8 Lug steel wheels

[GMC_Tom]

Hello everybody,

my name is Tom and I'm from Austria. Sorry for my bad english.

I bought a 1965 GMC truck 3/4 ton with a crazy colour

Currently I'm doing a frame off restoration.

My question is whether steel rims fit in 15" for 8 lugs. My favourites would be Cragar Black D Window Wheels with 10" width in the back and 8" width in front. The truck has drum brakes on all corners.

It's easier to get tires for 15" rims (275/60 and 245/60)

[IMG][/IMG]

[chevy_mike]

Hi Tom and welcome to the site. Cool truck, I am sure there are not a lot of them in Austria.

Most 8 lug (3/4 ton) trucks use a 16" wheel (originally it was likely 16.5" but those are rare today). With drums all around, it could be likely 15" wheels would fit.

Looking at Cragers website, I don't see any 15x8 in 8 lug, only 15x10. In 16" they have 7", 8" and 10" wide available. Not sure how easy it will be to find 15x8 8 lug. Might need to be custom/special ordered.

Good luck.

[Chevy Fleetside]

I bought a 3/4 ton truck a while back and the previous owner put 16" wheels on it but the spare was an 8 lug 15" wheel. I might still have it and if I do can take a picture of it.

[GMC_Tom]

Thank you for your reply

On the Cragar website i also could not find the 15x8 in 8 lug but on the website of summit racing

https://www.summitracing.com/int/par...5880/overview/

Chevy Fleetside - a picture would be great

[PGSigns]

Before you do much shopping for wheels do some reading on what will fit. A 10" wheel may not go under the back. On my 66 I run 15X8 with 4 inches of back spacing and the 275 tires rub on the inside of the wheel well just a little at times. The truck is lowered 5" in the back. The wheel you posted has 4 1/2" of back spacing and I don't think you will get by with it. Many threads on here about wheel sizes and what will fit.
Jimmy

[GMC_Tom]

I thought it is a 10" rim necessary for a 275 tire. I read half the night through the board

With the Backspace you are right. The only 8lug rim/possibility I see is the Bart Wheel Super Trucker (Backspace 3,5inch). Hope I'm right.

https://www.summitracing.com/dom/par...5808/overview/

[PGSigns]

Here is what you need to do to help figure out what you can get under the truck. Jack it up and remove the tire. put a straight edge on the wheel mounting flange and use a tape measure to get the distance to the inner and outer wheel well at where you think the tire may be when on the ground. This gives you an idea of the room you have and where the tire needs to be in relation to the housing end. That will tell you what back spacing and tire width you need. You can go on places like tire rack and look up sizes and brands of tire and see the diameter, section and tread width and the recomended rim size. The section width is the important one. The side of the tire is what will rub most the time. A tire and wheel combo that fits may rub with another manufactures tire of the same size due to a wider section width. Her is a link to a tool for checking what will fit. You can make one out of aluminium angle that will do the same thing and fit your 8 lug housing. Will save you lots of time and trouble getting a wheel and tire that will fit.
Jimmy
https://www.jegs.com/i/Percy's/7...iABEgIkofD_BwE