1963 K50 10 hole rims

[63KC50NAPCO4X4]

Hello, need any info on 63 k50 10 hole rims. 20in split rims on now want to
change rims to run tubless at least 44s and 10-14 wide. I have been told
just asking around that they sell aftermarket rims?also told I can use wheel
adaptors? also told to use milatary rims and tires, also told to use new style
steel rim and weld plate to them and cut center hole and my 10 hole pattern
out. does anyone know the proper method for this project? I am shorting my
K50 napco down for lwb or swb project not sure which bed I will use yet, I
am moving rear forward and will mount both beds and take a look to see what
I want to use, so far most I have told about on this site has told me to go lwb. also doe anyone have a contact # for the owner of the big geen 50 out of canada that has the military tires and not sure about the rims. but that is
what Im looking for, for my end results but without the flat bed and I may add the tilt bed since I do have pto. sorry I wrote a book but I know Im not the only one that has had this question I spend hours searching the past
post I may have missed it. any info will be helpfull for this project. thanks

[krazy_texan]

i would find a truck supply company or even a heavy truck shop they would probably be your best bet.

[j.kirn]

Dont take this wrong, but man i would leave that truck just the way you found it

[Captainfab]

It is possible that you may have to have these wheels custom made for you. A tire dealer that deals with heavy trucks, or an offroad shop, may be able to help. If not a good fab shop should be able to handle the job. I know I could do it, but I'm quite a ways from you. I would step up to 22.5 wheels. The tires are easier to find than 20"

[blackedoutharley]

Still located in the same building and they are the only ones that I know of that can build quality custom fitment wheels for something that big.

http://www.stocktonwheel.com/

I know some people may have had service issues with the old owner but he killed himself last year and the family has sold the company.

[A.T. RockDriller]

I'm looking into a set of Super Singles for my 4000.....Run a search on em and see what you think.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by 63KC50NAPCO4X4

I am shorting my
K50 napco down for lwb or swb project not sure which bed I will use yet, I
am moving rear forward and will mount both beds and take a look to see what
I want to use, so far most I have told about on this site has told me to go lwb. also doe anyone have a contact # for the owner of the big geen 50 out of canada that has the military tires and not sure about the rims. but that is
what Im looking for, for my end results but without the flat bed and I may add the tilt bed since I do have pto. sorry I wrote a book but I know Im not the only one that has had this question I spend hours searching the past
post I may have missed it. any info will be helpfull for this project. thanks

the more that you shorten the w/b up on that truck, the choppier the ride is going to get.
a 9' bed may look quite well on there . would require about 140" w/b. what is that one now about 157" w/b. you could slide the spring hangers forward quite easily
ron

[66-PMD-GMC]

Originally Posted by padresag

the more that you shorten the w/b up on that truck, the choppier the ride is going to get.
a 9' bed may look quite well on there . would require about 140" w/b. what is that one now about 157" w/b. you could slide the spring hangers forward quite easily
ron

I agree, the shorter you make it the squirrel-ier it will drive.
I have a set of 10 lug 22.5 wheels and tires available to measure and I am pretty sure they fit what you have. They are the same pattern as a 64 Chevy C60 that sits in a lot not far from here. Diesel wrecking yards sell them for $30-$50 each.

[Dinos63]

there are wheels out there but they are very very spendy

[63KC50NAPCO4X4]

thank you all for the info and ideas I will look into this and move forward on the project. anymore sites for rims are welcome and I know its going to be
$$$$$ but what isnt in this world today.

[padresag]

http://belair.smugmug.com/Cars/2011-...DSCN1264-M.jpg
how about those wheels
ron

[63KC50NAPCO4X4]

Originally Posted by padresag

http://belair.smugmug.com/Cars/2011-...DSCN1264-M.jpg
how about those wheels
ron

Ron those would be more than I would hope for do you have a site for those? I was thinking of steel military bead lock looking things, but if I could get something that nice and modern to fit up, that would be great. thanks.

[A.T. RockDriller]

Originally Posted by A.T. RockDriller

I'm looking into a set of Super Singles for my 4000.....Run a search on em and see what you think.

Here's a link to Alcoas rim for "Super Single" tire configuration.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://w...uCSbJC6ELTCQng
As you mentioned....they'll cost a few $$$$
These were developed to replace the 'Dually' configurations.....and they will already be 14" wide with 10 hole Budd from the factory....No extra cost for mod's.
This site also lists a ton of big truck accessories, including Top-Hats & lug nut covers for these rims.

What do ya think of that...?

[padresag]

Originally Posted by 63KC50NAPCO4X4

Ron those would be more than I would hope for do you have a site for those? I was thinking of steel military bead lock looking things, but if I could get something that nice and modern to fit up, that would be great. thanks.

sorry; Strodder had that pic on his site and that is Dennis in there but he doesn't know the origin of them
ron

[63KC50NAPCO4X4]

Originally Posted by A.T. RockDriller

Here's a link to Alcoas rim for "Super Single" tire configuration.

http://www.google.com/url?q=http://w...uCSbJC6ELTCQng
As you mentioned....they'll cost a few $$$$
These were developed to replace the 'Dually' configurations.....and they will already be 14" wide with 10 hole Budd from the factory....No extra cost for mod's.
This site also lists a ton of big truck accessories, including Top-Hats & lug nut covers for these rims.

What do ya think of that...?

yes I like them will research them to see if they will fit thanks

[jonzcustomshop]

I think this is that 50 series 65, don't know if there is contact info on this site or not,but this is where I originally saw pics of it on a link from our site...

http://bangshift.com/gallery/goliath...0-gallery.html

[63 & 64 Bowties]

I see that you're in VA but exactly where, you're keeping a secret.
But I've seen on Craigslist a guy who has 22.5 Alcoa's with tires for $150 each.
Do searchtempest.com and he's either in Roanoke, Lynchburg or maybe Blacksburg.

[63KC50NAPCO4X4]

Originally Posted by 63 & 64 Bowties

I see that you're in VA but exactly where, you're keeping a secret.
But I've seen on Craigslist a guy who has 22.5 Alcoa's with tires for $150 each.
Do searchtempest.com and he's either in Roanoke, Lynchburg or maybe Blacksburg.

Hello, I am in the stinky town of covington ( we have a paper mill here) they must have sold the rims didnt see them but that was a great site, didnt
know you could search C.L. that way. thanks take care.

[aerotruk63]

When I was delivering boats for a living, we had what was referred to as a disk wheel on the trailer. They took a Dayton style wheel ring and welded in a disk of steel that had been machined for the center bore and bolt pattern. Sorry I have no pictures of the set up.

CFI Tire Service claim to build custom wheels for tractors and such. (888-590-6787 ) or sberardi@cfitire.com

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Originally Posted by 63KC50NAPCO4X4

Hello, I am in the stinky town of covington ( we have a paper mill here) they must have sold the rims didnt see them but that was a great site, didnt
know you could search C.L. that way. thanks take care.

I found them:
http://blacksburg.craigslist.org/pts/2854195817.html
thought they were 22.5 but they're 24.5 not far from you

[Sailorf21]

Here are the wheels on my 1963 C60. You could do it the 'clean' way. Have your 10 bolt centers cut and welded into any steel outside that you want.

Here are my 22.5 6 handhold wheels that were welded onto my original centers. Now I can run radials. People who know catch that these are different outsides - but they look factory stock. If you are asking, it is not cheap - but it is cheaper than buying new aluminum wheels and finding someone who will drill them.

Stockton wheel declined selling me aluminum wheels and drilling them to my specs. So I found a machinist who would do the cutting and welding. The outsides are from Ford 22.5 2 ton wheels. I painted them and mounted the tires myself.

[factorystock]

I realize this is an old thread, but for others with multipiece rim headaches, there was always a one piece rim available for every series when these trucks were new. The hard part is finding these one piece rims 50 years later. One piece 22.5" rim on GM 5-10 lug pattern. Buying new wheels or having wheels custom made will be expensive. Hit or call those old wrecking yards!

[Sailorf21]

In response to factorystock. I did not think a year old at the pace that many seem to work on their vehicles was 'too old'. I am going to go to the trouble to post this here, in hopes that it helps other looking for those wheels. I don't post too much to any forums any more. Not for nearly 15 years. I have been too busy building my own vehicles to post onto forums about my projects and adventures.

Here is my tale of my 1963 C60 wheels....

After I bought the truck, I knew that I wanted new tires. No problem, they make Chinese bias ply 8.25 x 20's for me (not really my first choice). I could run 7.50 or 8.25 on my wheels. But then, as they say, I got educated by reality. I could get the tires, but I had those darn Firestone RH-5 wheels. I have owned several trucks with split ring rims (often people call these split rims), including a 1956 GMC bus and a 1964 Dodge. But the Firestone RH-5 is the real deal; it is the gen-u-ine 'widowmaker' that all those tire shops are afraid of. It is the real reason for a tire cage.

Now tire shops that changed those old wheels are getting far and few. I know, because I checked. The last time those rims were made was in the 70's. That means they are some 40+ years old. If someone who was 20 was breaking and making those tire sets in the early 1970's, they would be a 60 years old now. There are no 60 year old tire breakers at the tire shops. The Firestone RH-5's had to go.

So, I got properly educated by the forums. I read lots about the wheels. I read about 1958/59 50 series wheels that will fit and are one piece. I read that there were some trucks sent out of the factory with 22.5 one piece wheels - on special request. So I knew what I wanted, I wanted 22.5's. I was so sure about this that I bought a set of 6 tires on a great deal in anticipation of the wheels I would be fitting!

So, having not just fallen out of the combine yesterday, I set myself to finding those wheels that everyone said were out there, yet no one seemed to stand forward and say they had. I was raised in Alberta, traveled to Saskatchewan wrecking yards as soon as I could drive. Now I am older and I can drive anywhere I please. I live in Washington State and thought I would give myself 6 months to find the wheels while I worked on my truck and my sons truck (a 1965 C10).

So I went to the place where there are more 1960-66 C10's left than anywhere else in America (maybe), Eastern Washington. I drove across the US a couple years ago looking for 1950's GMC trucks and parts and found more in Washington and Saskatchewan that anywhere else. To give you a scope of just how through I was, I scoured wrecking yards from Salem to Spokane to Yakama to the coast. I drove 1000's of miles and looked at every wrecker I could locate. I stopped and went up to farm houses that had old trucks peeking out from behind sun bleached barns. I carried two bolt center hole patterns for my wife and I. She is quite a bit younger and still enthusiastic about doing such things. Now here is where it gets a bit discouraging. I looked at, not a 100 wheels, not a 1000; I looked at well in excess of 15,000 TRUCK wheels. One place alone had, what the owner said was 'maybe 1500 truck wheels' - that is 1500 big truck wheels.

In all that looking, I found exactly - one - of these mythical wheels. That one looked like it was the spare and that is why it was kept. In all that driving around I was thinking as well (more on that later).

Here is my synopsis. Most wrecking yards don't give much of a thought to wheels off of trucks OTHER THAN are the tires looking good enough to sell. Steel prices maxed out a few years ago and I was told repeatedly that they 'might' have had those 'old wheels', but scrappers came for the steel. So, I went back to the place that had the best selection I had seen; those 1500 wheels (and in reality there was more like 2500). I spent the afternoon and we picked out 6 beautiful matching wheels and, wouldn't you know it, he sold them to me for not so much more than the scrap steel price. 6 wheels for $100.

Now I am not saying these special rare wheels are not out there, but, here were my thoughts while on the road. The most common size commercial tire for the 1.5-2 ton range from 1952-1967 was the 7.50 X 20" and then the 8.25 X 20" tire. 22.5 was regarded as a big rig tire - and they were wider. So, I figured that 1 in 1000 Chev/GMC trucks (maybe) were ordered with these special wheels - and that trucks and wheels are crushed randomly - that there are likely very few of these wheels left.

So, if you have a set of these special wheels, guard them. I have owned many vehicles with many special parts and those wheels eluded me. Gas spent looking for them (I did see lots of nice country and lots of cool things in the wreckers), $350. Time spent, 10 days+. I also sent over 100 emails to places in Kansas, Illinois, Ohio and nearly anywhere I found on the internet that said they have old truck parts. More than 50% emailed me back. Not one said they had those wheels and most wished me some form of good luck (and a few seemed to be laughing or mocking).

I am from the era that 6 cylinders with oil baths were common in wreckers. In all honesty, that time has come and gone some time ago. The high steel prices in the mid 70's took care of the first batch and the same happened in the 2000's.

Interested in the vehicles I have had, check this out.
http://davidwalker62.wordpress.com/vehicles/

My son's truck has been rebuilt over the summer. He is a senior and did all the work except welding and spraying (which I did those). Yes, that yellow truck and the red one are the same...

I have 3 Mercuiser (Chevrolet 6) cast aluminum valve covers for my 292's. I can run down a list of old parts that are rare that I have fitted. Those wheels were the only thing, ever, and I mean EVER, that eluded me. I have had better luck finding Renault 8 or Citroen Mahari parts here than those wheels. Heck I found one year only 1958 pie cutter wheels for my Mercedes Unimog!

So that is why I had my wheels made from the center I had and the outsides I found. Cost was $2400 for machining and fabrication. Wheels $100. Tires $300 (Michelins with 13/32 tread left). The single biggest block of money I have ever put into a vehicle. Otherwise, I do all the fabrication, rebuilding, upholstery, paintwork - everything. I just could not make these wheels.

David

[j.kirn]

Originally Posted by factorystock

I realize this is an old thread, but for others with multipiece rim headaches, there was always a one piece rim available for every series when these trucks were new. The hard part is finding these one piece rims 50 years later. One piece 22.5" rim on GM 5-10 lug pattern. Buying new wheels or having wheels custom made will be expensive. Hit or call those old wrecking yards!

I have a set of these wheels on a 66 c-60

[factorystock]

Thanks for sharing your experiences Sailor21, very interesting reading. I fully understand how difficult it is to come up with solution today for a vehicle sold 50 years ago. THe Firestone RH-5 was the "split rim" type wheel (2 pieces connected in the middle), not the better "lock ring" type. The hard to find one piece wheels for 50-60 series trucks are out there on trucks somewhere, but as each year passes, the chances of finding them gets slimer and slimer. Unfortunately, nobody will pull these wheels aside and save them, they end up as recylced steel. Here another one from the archives when new.