2005 aluminum wheels on 1978 4X4

[78K20]

Does anyone know if a set of GM aluminum wheels 16x6.5", 8 lug on 6.5"
from a 2005 silverado will fit on a 1978 3/4 ton full time 4x4 w/ 8 lug ?

I'm wondering if the hubs will fit into the center caps.

I like the look of these polished aluminum wheels.

[bigred70k20]

They should kit, I am puttin Hummer H2 wheels and 35inch all terrains on my 1970 GMC K-20 and those fit, you might have to make the center hole a little bit bigger

[78K20]

I know the wheels will fit.
I need to know if the front & rear hubs will fit into the center caps.

Anyone have any experience with this ?

[bigred70k20]

You will have to cut out the center on the front caps to get at your lock-outs. and on the rear the regular canter caps will fit over the full float hubs if you have a Corp 14 bolt which doesnt have as big of a hub, but if you have a Dana 60 with bigger hubs you will have to get the rear center caps off of a dually truck.

[78K20]

OK. Thanks. I sorta figured my hubs wouldn't fit into the centers.
Looks like I might be better off having my stock steel wheels powdercoated
and be done with it. I sure do like the looks of those GM polished aluminum
wheels though.

[IGOR]

These wheels will work just fine - you will have to take the plastic center cap off though.

I put H2 wheels on a 3/4 ton 83 Chevy pickup and they fit just fine - but no centercaps.

[DirtyLarry]

Northern IN, eh? Must have found some nice take off wheels from the upfitters in the Elkhart area.

Those wheels will work fine but you will need a set of the lug nuts below to use the center caps. The rear center caps will work fine but you will probably have to use a hole saw for the front. The nut$ get expensive though. $1.40 a piece.

http://www.wheelcomponents.com/lugnuts.html

[78K20]

Igor, I figured that the wheels would probably bolt-up, but the centers
would be a problem.

DirtyLarry, thanks for the cool link. And, yeah, there is a take-off business
on e-bay right now from Elkhart, IN that has a set of these wheels listed
for XXXXXXXXX$600.00$XXXXXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!!

That's about $200.00 more than they seem to be going for. I've been
watching.
Too bad. I was hoping to drive the old workhoarse over to Elkhart and
see if they would let me try them on for fit, then buy. Guess I can forget
about that idea.

Maybe putting on a set of polished aluminum wheels is not such a good idea,
with the salt that the state spreads on the roads here. This truck is my
plow truck in the winter, not my driver.
I may just opt to have my stock steel wheels powdercoated.

By the way, I love that yellow & white 78K20 !

[toroflow]

I got a set of those on my '79 K20 sub. They even fit when I put in the Dana 60 front axle! You cannot run the caps without the proper lug nuts...I think the HUGE hubs on front and rear sticking out look better than the caps anyhow!! And I got my set (off a 2003) for $200 with decent tires (have about 10K left in em), so KEEP SHOPPING!!!! They're out there, CHEEP!!!

[toroflow]

And I don't think the salt will bother these wheels, as they have a clearcoat over them.

[78K20]

Thanx. That's very encouraging. I guess I'll keep looking for a good deal.
Hey, you don't have to deal with the salt issue out there on the Left Coast!
Here in Northern Indiana the roads are constantly sprayed with salt thru the winter. It's wicked stuff !!

78K20

[DirtyLarry]

Yeah, I agree with what Toroflow said. When I lived in Detroit, I always thought it was funny when the locals would remove their nice wheels for the winter for fear of salt damage when in fact the salt water does more damage to electrical components, wiring harnesses, and suspension components than it ever would to a clear-coated aluminum wheel in 30 years. I bought a new 1998 Z71 in Detroit and ditched it when we moved back to CO in 2001. The bottoms of the doors, tailgate and tip of the hood were already starting to bubble on only a 3 year old truck. Luckily, I live back in Colorado now where we do not use road salt but sand in the winter. A lot of chipped paint and broken windshields but other wise our stuff stays solid. Look at my 68 GMC and 78 K10. They both are sporting their original sheet metal. I also ditched the rusty Z71 for a 2001 HD on the first wave of cheap interest after 9-11. The HD is now paid off and looks like it is still brand new inside, under and all around.

[78K20]

I really like the agressive looks of those tires on your 78K20 in the
shop image. Can you tell me about them ? Size, radial or bias, brand ?
Are / were they pretty noisy on dry pavement ?
They look wicked.

78K20

[DirtyLarry]

On the yellow 1978 K20 tow truck?? Those are 9.00x16 (about a 34/10.5x16) bias ply tube type Gateway Mudders. Basically they are the industrial version of Gumbo Mudders. Yes, they are noisy and they ride like they are made of solid rubber but they can hold some major weight. My dad bought that truck new in 1977 and added the slide in wrecker unit at the same time. We still have the truck but it is in very bad shape and in need of major attention. Too many years of hired help driving it.

The blue 1978 K10 has Q78 x 16 (35.5/10.50x16) Superswamper TSL’s.

I know, I know…..my family is the king of old military odd ball tire sizes but they are something much different than the run of the mill 33/12.50R16’s or 35/12.50R16’s. Tall and skinny works best in the snow in my opinion.

[78K20]

I went ahead and had my OEM steel wheels powdercoated. It looks a lot better.
Still looking for a good deal on those GM polished aluminum wheels though.

[Bowed]

QUOTE DIRTYLARRY " Look at my 68 GMC and 78 K10 "

On the 78 , where did you get the fender flares and what is the brand name . I have been wanting a look like that ,
. BTW nice truck . Thanks .

. .

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Bowed

QUOTE DIRTYLARRY " Look at my 68 GMC and 78 K10 "

On the 78 , where did you get the fender flares and what is the brand name . I have been wanting a look like that ,
. BTW nice truck . Thanks .

. .

Thanks…

They are WARN 4xFlares. http://www.warn.com/truck/flares/4x_flares.shtml

For 1973 – 1980

Front pn: 29871
Rear pn: 27996

They will set you back about $350. I would recommend going the Xenon flare route, as they look nicer and are flexiable. The Warn’s are hard plastic but look alright. I would not buy the WARN's again given the opportunity.