Hubcap Interchangability?

[cortcomp]

I have a 66 c10 with factory wheels, with the repop oe style hubcaps. I'm considering making a trailer for the truck to pull something cool behind, and i'd like to make the wheels match. It's a 5 lug wheel trailer, i'm sure i could find a rim that's some kind of OE steel to fit the trailer.

My question is, has anyone tried these or OE hubcaps on steelies other than factory for our trucks and got them to fit? Has anyone done a 5 bolt conversion and then used wheels but still retained the OE hubcaps?

Hubcaps i'm using are same as in truck below. FWIW, if i recall correctly, my 66 rims are the "bump" type and not the clip type, but i can't be 100% because i haven't had the hubcaps off in over a year and i really don't remember.

[jtrichard]

Make life easy and get a 6 lug axle (very common) OR you may be able to get 6 lug hubs for your axle then you can use the same wheels and caps and wont have to carry 2 spares

[aggie91]

While jt has a good idea for the trailer and spare tire issue, your hub caps are most likely for a "nub" style wheel.

Most GM nub style hub caps fit many stock 5 lug steel wheels as well as you stock 6 lug wheels. I have put those same caps on a 73-87 C10 wheel (5 on 5 pattern) with no issues. I also know that Chevelle, Camaro, Elcamino, even square body S10's (5 on 4 3/4" pattern) caps fit those 6 lug wheels.

So depending on the bolt pattern of your trailer axle, getting/finding 5 lug wheels that will work with those same stock caps should not be an issue. Even if the axle is a 5 on 4 1/2" pattern, those small ford pattern 5 lug wheels with nubs, should fit the 10 1/8" caps you have.


Hope that helps...

[cortcomp]

The trailer is a small landscaping type 4x8 trailer. I have a motorcycle+sidecar i'm doing in an army theme where i made the floor of the sidecar match the bedwood finish (happened to just be a good color.)

So i lament that i can't drive my motorcycle rig and the truck to car shows since i can't drive two things at once, and the bike is too new to get into most even though it's done in a vintage theme (or will be, still working.)

So my father in law says, why not trailer it? Then you're registering the truck which is old, and it's all part of your "display" like the guys with in-bed bikes or campers or pulling airstreams. I said, well, i'd have to do up the trailer nice, remove the ramp, paint it, but hell, it'd be quick and easy.

Then he said "you could make the trailer wood match the truck and the sidecar."

Then it was on.

Only problem, it's a small wheel. I can do different fenders and fit a larger wheel on, but it's those skinny tiny 5 bolt small pattern wheels with no brakes, so i don't want to mess with axle swapping and i doubt i'd find 5 lugs. I bet i find some kind of factory steelie in that pattern though and maybe it will just work or i'll have to weld on clips or something?

I'm kind of just shopping for ideas as i won't be able to start on the trailer for a month or two, but i think it'd be quick to knock out (compared to the bike or truck.)

If i can't at least attempt to make it match with hubcaps and white stripes, i don't know that i could tie it all together in one "theme." I just like to have an idea of what i'm going to try before i even get things lined up, and the wheels had me stumped.

[cortcomp]

Also, thanks Karl for the idea on the ford wheels, i bet that's exactly what would fit. I could measure the bolt pattern, head to summit 45 min away, and take a hubcap to be sure the wheel i want in that bolt pattern would also fit the hubcap. I hadn't considered the ford route but i bet they're a bolt on for the tiny trailer 5 bolts.

[LostMy65]

I had a similar question.
Thanks.

[cortcomp]

When the time comes i'll have to go check out a wheel like below with the hubcap in person, if i can get as little backspace as possible, wheels like the below would likely work (they're also only like 5" wide rims.) 15" too, although i imagine there's likely some 14" that would work:

http://www.summitracing.com/oh/parts...1203/overview/

http://www.summitracing.com/oh/parts...5510/overview/

Thanks again for the idea!

[aggie91]

The side car looks great and you idea for the trailer to tie it altogether is great.

they do make a 14"x5" that will work with the stock 10 1/8" caps;
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/wv...1203/overview/

[cortcomp]

Thanks for the link, 14" may be easier to use a little bit smaller style to fit some kind of custom fender, since mine has the trapezoid style ones that will be in the way.

I was looking today and i could easily make the boards from stock at lowes, i have the bit to countersink and use chevy stainless bed to frame hardware, and some repop vintage looking lights should tie things together. You guys have pretty much solved the wheel dilemma for me (As long as i can get a wheel with very little backspace i'd be good, have to take one off and measure.)

Now to find some kind of fender, but i'm getting ahead of myself, need to finish the bike first!

[cortcomp]

Just touching back in on this, full swing into that trailer. the 62 series do fit the hubcaps, and come 5x4.5 for anyone wondering. I was going to go 14" but couldn't find a 14" narrow wheel with skinny white walls to match the truck, so ended up going 15". found some neat custom motorcycle fenders and model a lights to match the bike, which is pretty much done now.

[aggie91]

Would love to see some pictures of the bike and trailer, even if the trailer is not 100% complete...

[cortcomp]

Trailer started out as a 5x8 2000lb tilt trailer. Took ramp and other odds and ends off, went to tractor supply and got a 3500lb axle which was a little wider. With 1/4" wheel spacers, seems like wheel spacing will be perfect. Got the lights below, and the fenders but fenders not mounted yet. In the middle of removing mesh so i can put bedwood down the truck/sidecar. Likely paint the trailer frame + fenders same green as the truck. I think it will be a great setup to take around to shows. I plan on keeping the trailer tilt-able (at the tongue) for easy loading and unloading. Here's some in-process pics.

[cortcomp]

Here are some of the bike. Have some more vinyl decals to put on ("Navigator" and one for my daughter's name), and a headlight prison bar grille, but it's about done. Oh, and the fixed leashes for the beagle so i can just click them to his collar vs tying his regular leash on. Small stuff though. Trailer will be red oak, standard bed strips holding the wood down, should match the truck minus the countersunk bed mounting bolts + offset washers.

[cortcomp]

Pvt. Beagle is definitely ready for duty as soon as the weather breaks.

[cortcomp]

And yup, that last one is the bike and sidecar i started with!

[cortcomp]

Coming along nicely, hope to have a ton done this weekend. Rather be working on the wood than welding and drilling and grinding.

[cortcomp]

Fenders mounted, more prep for paint and cleanup tomorrow.

[cortcomp]

Hubcaps fit, she's coming together! Almost woodworking time!

[jdl71]

Awesome work!

[aggie91]

That's turning out nice!

[cortcomp]

Little bit closer. Expecting bed strips/bolts from Mar-K tomorrow. Might get first coat of clear on sometime this weekend.

[Classic v6 GMC's]

That is going to be a nice trailer!! Great work!!

[cortcomp]

Thank you! Going to do another coat of stain today, and if i have time dump a bunch of clear on this weekend. Maybe bolted together next weekend!

[cortcomp]

This turned into my trailer build thread, so i tried to change the name appropriately. See if it works.

Blocked and cleared again 3 or 4 coats (each coat so thick it ripples like water on a lake when you lay it.) So thats like, i don't know, 12 super heavy coats.

After these dry maybe a week at 80* in the garage to get the shrinking out, time to block them again then wetsand and buff. I ordered an air block sander because i literally sanded through my finger today (sanded so much that it bled like water through a sponge. No cut, just through the skin.)

Plus, air sander likely do a better job. I wear out near the end.

This might be my best wood yet. And it's on a trailer. I will have a truck and trailer you can't barely haul anything on. Like a corvette driving around with no cargo space. good times.

[sampsmit000]

This is awesome!