Help with wheel ID and swap

[purpdog5000]

Hey folks I have 9.00 R20 budd wheels on 88 international bluebird dt360, dual wheels on back. Getting ready to buy new tires and it seems this wheel size is not super common. Seems like it’s wise to swap out to 22.5 modern wheels without lock rings, im just looking for advice if this is the way to go and if tires would be cheaper? Les Schwab quoted like 600 for each 9.00 R20 tire!! Trying to avoid that

 

[s2mikon]

Here is a start. Part Number: 19566WB - A1 Truck Wheels Check junk yards near you and compare prices. 22.5 is the way to go.

 

[purpdog5000]

now les schwab is quoting 360 for a 9.00 20 bias ply highway tire, so maybe ill just go with that so i dont have to swap out rims. only thting is they are steer tires, he said people put steer tires on front and back and its not an issue but im a bit skeptical, thought i needed traction tires in the rear...

seems like swapping out to a 7.5" 22.5 wheel /tubeless setup would be the way to go and id get cheaper tires, easier to work on etc. Only problem is i cant find that size with a 6 lug anywhere. Was hoping someone else had done this swap before and could recommend something

 

[s2mikon]

I'v done at least a dozen swaps. New wheels are hard to find. Used is like a easter egg hunt. Ford, International and Dodge used the same wheels.

 

[#1FordFan]

On my tow truck back in the 90s I used to run 2 traction tires on outer rear and straight tread on the inner rear. As long as they are same size, height and load rating it is not a problem.

 

[Stovebolt-SKO]

Agree with s2mikon. Switching out to a single piece wheel is the way to go as finding shops willing to work on multi-piece wheels is getting harder, if not impossible. I made the switch to 6-lug single piece wheels a few years ago on a truck I had and it was not easy finding the wheels. You have a lot of junk yards in your future. Your tape measure is your best friend on this adventure. Measure your lug pattern and the diameter of the center hole. You appear to have stud-piloted Budd-type wheels (most of those 6-lug wheels were, but you never assume when junk yarding). You will need to find the same thing -- stud-piloted wheels with the exact lug pattern. Look for similar vintage school busses and Ford U-Haul trucks from the 70's.

Stud piloted wheels have the conical shaped lug nuts. Hub piloted wheels have flat nuts, usually with a built-in washer. IF you find aluminum 6-lug stud-piloted wheels in your lug pattern (which is the equivalent of finding Bigfoot holding the Holy Grail while riding a unicorn -- but you never know ...), just check back with us as there are some important aspects to know when switching your set up from steel to aluminum wheels. I doubt aluminum 6-lug Budd wheels exist but who knows what you'll run into out there....

In addition to junkyards, also put the word out among the big truck tire shops and antique truck clubs near you. You never know who has what just laying around.

 

[s2mikon]

Also if you go to 22.5 wheels you have a better chance of finding used tires too. Doing your own tire changing on 22.5 is a lot easier and safer than tube type 20 inch.

 

[Unpluggedone]

nobody ever made 22.5” 6 bolt 1 piece rims. The spilt rims from way back in the 30s and 40s were designed so farmers and the army could change tires by themselves. The split rim killed many a tire guy though. I think Ford Trucks had a 6 bolt in 22.5. Then your tires are standard and easy to obtain in the 200-300 price point. Let me know if you have any luck I’m looking for the same thing

 

[Stovebolt-SKO]

That's not entirely true. About 15 years ago,I was able to find 7 22.5 6-bolt 1-piece wheels. Photo proof below. It took rooting around in 3 different junk yards in West Virginia and Eastern VA. They were pulled from a couple of '70's era school busses and one '70's Ford F-650 box truck.

If you (OP) are going junk yarding for your wheels (and you most likely are, unless you find a stash of wheels ...), you will want to take along a Budd Wrench in addition to your Budd nut socket. The duallies have a 2-piece lug nut and after years of being still in a junkyard, they often are stuck together and will loosen as one (just the inner one). Meaning two wheels and tires will come off, but the outer dual will have the lug nuts in it still (see the picture below). Other pictures show how I measured the lug pattern and the center hole. I ended up putting 10R-22.5 tires on these wheels. I forget how wide the wheels were, but I seem to recall that for these wheels, we decided 11R's were a little too much. I no longer own this particular vehicle (1965 GMC 4400)

Just be careful -- On that era truck with a 6 lug pattern, you may run across the RH-5 2-piece "Center Split" design. To the casual eye, they can be hard to tell apart from the single piece wheel you are looking for because you won't see an outer locking ring. The center splits have a noticeable hump in the middle (looks like a single piece) but there will be a noticeable seam/gap on one side. These center splits are the notorious Window Makers and they are to be avoided as they are deadly. They are of a poor design that has not stood up to the test of time and rust well at all (unlike other multi-piece wheels that have aged much more gracefully). Be sure to check as you do not want to bring any of these wheels home by mistake.

The last two pictures below show an RH-5 design wheel with the two halves separated.

 

[s2mikon]

Here is what they look like in the wild.

 

[Stovebolt-SKO]

I *wish* they all looked like that in the wild ...

 

[samandjason]

buytruckwheels.com is where I found some, they are 6 lug budd 22.5 one piece wheels. 339 a piece plus freight shipping.... I bought two brand new when we lived in Texas, and then found some used after we moved to Colorado. they also have an aluminum version for 539 per wheel.

 

[samandjason]

pic of wheels "that were never made"

 

[samandjason]