Budd Dual Wheel Part Numbers

[DC_Knox]

Trying to determine if I have the ability to run dual rear wheels when I, someday, get this truck back together. I have 6 rims, 5 of which are date stamped as 46 and have the small lock ring that can only accommodate the 7.50 tires. The other is stamped 66 and has the more common larger lock ring. My 46 rims are all stamped "BUDD DUALS" and have the part number 47900. However, when I set two of the rims (with tires) next to each other, the tires touch. I assume this would mean they are not the dual wheel rims, but I wasn't sure because of how they were stamped.

Does anyone know if these are single or dual rims? My build card is stamped Axel Ratio 5.8, so if I can't pull off the prestige of running duals, I'll probably look into finding some new rims that will allow me to run the larger tires so I increase my top speed from 35 to 37 mph...

[truckdog62563]

A Budd 47900, 16" x 5.50F, has 4.00" of positive offset which is too shallow to handle any DRW installation. Neither with 7.50" or 9.00" tires. There were only two that I find record of that will handle duals. They are Budd 44380, 16" x 5.50F, having 4.75" of positive offset and correct for 7.50-16" tires, and Budd 66730, 16" x 6.50H having 5.875" of positive offset and correct for the 9.00-16". The earliest Budd reference showing the 66730 is 1954 and last is 1960. Stu

[DC_Knox]

Thanks Truckdog, that's great info.

Based on the fact that I've got 4 matching rims that are all date stamped as 46, I'm guessing they're all original. My build card shows code (2) for both the front and rear tires, and code (1) for the wheels. Looks like that particular combo designated the 7.50's on SRW. Sticking with the 7.50's on my 5.8 axel ratio isn't going to do me any favors for keeping up with traffic (even on the back roads), so I'll probably hold on to these to keep as much original material together as possible and start thinking about what route I want to go for some "around town" wheels. From reading the forums, I gather I've got some options if I want to change things up.

[Phil12]

DC - Do you have these duals? Looking for two duals for my '46. Mine are stamped 10 46, so they are originals. would be great to see if I can find two more. Willing to part with two of them?

[DC_Knox]

Hi Phil. Based on the info Tuckdog posted, it doesn't look like these are true duals. I don't have the correct dual wheel studs, but I I did mock them up with a set of fully inflated 7.50 tires and they didn't provide the necessary clearance, so it looks like his info is correct. That leaves the mystery of why they're stamped with the "BUDD DUALS" label, but I've come to accept that, especially for the early series trucks, most of the factory info should be treated as suggestions rather than gospel. From what I understand, a real set of duals is getting hard to find. Good luck with your search!

[truckdog62563]

What do you mean saying that you don’t have correct dual wheel studs? All Budd type dual mountings use “inner cap nuts” on standard 3/4” x 16 tpi studs to allow the outer wheels to mount. These are used by all trucks having the stud piloted mounting system. They are today produced by Dorman or Euclid and are available from Napa and other local parts stores.

And do you not find the Budd numbers I cited stamped into your wheels? That would be interesting to know because my references are post war civilian publications and may not include all earlier military issued wheels. Stu

[DC_Knox]

My mistake on that. I don't have the inner cap nuts. I'm not actually familiar with the set up for duals since my truck had single rear wheels when I purchased it. However, it came with 6 total wheels and a few of them were stamped with "BUDD DUALS." When I read your first post I double checked, but the numbers I was able to find didn't match with either of the dual wheel part numbers you had. The only markings I could find were "47900" and the three numbers that were stamped along with the duals notation: 1635894, 1635895, and 1721313. I believe these three numbers are patent numbers and are not specific to the rim itself. These rims have the narrower ring, so they're definitely specific to the 7.50 tire and won't (safely) fit a 9.00.

When I mocked them up, all I really did was set them vertically side by side on my garage floor. The rubber of the tires hit before the rims did. Combined with the studs appearing to be just long enough to fit a single rim, I assumed that they were not really dual rims. However, I would assume that the inner cap nut would also provide some spacing between the rims. If that's the case, the use of a longer stud and the inner cap nut may be enough to get them to fit. I'll have to check the PIF on Joe's forum and see if I can grab a stud and inner cap nut from Napa. That would let me actually get them installed on the truck and see if they would work. I'll also try to measure the backspacing on one of the rims this weekend while I'm in the garage and see if it matches the 4.00" positive offset you mentioned in your fist post for part number 47900..

[truckdog62563]

A Budd 47900 has 4.00” of dish, also called offset. That is different than backspace. Laying a straight edge on the concave side and measuring to the inner face of the center disc should be about 7.25”. The below chart helps show it. Stu

[DC_Knox]

Gotcha. Thanks for the info. I've got a lot to learn when it comes to wheels! I put a straight edge on the back side of the rim and measured down to the inner face of the center disk. It looked to be somewhere between 7 1/8 and 7 1/4. That jives with the 47900 part number and seems to give more evidence that these are not suitable for use as duals. Thanks again for all the info. It's been slow going tearing down the truck, but it's fun learning about everything and seeing how it all goes together. Dan

[712edf]

Dan, What vehicle are your wheels off of?

Bucky

[DC_Knox]

As far as I know, they are original to the truck (46 WDX).

[Matthew Welcher PWA]

I believe I saw a picture of a 46 stamped 7.50x16 dual wheel just in the last week, I don't believe I have seen a 9.00x16 factory Budd dual wheel. Several people have modified there original wheels in different ways. This is great information you guys have supplied. Thank you