Put on the Soft 8's

[Damon23]

I sold the rally wheels and got tires for these mounted up. I'm not sure if I like it or not. I'm thinking it is too much black or maybe the black does not go well with the blue. I have 1in spacers for the rear coming but I think the 255-60-17's are too narrow. I can always change though. I know I need to lose the bedrails and the front bumper gaurds. I'm torn on removing the side trim as it is is just the cheap LMC truck moldings that come on the roll. I'm afraid of doing that cause I don't want to uncover more work. I like the wheel opening moldings but those may have to go as well along with the rear step bumper in favor for a sport bumper.
Here is the transformation so far: The day I got it.

After doing the 2.5 drop up front and the 2 in drop in the rear.

Now with the soft 8 wheels. 17x8 with 4.5in backspace.

[79Betty]

Looks good but i like rally look too... And white raised letters... i'm old like that lol
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[c10454]

I always liked the look of soft 8s.

[rs74]

I think the white letters and rallies did your truck alot more justice that the 8's and blackwalls. JMO. If you like it then roll with it.

[Mikec10]

If your going to be rolling with those black soft 8s I think i'd drop it down a lot more...

[bluex]

Originally Posted by rs74

I think the white letters and rallies did your truck alot more justice that the 8's and blackwalls. JMO. If you like it then roll with it.

Originally Posted by Mikec10

If your going to be rolling with those black soft 8s I think i'd drop it down a lot more...

These two posts say it all....

[Damon23]

Yeah, thought about bringing it down more. It needs new springs up front and I can do that but I can't do the hangers. I have been thinking about putting truck rally's back on it with white letters and selling it for a 73-79 or even a 67-72. I just don't know.
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[rs74]

What kind of vette rallies did you have on the truck. Were they Wheel Vintiques. I am going to be buying a set for my short bed.

[meatwagon83]

i think your right, the rears need to come out a little

[superwade57]

Since they are steel.... pinstripe the outer edge the break up the blackor throw some narrow beauty rings on it. IMO I love the vette rallies but not as much on our trucks as other things. and I especially don't like the 10" wide front wheels in any model of rim. Beautiful truck tho. Id leave the side moulding. Its stock for these and in great shape. I'd lose bed rails and bumper guards. Just an idea.... swap to an 83-87 Chevy grill or even 88-91. And lose the bumper turn signals fill the holes with fog lights. And as said drop a little more. What's it got for a drop now.? And how?
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[68Timber]

A square needs a wheel with more lip or dish than that. The black looks good but they look pretty narrow. How wide are those wheels? Are they 15x7?

[Malo83]

Not a fan of the Batman look you see everywhere now, love the chrome Rallys, ditch the bed rails and rear bumper, a little more lower and a billet grille will do wonders

[Rubble]

I would leave it like the first picture,that's the best look for these trucks IMO. I am still stuck in the late 70s,early 80s though....
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[killa496]

That blue truck SCREAMS chrome rims! If those rims had more lip it would be But u know what? Change is good. This will make u build that baby better than it was before.All of us have been there! I say drop it a little more. a spacer in the back.Give it the stagger look.And roll them babies

[Damon23]

I removed a bed rail and it makes a ton of difference. I have a old stripping buegler so adding a stripe on the wheel is no problem. The more I think about it I say the truck needs to drop down a couple more inches so now I have something to save up for. That and a rear sport bumper. The wheels are 17x8. Also, I think this truck is going to go bright or dark silver eventually.
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[J Knight]

FYI- your chrome grill trim ends are upside down and on the wrong side. The sharp edge goes on top and the soft edge goes on the bottom.

[Damon23]

Thanks. I never paid attention to it. Now I have to go search and look for the correct look, LOL. Whoever painted this truck did a so so job. I can see sanding scratches on the bedside, the tailgate panel was painted a silver color and they handpainted the black ring around it and did not have a steady hand and they did all that and did not fix the dings in it. They used the roll of side body trim and didn't take the time to heat it up and contour it to the wheel openings. All in time I guess if I decide to keep it. Spacers came today. I'll try to get pictures of them on tomorrow if we get a break in the rain.

[74 stepside]

You have way too much chrome on the truck to just run black wheels. I like black wheels, but it has to blend with the rest of the truck. Like blacked out grille, etc. Just my opinion. Still a nice truck..

[bluex]

Originally Posted by Damon23

Yeah, thought about bringing it down more. It needs new springs up front and I can do that but I can't do the hangers. I have been thinking about putting truck rally's back on it with white letters and selling it for a 73-79 or even a 67-72. I just don't know.
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Do a flip kit, spindles an cut a coil. It will look a lot better then....

If you want the older front end just swap it on, no reason the sell the truck. Especially if your going to paint anyways.

[Damon23]

It has 2.5 western chassis spindles now. It does need new springs so maybe I'll get new 2 in drop springs or get new springs and cut. The rear has 2.0 shackles. From what i've looked at hangers would be a pain so maybe a flip kit would be the answer or at least easier. I put the spacers on (had to trim a tad off the wheel studs) and that made a big difference. I removed the bedrails and it was night and day. Luckily the guy that bought the wheels/tires wants the bedrails and the rear bumper so maybe I'll get lucky and have enough dough to get the sport bumper and brackets if I can find them. The bumper is easy $150 at summit but the brackets are a little tougher. Here it is after I did all that. It is raining and I caught a little break but it is back to the downpours. I know I can swap the front, but the more I think about it I would only sell to move into a 67-72. Next is to paint the tailgate cap and remove the front bumper guards.

[rusty76]

Here's a few thoughts. Leave the trim around the grille as is. Leave the bumper gaurds. Everybody takes them off but honestly they make the trucks look longer and leaner. Lower it alittle more. It really doesn't have to be much. Pinstripe the wheels. You've got the pinstriping machine that'll do the job. Do it in process blue or darker. Really the height is the problem. I don't like the Corvette wheels personally. They never look right. Wrong spacing is usually the culprit. It seems they get stuffed on everything from Corvettes to lawn tractors. The soft 8s are cool and can work. You don't have to put a ton of funds into this truck to make it much better.

[BONUSCAB]

That truck peaked in the second picture. The black wheels look like crap. They look cheap and entry level. the black wheels bring down a hi-line truck like that has all that glorious trim on it. Just my opinion.

[Damon23]

I appreciate the opinions. I've gotten several ideas and that is what I like. When I bought the truck I new the rally wheels had to go. I too am not a fan of chrome corvette rally wheels. They are corvette rally wheels for a reason. The truck rally was the only one I liked The bedrails were another thing I knew had to go. I don't like a bunch of stuff on my rides. To me, with that stuff less is more. Really, in the second picture it reminded me of a blinged out semi truck with all the chrome and trim and such. But, to each his own, and even though I may not like the style of someones ride I can appreciate the work and effort gone into it. So keep your thoughts coming. I like to hear them.

Oh, and this truck has far from peaked.

[bluex]

If you want new springs an want to drop it more just buy drop springs. You won't save much by buying new stock springs an cutting them if any.

Is the rear lowered any?

Here's mine with the flip, 2.5" spindles an one coil cut. Fenders are at 26" front 29” rear



Your front tires might be to tall to go that low though, those are 235/45/17....

[Damon23]

The rear has shackles already. The front tires are 245/55/17. They tuck pretty good. The wheels are 4.5 backspace.
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