Need Tire Advise

[Gunfighter97]

Hello! I have a 5 ton 4x4 International Loadstar, formerly US Army, needing tires. I plan to use the truck to haul off highway and shorter distances on highway. Its top speed is probably only 55-60 MPH. Tires will need to perform in pine forests with muddy, rutted county roads. Area has a lot of basalt rock on some of the higher altitude trails, notorious locally for eating OHV tires. I don't plan to put on a ton of mileage, so a tire that can go a long time without rotting is desireable.

The truck currently has 20" firestone RH5* "widow maker" rims, which I am not going to use. I may not be married now, but hopefully I will be some day and don't want to tempt fate. It's a 6 lug on 8 3/4" circle hub. I have a set of vintage firestone 22.5x6.5 radial type wheels. I'd like to carry two spares on the rig and also hope to find a tire that fits the bill and is all position. I want to be able to put one spare anywhere on the truck. The more agressive looking tread, the better

I know NOTHING about tires this big, so if I need to be educated on anything Ive said above, please dont hesitate!

I think the tire size I need is a 9R22.5? But am not totally sure. I dont think anything bigger will fit on the rims and have enough space between duals. This is also my first dually. Budd pattern lugs. Nowhere around here seems to sell anything big enough or in load range bigger than E.

Top priority is a rig thats SAFE in any of the previously mentioned trails, roads etc. At least as safe as is possible as long as I'm driving. . .

Thanks!

 

[msgjd]

The truck currently has 20" firestone RH5* "widow maker" rims, which I am not going to use.

first of all, your truck should've come with split-lockring rims or the later 3-piece rims, not actual widowmakers .. When i was at FLW in the late-70's, that's what the 1960's-70's Loadstars were wearing... I don't recall ever seeing either of the 2 styles of actual widowmaker on a 1960's-70's truck unless someone took them off a 1940's-50's truck

Pictured below is an actual "split-rim" widowmaker of the version having a solid lockring .. I have a dozen medium to heavy IH 1950's trucks with this type and have been personal with them for over 50 years.. Unfortunately for my occasional wives during most of those years, i am still here .

If you indeed have the other style of widowmaker, the one where 1/3 of it locks into the 2/3 section, yikes !! (although the largest i had seen of those were for 17")

And never ignore the added performance of tire chains in aggressive off-road in any season



Being your priority is off-road, severe-duty, and you want long-lasting tires, have you looked into bias tube-type 12-ply or 14-ply snow/mud tires? Or Construction or Ag tires of same size and ply rating ? (grader/loader/etc)
They are going to last longer than today's radials as long as your not road-running much at speed .. Nothing more enraging than buying (in my case) ten new tubeless radials that in 6 years start cracking and have sidewall leaks while the tread is still like-new

Max size on your vintage of Loadstars is 10:00x20 (10:00Rx22.5 tubeless) .. When i was "in," the Loadstar 1600's and 1700's had 9:00x20's.. Most of the 1800's had 10:00's.. 11:00's will fit but you might find they rub the fender or frame when you turn.. But maybe you have the clearance, being yours is a 4x4..

If you insist on changing out your rims, you will need to watch for rim width and dish depth, else they could interfere with the springs, steering, and tie rod ends..

There are a few companies making 1000x20 bias with aggressive tread



... and 1000x20 construction types

 

[Gunfighter97]

first of all, your truck should've come with split-lockring rims or the later 3-piece rims, not actual widowmakers .. When i was at FLW in the late-70's, that's what the 1960's-70's Loadstars were wearing... I don't recall ever seeing either of the 2 styles of actual widowmaker on a 1960's-70's truck unless someone took them off a 1940's-50's truck

Pictured below is an actual "split-rim" widowmaker of the version having a solid lockring .. I have a dozen medium to heavy IH 1950's trucks with this type and have been personal with them for over 50 years.. Unfortunately for my occasional wives during most of those years, i am still here .

If you indeed have the other style of widowmaker, the one where 1/3 of it locks into the 2/3 section, yikes !! (although the largest i had seen of those were for 17")

And never ignore the added performance of tire chains in aggressive off-road in any season

View attachment 943821

Being your priority is off-road, severe-duty, and you want long-lasting tires, have you looked into bias tube-type 12-ply or 14-ply snow/mud tires? Or Construction or Ag tires of same size and ply rating ? (grader/loader/etc)
They are going to last longer than today's radials as long as your not road-running much at speed .. Nothing more enraging than buying (in my case) ten new tubeless radials that in 6 years start cracking and have sidewall leaks while the tread is still like-new

Max size on your vintage of Loadstars is 10:00x20 (10:00Rx22.5 tubeless) .. When i was "in," the Loadstar 1600's and 1700's had 9:00x20's.. Most of the 1800's had 10:00's.. 11:00's will fit but you might find they rub the fender or frame when you turn.. But maybe you have the clearance, being yours is a 4x4..

If you insist on changing out your rims, you will need to watch for rim width and dish depth, else they could interfere with the springs, steering, and tie rod ends..

There are a few companies making 1000x20 bias with aggressive tread

View attachment 943822

... and 1000x20 construction types

View attachment 943823

Thanks for the reply! I was recomended to go to tubeless tires with aluminum rims (good luck with this hub pattern) and bought the vintage 22.5x6.5 rims :/ I was also looking at buying some surplus M35 ring locks. Those ended up totalling way more than the 22.5s and then I found out they didn't even come with the rings, so I went the other way since they werent in great shape, not that these tubeless ones are new either but oh well. This truck doesn't have its original 8.25x20s on it, it has less than 5k original miles and the original wheels probably got nabbed for the tires at some point. These are recapped 2x over and bald.

Yes, the rims are the non gapped, inside ring, true RH5* Firestone widow makers. I found this out after I rolled one out of the back of the truck and held on to it as it bounced to a stop, took it to a tire shop where they told me what it was. The inside part of the rim unmounts from the outside and has no split in the ring. Is there a way to put tube tires on the 22.5s or have I already committed? I'd love to put Firestone All Tractions on it or something else with menacing looking claws (trucks name is Bear), but iirc I think their max speed is only like 35MPH lol. I need to be able to do 55 for an hour or two at a time at the absolute max. It may never even go that far.

The rims I bought are very similar "dish depth?" (I assume this is like back spacing?) And I think may be slightly narrower if not the same width as the ones that are mounted right now. The only reason I'm not sure is that there are 8.25x20 tires on the mounted rims and I havent measured. The dish will fit these drums (hecking enourmous) and theres enough room to clear I think. Most 10r22.5 tires I saw called for wider rims. Idk if you can get away with a narrower rim and still run duals. Theres lots of room though. I cant recall if this is for sure correct, you may remember but I want to say the 2wd Loadstars have spring outboard of the frame rails? These are slung durectly under the frame rails. I can almost sit on the axle in the wheel well behind the wheel with enough room to eat lunch comfortably lol
Edit: I really like those tires in the first pic! The ones on the front now are similar made by Remington. Gonna hang one up in the shop with the rim (deflated of course) and maybe make it into a giant clock.