wheels

[Guyz55]

I am in the process of upgrading the front brakes of my 55 3100 and I would like to stay w the 6 lug hubs ...as that's what I have on the rears ....the thing is ( and everyone probably knows this) , the selection of nice 6 lug wheels is limited ...at least that is what im finding .

I am being told I need the following wheels ....15 x 7.5 wheel size and a 6 x 139.7 bolt pattern ..( not sure what that means..exactly)..

or should I just bite the bullet and put on 5 lug hubs on the front and upgrade the backs later ? just not sure

so if anyone knows which supply house I should be checking out please let me know ..or if any one has any ideas on how to get around this id appreciate your ideas

[Donaldo]

There are wheel makers that will put any pattern hub in just about any wheel you want. If you are going to disc brakes be sure you have the right diameters for rotor clearance.

[agnes the dog]

The 6x139.7 is the bolt pattern - It's also called 6x5.5.

You're really at a crossroads... I was there too. I decided to go to the small chevy bolt pattern - 5x4.75 - because of the available wheel options. If you can find a six lug that you really like, keep it and convert to the six lug disc. If you find something you really like and it doesn't come in a six lug pattern, might be a good time to switch to the five lug. The part that sucks is that you'll have to change the rear to match. That means a new rear end or having the existing axles redrilled. I found a cheap rear axle on craigslist. It was a disc brake posi 3.73 out of a 2000 Blazer for $200. I had to weld on axle mounts, but that's really no big deal.

It really comes down to finding the wheels you like. I tried the "I can live with those" wheels option for a while, but it really bothered me that I never had the wheels I really wanted. Now I do and I'm super happy. Totally worth the effort and $.

[roger55]

16X7 Wheel Vintiques Smoothies:

Checking clearance with CPP 6-lug disc brake kit:


SPI black epoxy primer:


Summit Wimbledon White single-stage urethane:










All done:

[Guyz55]

Roger

your truck w/o a doubt is hands down very very nice...zim not sure if you remember the paint job on my truck ( flames ) ...I am looking for wheels that will go with the theme of the truck ..I feel im on that "slippery slope" that folks have talked about ...
Actually I sent you a private message ..did you get it?

[roger55]

Originally Posted by Guyz55

Roger

your truck w/o a doubt is hands down very very nice...zim not sure if you remember the paint job on my truck ( flames ) ...I am looking for wheels that will go with the theme of the truck ..I feel im on that "slippery slope" that folks have talked about ...
Actually I sent you a private message ..did you get it?

Yes I did.
I sent you an email to the address you gave me.
It sounds like you didn't get that.
My email provider has had some problems lately so that's probably the issue.
I'll send my email again.

[roger55]

Hey Guy.

What about chromed Smoothies? Either without a hub cap at all or a small smooth chrome cap. Both would look good and might fit your theme.

[Guyz55]

I have what may be a stupid question for most of you ...I am searching for 6 lug wheels and have found a vendor( wheelpros) who has a good selection ...Can someone tell me what the difference is between a 20 or an 17 inch wheel is it width or height ?

Thanx everyone !!!!!!!!

[Donaldo]

"usually" the first measurement in a wheel description is the wheel diameter = across the wheel edge to edge.

I got my wheels from Wheelsmith in Corona, Ca. 16"x7" rallies, Bombay Ivory with beauty rings and baby moons. Must be my early Santa Ana heritage ":)

[yossarian19]

Go to summitracing.com, click your way to their "wheels" menu, click on bolt patterns 6x139.7 & 6x5.5 (same thing) and browse a while. You should be able to find something you'll like.
As for 15x7.5 - where did you get that idea? You can run just about any size you want on these trucks, depending on your steering setup.

[4544speed]

IMO- Wheels are really a personal decision. No matter the style or size some will like them others not. I think the selection of 6 lug wheels is much better now than years ago. If you like any of the "stock" Chevy and Toyota wheels many will fit your truck if you want a stop gap until you decide. I have purchased "takeoffs" many times and got good wheels and tires. Check out the used Darrell Waltrip wheel from a Toyota tundra. (02-06 only).

The wheel size is the inner bead of the wheel not the outside rim measurement. say it is 20X7 - the rim outside measures about 21X7.5. (this really depends on the wheel as steel wheel are usually smaller than aluminum). Think about where the tire fits and that is the 20 inch diameter.

The second thing is tire size. A 205.70X15 is smaller in height/diameter than 225.75 X15. So it is possible to run a larger wheel with a shorter side wall and have virtually the same diameter. All depends on the look you want. It is a slippery slope

[Guyz55]

I have been on that slippery slope since I put the truck in the garage and removed the front clip ... As a "first timer" this is very confusing and frustrating . whenever I make a decision , it seems to affect several other "downstream " things that need to be done . I have ordered my disc brake upgrade and I am , second guessing not going IFS ...I think it called paralysis through analysis ....I know I will get through this , hopefully I will make the right decisions. I'm sure others were in this same boat

[roger55]

Originally Posted by Guyz55

I have been on that slippery slope since I put the truck in the garage and removed the front clip ... As a "first timer" this is very confusing and frustrating . whenever I make a decision , it seems to affect several other "downstream " things that need to be done . I have ordered my disc brake upgrade and I am , second guessing not going IFS ...I think it called paralysis through analysis ....I know I will get through this , hopefully I will make the right decisions. I'm sure others were in this same boat

Did you get my email? I did not receive a reply. I can give you an alternate email address if need be.