Bullet wheels?

[Tspanos]

Hey guys I just looked through the old threads on the Sterling Bullet looking for mention of the wheels. What I'm wondering is are they in fact aluminium or are they just simulators? In most of the photos they look to be aluminium in but in a few they appear to be SS simulators. If someone who has seen one of these trucks could give me an answer I would appreciate it.

 

[CBari]

I LOOKED 3 OVER TWO WEEKS A GO AND THEY ALL HAD SIMULATORS ONE WAS A QUAD CAB LOADED UP WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY OPTION AND HAD A CnC BED ON IT. I ALSO LOOKED OVER THE BULLET AD LITITURE AND IT DIDN'T MENTION ANY ALUM WHEELS AS AN OPTION.

 

[Tspanos]

Thanks that is what I was begginning to think, I had been looking over the brochures and couldn't find any mention of aluminium wheels either. I was hoping but oh well.

 

[dquaney]

I LOOKED 3 OVER TWO WEEKS A GO AND THEY ALL HAD SIMULATORS ONE WAS A QUAD CAB LOADED UP WITH JUST ABOUT EVERY OPTION AND HAD A CnC BED ON IT. I ALSO LOOKED OVER THE BULLET AD LITITURE AND IT DIDN'T MENTION ANY ALUM WHEELS AS AN OPTION.

I talked to every dealer in Kansas Oklahoma and Texas and could not find any Sterling simulators. These dealers are also telling me that these are strictly work trucks and cannot get Laramie type options. Can you get me a dealership name where you looked to try and get some simulators like I have seen in their ads.

 

[HBarlow]

The aluminum or chrome wheel simulators seen on Sterling Bullets are probably just generic 19. 5" wheel simulators available through the aftermarket.

 

[CBari]

The trucks were at Glovers in Little Rock, and yes I beleive that they were just a standard 19. 5 simulator. The sales man that I spoke with was Mike Daniels. Sorry I don't have Phone number with me.

 

[Ragain]

In the latest Commercial Truck Trader Magazine, I saw a photo ad of a Bullet sitting on a dealer lot in Texas. Without question it has aluminum wheels. (no lug covers or hub covers). Also, the front page of a Sterling Bullet color brochure I grabbed in Houston clearly displays a Bullet with aluminum wheels with "chrome" lug covers and hub covers... ... I am wondering if these are the same 10 lug aluminum wheels optioned on the Ford 450/550? I am in the process of puchasing my 5500 from Chaprell Dodge/Chrysler in Ada, Oklahoma, and they said they do have simulators in stock for the 4500/5500's. Personally... ... . I think wheel simulators look a bit "cheesy" so I will be researching the wheel spec's on Ford 450/550 aluminum wheels to see if they are a direct swap.

 

[HBarlow]

Ragain,



I'm not certain it is the same with 19. 5" wheels on F-450s but lighter Fords use metric sized spacing on the lug patterns of their wheels. I'd bet the 19. 5" wheels do also.



The aftermarket makes the wheels you need. I think SouthWest Wheel's online catalog offers them in a good brand name.

 

[NIsaacs]

I think the Ford 450/550 uses a larger bolt circle w/eight bolt pattern, the Dodge/Bullet uses a smaller 10 bolt pattern?





"NICK"

 

[Ragain]

The Ford '07 and '08 f-450/550 use 10 lug wheels. Seems they use a smaller diameter stud though. I will check the spec's later this weekend.

 

[dquaney]

Harvey



I called Southwest Wheel 2 weeks ago and the guy laughed at me thinking that those wheels for the Ford would swap over to the Dodge. I think there is a good chance that Ford and Dodge are using the same axles. I will research it further. There has to be a solution for this problem.

 

[Ragain]

I talked with a Sterling dealer in Temple, TX... . The Alcoa aluminum wheels are available thru the Sterling/Freightliner dealers. $260 each and he has them in stock. I found spec's for the F-450/550 wheels through Alcoa's wheel fitment guide, but couldn't find spec's for the Dodge/Sterling on the Alcoa website.

 

[therabbittree]

thats a good price! Can you post the part # etc??

 

[Tspanos]

That is awesome, if you can get the part numbers it will save a lot of sterling dealers the trouble of looking it up. With these wheels you would run a steel wheel on the inner duals correct? If thats correct the total cost to get the 4 wheels and have the tires switched over locally would only be around $1300. Pretty damned cool!

 

[dquaney]

I talked with the Sterling dealer in Temple Texas. I must have said something he didn't like, he gave me a price of $430 a wheel.

 

[Ragain]

dquaney..... Yeah, I think they're giggin' you with a price that high. The average cost on most Alcoa wheels is $325 for 22. 5" and 24. 5". Cant imagine what the reasoning is for the $430 price.

 

[dquaney]

I got some more prices from other vendors that were in that $265 range but still can't figure out if that wheel that goes on the Fords is the one I need.

 

[HBarlow]

Harvey



I called Southwest Wheel 2 weeks ago and the guy laughed at me thinking that those wheels for the Ford would swap over to the Dodge. I think there is a good chance that Ford and Dodge are using the same axles. I will research it further. There has to be a solution for this problem.

dquaney,



I'm sorry if I confused you. My post was not very clear. I suggested calling SWW about aluminum wheels for the Dodge but didn't mean to suggest that the Ford 19. 5" wheels would fit. Normally Ford uses a metric size and their wheels are not interchangeable with Dodge wheels.

 

[dquaney]

Harvey,



You didn't confuse me. I had already called Southwest and the guy laughed at me. He didn't know what he had or didn't care to find out but I have since found out that the Ford wheels fit. I will get them somewhere else.

 

[HBarlow]

dquaney,



Well, that's new information. You corrected my incorrect assumption. I would have bet 19. 5" Ferd wheels were metric like pickups normally are. That's good to know that 10 lug Ferd wheels fit. Ferd has been selling trucks in that market for many years and there are lots of them on the road so that would expand availability and choices of wheels for Dodge applications.