point it doesn't take long for the rim to look like crap. Had alloy rims on all my S10's and S15's, I use steel rims for the winter tires.

Another thing to look for buying used Alcoas is the inside lip where the tire bead seats, they wear out and get a sharp edge on them. There's a gauge to check that lip. Had to sand the inside edges of all my rims, weren't quite f 'ed up yet. Had my tire guy check them all over before I had them polished a bit.

[Robin97396]

I'd have to get a pretty good deal on aluminum rims, and they'd have to look pretty decent, before I'd buy them. I figured I'd look up bus junk yards as I travel across country and see what I could find.

[Rameses]

Look at this on eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/182513467747


Polishing them up isn't very difficult.

[EastCoastCB]

Link isn't working for me.