Help me Id these wheels

[ultrahd4me]

I need some help in identifying a set of 15x8 six lug steel wheels I bought for a 1966 c10 truck. I first thing I noticed was that the center was riveted in instead of welded. I know that normally means pre mid 50's. The second thing is they don't have the outside bosses or ears for a dog dish style center cap, nor do they have any holes or grind marks for the inside clips. The only identification marks I could find is 15x8, and a number 0 stamped on the inside of the band. There is also a circle about the size of a dime with 2 hash marks and a number 8 stamped on them. I would love to find out if they are originals, and if so what they came off of. If they are originals is a 15x6 available? Any info would be great.
Thanks

[tkeduk8r]

Could they be ag wheels???? Like say for an old tractor or impliment???
--Mike

[1963c-10]

They look very similar to the ralley wheels, at least the centers do. Is it possible that the nubs were ground off of the rims? They look just like the 3 or 4 nub rims, minus the nubs.

[markeb01]

For a guy that grew up dealing with and having a passion for old steel rims, these are truly a mystery. At first glance they appear to be just another pair of old 49-60 Chevy truck centers popped into vintage Buick rims. But closer inspection reveals odd details.

The centers seem to be designed for clip on hubcaps, but the clip humps in between the lug holes are not flat on top, they appear to be peaked or crowned. This feature would make if very difficult to attach the hub cap clips. This leads me to believe they were never designed to wear conventional hubcaps.

The rims appear to be standard pre mid-60’s Buick by the shape of the rim/flange, and the lack of safety beads, along with the riveted construction. They also seem to have the vintage large valve stem hole. However I’m not aware of any factory 8” wide Buick rims. To the best of my knowledge they came in 5, 6, and 6 ½” during this period

They could have been widened by having a band of steel inserted in front of the rivets, but I can’t imagine anyone doing this. If they were built in the mid-late 60’s, the normal practice was to take the rear half of two Buick rims cut down the center in a lathe, and weld to two back halves together. It gave a very deep rim that had the beautiful tapered/conical shape on both sides. It would have taken a lot of work to conceal any welding (which would serve no purpose), and these rims don’t appear to have been welded. Had they been welded the rivets would surely have been eliminated.

Also, if they were custom built in the 60’s they almost certainly would have been reversed, with the conical side of the rim facing forward, which they are not.

All of which makes me wonder if these were produced under contract by a trailer manufacturer, or some other specialty equipment supplier that used a GM bolt pattern on their axles. Trailers sometimes had semi-coned chrome wheel covers that snapped on to the rim like a conventional wheel cover. This might explain the unusual detail of the centers. Or as mentioned above perhaps a tractor or implement company, they would have no need for hubcaps.

In my experience they don’t appear to be any type of stock GM wheels. Have you actually mounted one on an axle yet to confirm they are the correct bolt pattern and the center hole fits over the hub?

Whatever they came from they are very cool looking. I sure hope you can find out more information about these. I would also like to know where they came from.

[ultrahd4me]

Thanks for the response. Yes I have had them mounted on the truck, and the fit is perfect with the offset being 4 1/2. I can't find any grind marks anywhere like a wider band would have been added. If you look at a factory wheel off a 58-59 Apache they look identical, but I don't think GM ever made a 15x8 wheel. My other thought was possible military, or early Napco conversion wheel. I really think they are pre 60's because of the center being riveted, they were required to be welded some time around 56-62.
Thanks again

[Surfdaddy]

My thoughts exactly Markeb01!!! I looked and thought they were trailer wheels.

[Goat herder]

Rims were rivited up to early 80's. These wheels appear to be ag, trailer or rv.