Hi guys. This my first post on your forum. I've had a 1950 Ford F3 for a little over a year. I've got the flathead V8 running and she is road safe. The beast will go anywhere I want at 35mph.

Is there any way to make a widow maker rim safe ? I love the old school look. And would love to use them if possible.

Tobby Taylor
Central Mississippian

There are alternatives to the widow makers, that can be discussed in detail with user-name truckdog62563. Maybe search his name on here and send a PM, or google search his user-name with the words widow-maker alternative. Stu is a great guy and very helpful.

First I'll say welcome. Glad to see another F-3 being saved. Like Havi said there are alternatives to the 17" widow makers that came on our trucks. The alternative you do not want is continuing them in service.

The early F-3s (48-mid 51) have 14" rear drums. These prevent the use of readily available later F-250 16" wheels. A common fix is the replacement of the whole rear Timken axle. A Dana 60 from a 1972 and earlier F-250 is a bolt in fix, provides you 12" rear drums that any 1996 or earlier 16" F-250 wheel will fit, and gives the added benefit of a taller rear axle ratio.

If you are wanting to keep the stock Timken there are two tubeless wheels that will fit. Starting in 1956 Ford offered as options either 17.5" or 19.5" single style wheels. These two wheels were produced by the Budd company, as were your stock widow makers. The 19.5" x 5.25" is Budd #71410 and is used with an 8R19.5" tire that measures about 33.5" outside diameter. This is the closest tire size to your stock 7.50x17" tube types. These wheels are usually hard to find, and will expensive. I'll come back and edit to describe the 17.5" option. Stu

There were two 17.5" x 5.25" wheels, both look exactly alike to my eye. Budd numbers 70720 and 73240. These use 8R17.5" radials or 8-17.5" bias ply tires that are about 32" tall. This tire diameter is similar to a 7.50 x 16" bias tube type or a 235/85R16" radial.

These 19.5" and 17.5" wheels accept the stock F-3 hub caps, as do the 16" one piece wheels that were supplied on the F-2s and F-250s of the 1950s. Stu

Thank you all for your advice. You gave me a new direction and I'm off and running again.