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Thread: 1948 Willys Truck... Wheels don't fit? WTF?

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  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Nov 2013
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    1948 Willys Truck... Wheels don't fit? WTF?

    Hi All... I've been lurking on the forum but finally bought my Willys project and jumped into the project.

    Picked up a 48 Truck 4x4 project that former owner has started to restore and lost interest. Fomer owner had installed new brakes, hubs and drums all the way around (Parts bought from Kaiser Willys and I have paperwork... REAR HUB IS 912647 AND FROM HUB IS 649938). Truck is sitting on what looks like old Ford F1 wheels. He also bought new 16" road Wheels from Kaiser Willys (640800).

    Here is the issue... I tried to fit the new 16" wheel on the rear hub and it doesn't seem to fit. Bolt pattern is fine but the wheel has a "lip" on the backside that is turned to the inside about 3/16". When I slide the wheel onto the hub the lip comes into contact with the face of the hub. This leaves 3/16" of "air gap" between the back of the wheel and the face of the hub. The result is I only have about 3/8" of an inch of stud sticking out past the wheel. The lug nuts of course will go on but I barely have enough stud to make it to the end of the lug nut when tightened down. And this "air gap' can't be right. I am used to the back of wheel sitting flush against a hub face.

    What am I missing here? Hubs go on the outside of the drum as shown in the picture correct? Then how can these wheels fit on this hub with that lip facing inward? Doesn't seem like these parts go together but Kaiser Willys Website says they do and I even called them and they confirmed those wheels should fit those hubs.

    What am I missing? I've posted pics below. Thanks a ton guys.
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
    Junior Member
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    Nov 2013
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    More Pics of the lip on the Wheel

    wheel small.jpg

    wheel small 2.jpg

    See the lip that faces inward? This contacts the face of the hub and stops the wheel from sliding all the way onto the hub. Does this make sense?

  3. #3
    Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    New Jersey
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    Maybe you can get a small bit on the drum machined off to fit your wheels...it doesn't appear to affect the drum's integrity...the axle nut will be torqued and the studs will have five nuts torqued also...it's not too hard to do...just bring the drums and one wheel to your favorite machinist and have at it...just don't machine the wheels...they need the strength that the lip provides.

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