1962-1963 GMC K1500 hubcap

[60-66]

Looking to see if anyone has factory photos of a 3/4 ton K1500 GMC or original hubcaps. I recently found this NOS GMC hubcap. The center hole is only 2.115 and would need to be enlarged to work with lockout hubs . This is the only 4x4 hubcap GMC lists in the parts books for 3/4 ton 4x4 . Anyone have an original K1500 62-63 ? Even old fire truck photos?

[factorystock]

Super rare cap Jon! I've never seen one. But makes you realize how rare '62-'63 Custom 3/4 ton 4x4 GMC's were back when new and how super rare one is today in excellent condition. This is the only photo I could come up with from back in the day. It's small and grainy, not sure what is going on. I was under the impression the standard uncut hubcap would fit over the front 4x4 hub. IMO, the hole is much too small for the full axle, must be for the tip only. '71 photo for 4x4 hub reference. Bottom photo brand new '62 1/2 ton 4x4. Hub and hole appears much larger than the hole in your 3/4 ton cap.

[60-66]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Super rare cap Jon! I've never seen one. But makes you realize how rare '62-'63 Custom 3/4 ton 4x4 GMC's were back when new and how super rare one is today in excellent condition. This is the only photo I could come up with from back in the day. It's small and grainy, not sure what is going on. I was under the impression the standard uncut hubcap would fit over the front 4x4 hub. IMO, the hole is much too small for the full axle, must be for the tip only. '71 photo for 4x4 hub reference. Bottom photo brand new '62 1/2 ton 4x4. Hub and hole appears much larger than the hole in your 3/4 ton cap.

Im pretty sure that the standard uncut rear cap will fit on a fulltime 4 wheel drive front axle ( no lockouts ). To me its just odd to be cut so small. The original caps i have for 1960-1961 4x4 and 62-63 have a 5 inch hole . But seeing one like this makes you think about , WHY ? Parts books give no explanation other than they state, "For 17.5 and 19.5 wheels " . There is no other part number for the front chrome 4x4 hubcap . I was thinking the same as you though with that 71 truck hub .

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by 60-66

Parts books give no explanation other than they state, "For 17.5 and 19.5 wheels " .

Just a hunch. There were 2 different 17.5 and 2 different 19.5 wheels in this era. The 3/4 ton 2WD pickups used the newer more positive offset style introduced in '60 due to the new independent front suspension. The step vans with the straight front axle continued to use the old carryover '56-'59 flatter style wheels. Question is did the 3/4 ton 4x4s ( straight front axle also) use the older wheels instead of the 2WD wheels? Can't find any photos of 3/4 4x4 with solid wheels, the wheels in my previous post were 17" 3 piece. Of course, there is the physical test, try to install a normal hubcap on one of these older flatter style 17.5 or 19.5 wheels and see if it clears.

[MusicMan70]

Beautiful Cap/S and rarity information!

Thanks for sharing this with us.

[60-66]

Originally Posted by MusicMan70

Beautiful Cap/S and rarity information!

Thanks for sharing this with us.

Agree ! Learning new stuff on these trucks all the time. GMC stuff is very hard to figure out .

[60-66]

Everything Ive seen 1960 on up used the same as 2WD 17.5s more positive offset wheels .

[factorystock]

Photo taken when brand new. Again, a 3/4 ton 4x4 with the wheel of choice for severe off road work, the 17" 3 piece. Standard uncut hubcap clears this rim and the newer 17.5's and 19.5's, but at a loss for finding any original photos of a '62-'63 3/4 ton 4x4 with solid wheels. Bottom photo of a 3/4 ton 4x4 with 15" 3 piece wheels.

[60-66]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Photo taken when brand new. Again, a 3/4 ton 4x4 with the wheel of choice for severe off road work, the 17" 3 piece. Standard uncut hubcap clears this rim and the newer 17.5's and 19.5's, but at a loss for finding any original photos of a '62-'63 3/4 ton 4x4 with solid wheels. Bottom photo of a 3/4 ton 4x4 with 15" 3 piece wheels.

Thank you ! Great photos Factorystock ! Very interesting . It really makes me wonder why they made a factory 4x4 cap and then they don't use it on all 4x4s ? But on the other hand, it makes sense . With the hole being 5 inches , the cap in your picture can easily be cut without worrying about the G or C still being on the cap . 1/2 ton that doesn't work.

[60-66]

Hopefully you can read this picture from the parts book. Seems this part numbered cap I have, with the hole , 2415721 is 1962 "J" series only and 17.5 and 19.5 wheel only . Looks like I need to look deeper into the wheels . 1963 "G" series GMC did not use this 2415721 hubcap , according to note 31 in this picture, instead they only used the uncut cap , same as rear 2415719 in chrome. For 1962 theres 4 different hubcaps for 3/4 ton 4x4, for 63 just two painted or chrome.

Note that it also states , for "F" series none used on 4x4 .

[60-66]

By the parts book , that red and white truck is a 1963.

[gmc jr van]

The hubcap you have is for the Free Wheeling Hub on axle FH-035. The knob seal 7014546 is 1 5/16 dia. So, it’s a small knob.

[60-66]

Originally Posted by gmc jr van

The hubcap you have is for the Free Wheeling Hub on axle FH-035. The knob seal 7014546 is 1 5/16 dia. So, it’s a small knob.

Just curious if you have ever had or tried this hubcap with the Spicer hub in place ? I don't have a 3/4 ton truck here at the moment with that hub. It will not work with a Warn hub . Thats been proven . I'm thinking that spacer needed to use the Spicer hub is going to push it further out than the hubcap can handle. I agree, the Spicer knob fits through the cap when just holding it up to the cap, but will it when everything is bolted together ? That's why we're looking for factory photos of this cap in use. Picture below

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by gmc jr van

The hubcap you have is for the Free Wheeling Hub on axle FH-035. The knob seal 7014546 is 1 5/16 dia. So, it’s a small knob.

Great info! Thanks for posting!

[60-66]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Great info! Thanks for posting!

Now to find a photo of it used that way .

[factorystock]

Sales brochures have no mention of any optional hubs, however the GMC silver book shows the Warn hubs as being available in '64. No mention of Spicer type in book. Found a photo of the Warn type, not sure if it's a '64 or '65 pickup. Again, it would have been more economically feasible to have just one large cut out hubcap for all applications, which is why I surprised the small hole cap even existed.

[60-66]

Here’s this cap with the spicer hub behind it

[60-66]

In the Chevrolet data book, hubs are an RPO . For GMC they were a “Special Installation “ done after the trucks were assembled but at the factory. I would guess more were done at the Dealership.GMC Data book in these pictures shows both . Same with the parts books .

[factorystock]

Still no photo of one of these, but begs the question, did Chevy offer one of these small hole 4x4 hubcaps as well? Probably would have come painted only and would have been for '61 only, because Chevy stopped installing hubcaps on 4x4's on '62's.

[60-66]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Still no photo of one of these, but begs the question, did Chevy offer one of these small hole 4x4 hubcaps as well? Probably would have come painted only and would have been for '61 only, because Chevy stopped installing hubcaps on 4x4's on '62's.

From my recent research , no chrome front caps offered on Chevrolet 4x4 61-62 and possibly 1960 as well from what I see . I have factory photos of 1961 Custom 4x4s with white hubcaps on a 1/2 ton . Oddly the parts book lists the 3781652 chevy 4x4 hubcap as 1961 and 1962 4x4 white 3/4 ton but you don't see hubcaps on 62s like you say .

As for the small hole , I have yet to find an NOS Chevy 3/4 ton 4x4 front hubcap.

[factorystock]

The GMC only chrome 4x4 hubcaps must be part of the "upscale" image GM wanted to preserve for their higher end pickups.

[factorystock]

Found a photo of a '67 (brand new), and appears to have a Spicer type lock out hub.'67 3/4 ton front axle hubs should have the same set up as a '62-'63. Same 16.5" wheel in previous '64-'65 4x4 Warn hub photo. This particular 16.5" clip type wheel (shown) is a standard production GM 17.5" center re mounted in a wider aftermarket 16.5 outer wheel. As you know, these wheels were special order till they became a factory option around '67. A good test fit for a small hole '62-'63 3/4 4x4 cap, if of course, these unaltered original 3/4t 4x4's with original Spicer lock out hubs and original wheels still exist.

[60-66]

Today I was able to find the parts necessary to mock up a 1960-1966 17.5 8 lug wheel with a 1960-1969 3/4 ton hub and spicer lockout. It definitely will not work with this hubcap. All bolted together and the hubcap is a full inch away from seating on the rim . So that answers that . It was not meant to be for a lockout but was punched to be made larger, later , for lockouts . I did check part numbers for the Housing, which is the spacer for the lockout and only one was used 60-69 .

[factorystock]

Impressive mock up Jon! Was thinking the '61-'63 3/4 ton cap ( approx 3/4" taller) vs. the lower '66 3/4 ton cap would be the ace in the hole. Sure looks like it would have cleared on your old gold '66, but photos can be deceiving. Maybe a note was left in the GMC hubcap box for buyer to drill out for a custom fit to mfg's lockout hub?

[60-66]

Originally Posted by factorystock

Impressive mock up Jon! Was thinking the '61-'63 3/4 ton cap ( approx 3/4" taller) vs. the lower '66 3/4 ton cap would be the ace in the hole. Sure looks like it would have cleared on your old gold '66, but photos can be deceiving. Maybe a note was left in the GMC hubcap box for buyer to drill out for a custom fit to mfg's lockout hub?

Notice the shape of that 66 cap , everything tapers down to the outside edge. Where as the 62 63 is taller on the sides and sort of tappers to the center .Either hubcap will clear a fulltime 4x4 front axle without cutting , but the 1 3/4 spacer changes that. Still more research needs to be done as to why they are calling it J series and not G series . One thought is they could eliminate making a 4x4 cap in production , and just cut the 5 inch hole in the regular 3/4 ton cap without a problem . From what we've seen so far , 5 inch holes are what most 4x4 caps have in 62-63 trucks with lockouts.