Original wheels/tires/hubcaps for 1968 GMC pickup - C30 1 ton?

[welkerbr]

All,
I am new to the forum and getting ready to start refurbishing a 1968 GMC C30 1 ton pickup to factory condition as best I can. All 4 tires have dry rot, significant rust on the original split rims, and we have only 2 out of 4 original hubcaps. Ideally I would like to have original/replica hubcaps but willing to compromise on the rubber tire/steel rims to go with something cheap. I have a lot of excitement to get started on this project, but this is my first one, so I'm being cautious before I get into it. We're going to need tires just to get the truck rolling again.

I am looking for help to identify as much information as possible so I can get the right ones on the first try. Used stuff is all ok. Here's what I know:

8 lugs
6.5inch bolt circle diameter
original tire spec from manual (all 17.5 diameter)
Front = 8-17.5-6 or 7-17.5-6
Rear = 8-17.5-8

Where can I get replacement rims, hubcaps & tires?
Does anyone have more information about what type of steel rims to purchase? (vendor & part number & phone number)

Regards
Brian

['68OrangeSunshine]

Hi Brian,
[That's my first name, too.] I have a '68 C/10 Stepside that originally came with 6-lug 17.5'' x 5.25'' split rims. I wore mine out after about 250,000 miles. I had acquired one Firestone rim in that size, but structuraly different from the GM rims. Different hubcap clips. That was in the late '70s. When the tire shop said my OEM rims were shot, I tried to get replacements, new or used, in the 17.5 size and came up short. It was a strange rim size. I was told municipalities and corporations used the 17.5 size on fleet vehicles to keep employees from stealing tires. One board vendor had a 17.5 rim and 7.00 bias tire for sale, but he wouldn't dismount the rotten vintage tire from the rim, and I thought shipping rates from Washington to Tucson were more than the rim was worth, so I passed.
Original tires were 7.00x17.5 bias. I went to 8.00x17.5 in the mid '70s when they became scarce. I liked the "lift" but my speedo read slower.
Bias ply tires became obsolete in the '80s, so I changed to radials: 8R17.5LT.
I'm now running 16'' white spokes with LT235/85R16 to get about the same ride height as the 8.00 x 17.5 [8R17.5LT] I was used to.
If you do find a source for new, or good-used 17.5 x 5.25 rims in 6-lug 5.5 spacing, let me know.

If you just need tires, I had good luck with Yokohama Super Steel 703B, they were kinda knobby. Also Bridgestone V-Steel Rib 265.
Hope this helped,
Brian

[welkerbr]

Thanks for the perspective. My. Next step is to draw up a schematic and confirm all the dimensions of the original rims. Then I can take those dimensions to a rim shop and find a modern equivalent. I was hoping to keep the original hubcaps but that is proving more challenging than I thought. When I get it All figured out I will post the result so everyone else will know as well

Bria