Thanks.. So another stupid truck for my birthday And found another 17.5 wheel that is not a widow maker, now I have 3 and this one was in the yard I just didnt pay attention.
So the Desert Express COE is finally getting the attention it deserves. Right now I have the Drive train all figured out(finally made my mind up) and its almost time to think about wheels and tires. I have a budget of $800.00 U.S dollars for wheel and tires or just tires There is only 4 kinds of wheels and Tires I am considering. 1st I am in love with the stock 17.5 Ford innie NON SPLIT wheels with the Ford f3 center caps and 17.5 Cocker tubless military tires. As seen here: SPECS: PROS: ● i have most of the wheels but 1. ●tires are readily available ●will go a bit over my budget but not bad. ●they look factory. ●will survive the Apocalypse IF well made. CONS: ●I need to find a 4th wheel. ●i need to clean/paint wheels ●hardly ever somebody buys these tires so the ones I buy will be "new"but have been in storage for a long time ●cocker has bad reviews on some of their tires. COST: 800.00 for tires 100.00 for 4th wheel 120.00 for hubcaps Total of a bit more than 1000.00 2nd I found this trailer wheel and tire site where a lot of chevy guys are buying their wheels and tires for their 3/4 tons,with a lot of praise. This are 16"×6 steel wheels and 16" tubless tires. SPECS: PROS: ●Wheels are clean and painted ●they seem to have a good market so new wheels are probably manufacture often ●they fill the weel well as good as the 17.5 ●will last forever ●tires readily avaliable CONS: ●they dont look as sweet as the Ford innies. ●i need to modify them to accept inner hubcaps COST: Just under 800.00 shipped to my door. THIRD: These are your regular Chevy/Ford/Dodge 16" steel wheels and 285/75/16 tubless radial tires. SPECS: plain wheels and tires. PROS: ●tires easy available ●will save me 50% off my budget for other goodies ●i have several sets of wheels. ●Radials might drive better than the other options. CONS ●wheels need to be cleaned ●they dont look as nice ●They dont fill the wheel well as good ●need to modify wheels to accept inner hubcaps . FOURTH Theres is a couple more options. I could find 3 more 16" innie NON SPLIT wheels from a 1960-1966 Ford F250 that will accept the Ford F3 Hubcaps. PROS ●they look factory ●more tire options (even whitewalls ●accept ford f3 hubcaps CONS ●practically non existant,you can find a hot,beautiful,smart,girl that is not crazy and loves sports and old trucks, but not these wheels. ●wheels are probably expensive. ●would need to clean wheels FIFTH AND LAST OPTION My last option would be to cut Ford f3 SLIT WHEELS center part and have it welded to 16x6 outer wheels. That way I have both of the best worlds,ford innie centers and more options for tires. The con is the modification it would have to be made to make them work. FQ: Is this a trick question? -Yes Is my headache the result of this "who's on first nonsense shuffle"? -Yes. Its been more than a year,I took a long deserved vacation from the wife and when I got back,I built a shack to work on the COE and whatever. I have some concrete and shade now.. No more laying on gravel. Ive been doing some stuff to the COE,and been picking up parts here and there. ●Picked up some studebaker valve covers for the vortec. ●New brake calipers ●New shoes ●Got the emergency brake working ●made lower steering wheel bearing/floor support ●fabbed lower Shaft support bearing/braket ●bolted running boards ●mounted Radiator craddle and bolted fenders to it. ●picked up new linkage kit column shift. ●picked a new electric fuel pump ●fabbed new motor mounts. I put my new carb on my friends F1 (my old one)so i need to get it back. I need to rebuild the rear drum brakes I need to plumb my carb I need to buy new gas tank I need to buy a starter I need to buy correct flywheel I need to fab trans crossmember I need to buy a radiator I already talked to Bowtie Overdrives and Im having them install their kit to my transmission. I also started the paperwork to get my title,so far the VIN checked out clean,i just gotta do the Vin verification and get a weight slip. I am staying positive and hopefully will get it done by the next viva las vegas. Lower shaft bearing support Radiator craddle mount bracket
good to see you back at it. sounds like you have made some good progress. the wheel choice has me stumped on which way i would go also.
Lower steering wheel bearing. Motor mounts Not done yet Need to drill a hole in the center of the base Old vs new No kidding! Especially since I'm gonna have to live with the ones i chose for a few years. And the money spent is not to laugh about,you can feed bean laden's kids for a day with that kinda dough.!
So you had a birthday and I wasn't invited? What the hell man? Glad you made it another year. The next year will be better then the last. Ok I am looking at your pics and I got to say you need to back off on the craftsmanship. I thought that was a scab it together truck. lookin' good my friend. Welcome home.
TECH TIP : After you have the wheels that you are going to use ; check your local LES SCHWAB tire store for a price on powder-coating! They do a lot of commercial accounts, & they did all 7 of my 20" Budd wheels (With Split Rim Rings!) in RED for a total of less than $300.00!! (a local powder-coat shop wanted $100 ea!!) When I dropped them off they told me to call in a wk to 10 days, & they came back on pallets, separated by cardboard & 'shrink-wrapped' . I was impressed enough to pass this along to the HAMB!!
Glad your back at it Iwanna! ....imho stick with ford innie wheels , aftermarket shit looks.....well like shit! And I second the props to you on your craftsmanship , VERRY nice, a specially for workin in the dirt and a "shack!"
Hi Ted. How u been? No updates... I found 2 more wheels for the COE and i found a hamber that will start working on it as soon as i save my money.. Maybe this winter... Het Ted do you knoe the part number for the Model a tailight square license plate lense?
been working like crazy, way too much on my plate now. all good. i don't know the part number off hand. are you looking for one?
@iwanaflattie I think I have 3 of the 16x6 non-split rim wheels that you need, Only problem is I'm in Iowa. Did you solve your wheel problem? Am I too late to Help? Thanks Jeff
Thinking of running 285/75/16 on stock steelies. They re like 11.02" wide and 33" tall..perfect to fill that wheel opening. Thoughts?
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