6 lug nuts per wheel?

[Tod59]

Hey Guys,

Truck I'm looking at possibly buying is a ' 55 first series 3100 pickup 2 wheel drive.

Question: the truck has 6 lug nuts on each wheel. I've never seen this before.....why 6 lug nuts on each wheel? The truck is not stock and is currently a 350ci and auto tranny.

6 lug nuts?

Thanks, Tod59

[Rude Dude]

That's stock for Chevy Trucks

[Old Crow]

6 lugs was stock for a 1/2 ton trucks in the 50's and 60's. Why? Maybe some long-dead engineer knows, not me.

[Tod59]

Thank you guys. So, if I bought this truck, is there a place I could purchase stock style rims for the small original style hubcaps?

[MidLifer]

www.thewheelsmith.net

[SCHRUMGMC]

Sure is, it was stock since the beginning of Chevy til 1970

[roger55]

Wheel Vintiques makes them. I bought mine from Summit. This will be the best price you can find. I bought 5 of the ones they call Smoothies in 16"x7".

[mr48chev]

Six lug on cars from the late 20's at least up through 1948. They changed to five lug on cars in 1949. 1/2 ton trucks were also 6 lug from the late 20's through 1970 as mentioned above changing to 5 on 5 when they went to disk brakes in 1971.

I never read a reason but imagine that in the 20's some engineer decided that a six lug pattern was stronger than five.

[yossarian19]

The five on five pattern for trucks was actually short-lived, relatively speaking. From 70 to '87, the C10 years, 2wd half-ton trucks were 5 on 5. 4wd trucks and (I think) 3/4 ton were 6 or 8 lug.
Starting again in '88 with the GMT-400 chassis, half-tons are all 6 on 5 1/2 again - the way they started out.
There are even a handful of 6 lug cars - like the new hi-po Cadillacs and the Dodge Viper.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by yossarian19

The five on five pattern for trucks was actually short-lived, relatively speaking. From 70 to '87, the C10 years, 2wd half-ton trucks were 5 on 5. 4wd trucks and (I think) 3/4 ton were 6 or 8 lug.
Starting again in '88 with the GMT-400 chassis, half-tons are all 6 on 5 1/2 again - the way they started out.
There are even a handful of 6 lug cars - like the new hi-po Cadillacs and the Dodge Viper.

Almost -

Squarebody 1/2 2wd = 5 lug 1/2" wheel stud
Squarebody 1/2 4wd = 6 lug 7/16" wheel stud
Squarebody 3/4 ton and up = 8 lug

GMT400 1/2 ton 2wd was also 5 lug.

Regarding the passenger cars: I was just noticing the other day that, regardless of number of wheel lugs, the wheel bearing assembly is still held on with three "tiny" (maybe 7/16 or 1/2") bolts through the back side. Seems like that would be the weak link regardless of how many lugs are holding the wheel on.

K

[Tod59]

Thanks everyone! Your answers are the exact reason I joined your site.....so I could learn as much as possible before I finally find and buy a 50's 1/2 ton truck.

Thanks
Again,
Tod

[yossarian19]

Originally Posted by Keith Seymore

Almost -
I was just noticing the other day that, regardless of number of wheel lugs, the wheel bearing assembly is still held on with three "tiny" (maybe 7/16 or 1/2") bolts through the back side. Seems like that would be the weak link regardless of how many lugs are holding the wheel on.
K

I agree, it does seem odd. My old Jeep for example was 5 1/2" studs for the wheel but 3 M12 bolts for the hub. All I can think is that the shoulder on the wheel bearing assembly nests into the knuckle snuggly enough that the load is carried by that shoulder rather than the bolts.

[mr48chev]

Keith, taking those bolts out isn't going to get the axle out of the housing. You still have to take the cover off the center section take the pin that holds the spiders out and push the axles in to drop the C clips out to get the axles out.

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by yossarian19

All I can think is that the shoulder on the wheel bearing assembly nests into the knuckle snuggly enough that the load is carried by that shoulder rather than the bolts.

Agree. I suspect that is the case.

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Keith, taking those bolts out isn't going to get the axle out of the housing. You still have to take the cover off the center section take the pin that holds the spiders out and push the axles in to drop the C clips out to get the axles out.

That would be true for a 4wd or front wheel drive, but on the rear of a front wheel drive (like my Vibe, where there is just the wheel bearing assembly) there is no axle to contend with.

I could post a pic - but I already set them out for the trash (lol).

K