Aftermarket wheels and tire sizes

[simp5782]

For clarification... I am NOT going to put H2 wheels on my H1.

I am interested in getting some sort of different wheel, to make tires cheaper. I do drive my H1 on the road a fair bit, and I am having a really hard time with tire balance. I have removed the run flats, bought new double bead locks from trailworthyfab.com, bought all new O-Rings with spares... and have been using balance beads. The first time I had my front left wheel apart to patch a hole... I added the beads and when I put it back together things were 400% better. Then the patch failed... and I had to do it all again, and when reassembled (last night) the thing is shaking like a dog ****ting a peach pit again.

I don't understand the fear of an aftermarkt wheel that was designed for a truck that is 50% heavier and a lot faster. Why would that wheel fail on a H1? It doesn't make sense to me. Now I understand the backspace issue, and less backspace changes the wheel geometry and puts more stress on the H1 hubs themselves. I definitely want to minimize that. I thought it would be nice to go to a 40" tire to help with RPM's at highway speeds... but it sounds like I'd have to add lift to do that.. and I am not interested in that... so I'll stick with 37's or close to that.

As I shop aftermarket wheels... they don't tell you the back-space. I was considering an aftermarket set of wheels designed for an H2... if I can find some that are very simple... and black. If I was comfortable with the backspace... just to get access to a wider choice and cheaper tires.

And yeah... I know surplus take-off are cheap. That's probably where I'll end up... buying a bunch of those... but the balance issues are kicking my ass.

Jabba

To make tires cheaper? I think a set of 24bolt wheels with 95 to 100 percent E rated 37 Baja's are $800 for 4 from Feltz and they have tits still on them and less than 3yrs old. You won't be cheaper than that mostly on anything. Sad that a HMMWV wheel and tire cost as much as a 395 XZL new on a wheel.

 

[karlsmith]

Cepek or Hutchinson are the only wheels you will find with the correct offset of +50mm. Anything else will stick out and rub. These are also forged which give you the load capacity you need for a 1 1/4 ton truck. There is a company that makes a blank wheel with the correct offset, but it is cast. That means it has a lower load capacity and you would have to get the lug holes and center hole machined.

So, what are the exact dimensions for a HMWVV aftermarket wheel (16x8 size and 8x6.5 bolt cir.)? Here is the link for Cepak, and I don't see a +50mm off set. I checked all models, the DC2 has a -50 offset. https://www.dickcepek.com/wheels/dc-blackout/

 

[Sintorion]

So, what are the exact dimensions for a HMWVV aftermarket wheel (16x8 size and 8x6.5 bolt cir.)? Here is the link for Cepak, and I don't see a +50mm off set. I checked all models, the DC2 has a -50 offset. https://www.dickcepek.com/wheels/dc-blackout/

Here is a link with good info on the wheels - http://www.flashoffroad.com/features/Wheels/wheel_use.htm I don't know the relation ship to Cepek and the wheels, but here is a link to them - http://hummerproducts.com/hummer-wheels.asp#&panel1-4&panel2-3

 

[DCIV]

Someone posted up a picture not to long ago and just had black steel wheels, no beadlock. Any idea what those might have been from? A jeep? A f150?

 

[tobyS]

I got some from a one ton Ford van, 8 lug, 16" (used them as spare for the dump trailer not on a HMMWV). They are not as wide as the HMMWV wheels, which I have used on Dexter axles (mod to spring mounts).

 

[Sintorion]

Someone posted up a picture not to long ago and just had black steel wheels, no beadlock. Any idea what those might have been from? A jeep? A f150?

There are lots of steelies that will bolt up. The 8 lug bolt circle is very common and has been used by all the big 3. The Humvee specific issue with those is the offset that the wheels will stick out because of the offset which may make the tires rub when turning and the weight capacity isn't as high. A wheel rated at 1500 lbs will come up 1200 pounds short of the 7200 lbs gvw of a m998.

 

[karlsmith]

Here is a link with good info on the wheels - http://www.flashoffroad.com/features/Wheels/wheel_use.htm I don't know the relation ship to Cepek and the wheels, but here is a link to them - http://hummerproducts.com/hummer-wheels.asp#&panel1-4&panel2-3

Very helpful, thank you!

 

[nattieleather]

I'm wondering about the 16.5 inch wheel size in the future. As the HMMWV is phased out for the new trucks over time I would have to think that 16.5 inch tires may become hard to find. They are a we bit difficult now (if not buy used surplus) and I'm wondering on a Hmmwv type rim in a 17 inch? Thoughts?

 

[frank8003]

Don't post this there.

That Raptor I was looking at seems cheaper all the time now
after reading about how to title and make go fast an old
tactical combat vehicle.

Wife can drive, bead locks and all, AC, off road, and it can fly.
50K , taxes, title, air in the tires, out the door price, no ashtray.
Go fast, go now + warranty, cruise control and capable.
Can't afford the Shelby but some can.
Everybody dreams.

This is the wheels on an early Raptor

The stock Raptor wheels are 17" x 8.5"
6 lug x 135mm, with 34mm offset
3.41 front space, 6.08 back space
The front space and backspace measurements are based off the rim's full section width edge to edge(9.5" approx.) where the 8.5" width
rating refers to inside edge to inside edge(tire mounting surface).

Study and study but I have not found the above kind of information tabulated, spread-sheeted for all the wheels anywhere.
Anybody seen anything like that? It is like the big secret.

 

[Sintorion]

I'm wondering about the 16.5 inch wheel size in the future. As the HMMWV is phased out for the new trucks over time I would have to think that 16.5 inch tires may become hard to find. They are a we bit difficult now (if not buy used surplus) and I'm wondering on a Hmmwv type rim in a 17 inch? Thoughts?

That is a valid concern. The 16.5 has been around for years and never really caught on. The 16.5 was design change from the traditional tires with a 15 degree bead angle as opposed to 5 degrees. This works better with bead locks because you don't have the safety ridge in the wheel to keep the tire from sliding back into the valley of the wheel and losing air. The big benefit is being able to change these in the field without having to use a special tire mounting machine. In theory basic hand tools are all you need.

In the truck tire world the 16.5 is a dinosaur. You will find a few that swear by them, but fewer and fewer are being made. The selection will dwindle and the price will go up. If I were buying new wheels, I would probably avoid the 16.5. That isn't to say that if I found a smoking deal on some 16.5 wheels that I pass, but it would have to be close to free for that to happen. A big concern is finding a replacement if you get a flat. The local shops probably won't have them in stock.

If you really want to find odd ball tire, try looking for a metric tire. Find a poor soul who has and 80's Mercury Capri with some 220/55 390s on them and ask them how much fun it is with odd sized tires.