Idea for super singles - just flip one axle's hubs?

[Trango]

Well, I finally stumbled across some good used radials for the front, so I was finally able to get my deuce above 45 the other day. Previously, I had bigger tires on the rear, which hosed my caster and prevented any sort of speed. Now, with proper caster, I'm now realizing how important Front v. Rear track width is for this vehicle, despite the length of the wheelbase. I'm a firm believer in front > rear, but, well, you know.

Thing is, I don't want to lose the width that the tires currently have in the rear, in light of my plans to use this truck as a haul vehicle.

To even up the track width differential, I am debating two options:

· flipping the centers on my wheels or getting new 22.5's and just welding in new centers in the middle (like a cement or rock truck wheel),

OR

· flipping the hubs on JUST ONE axle in the back, and creating sort of an "offset dually" effect. Like, the inter axle would be wide, and the back axle would be narrow.... almost like using that interaxle as a sort of outrigger when I really got after it on a corner.

Is option 2 at all really tenable?

Thanks for any hard facts on this... I sort of just want to get some new 22.5 rim shells as it is and recenter some front wheels for the hell of it, but man, you know how bad I don't need another project to work on?

Cheers
Bob

 

[RANDYLBARNES]

I also am running the 315/80R22.5 tires on 6 hole tubeless rims. If you plan on recentering wheels I would suggest you use the outers from a 10 hole center wheel due to the fact that they are wider than the 6.75 6 hole rims. I have flipped the rear hubs and am very happy with the way it looks. If you are interested in looking at it let me know. I an in Denver and have been driving it to work for the last month. I am going to go and take a few pictures to post if I can get it figured out.

 

[RANDYLBARNES]

here is a pic of my deuce on 315/80R22.5's9

 

[wallew]

Bob,
I've been over to where Randy works and seen his truck. His setup is stellar. I particularly like his rear wheel/tire combo. The fronts are more of a highway tire, which is probably a better idea, but I just love the LUGS!

Too many years as an off roader. Nothing severe. Well, three feet of water in our CJ-7 back in 85. I just LOVE the look of a good lugged tire. The ride generally does suffer compared to a 'hiway' tire tread, but with these trucks you probably won't feel a whole lot of difference I think.

You just need good rubber, properly set up on the ground. I'm getting ready to put on some 275 80R 22.5's and flipping the rear hubs coming up in the next few weeks. Come on over and we can probably do two trucks as easy as one. I have an air/hydrualic 20 ton bottle jack, a 3/4 impact hammer that connects to your Nato slave plug (or mine), an air hose with gauge that connects to a gladhand and a pair of 6 ton jack stands. So it should just be: pull two tires, pull hub, pound out studs, flip hub, pound in studs, flip hub seals (bearings?), mount flipped hub, mount new wheel/tire combo.

WHEW! That was a lot of verbage to just get out. Thinking about it all together took a second or so. Maybe we could Randy and Robert to come over to kibitz.

And I would like to thank Bjorn for posting the pictoral steps. Does help a lot.
jim

 

[Trango]

Jim,

Thanks for the offer, but I'm pretty set on tools over here, and you know, the more I think about this, the more I think I'm just going to rock new wheels for the front.

Yeah, Randy, thanks for the insight. As rare as these 22.5 six hole budd wheels are, I doubt I'll be cutting these up, so heck, why not go for the 10 hole budd wheels.

Cheers
Bob

 

[Adamlee]

super singles: the dream....

The more I hear about singles, the more I want time off from work/grad school/my family/all responsibility so I can:
1. flip my hubs
2. get the truck painted
3. mount some 12.5R20 Mich XL's or XML's....

Really, just these 3 things, and I'll be happy!

Otherwise, that's gonna be one home-boy lookin', ugly-ass deuce I'll be pulling up to Ripken Stadium with....

CAUTION I added a pic of when I was testing one of Jim's machineguns...oops...I'll take it to the photo folder in a bit