a new disc brake swap question....maybe

[qksilver]

I am swapping disc brakes on to my 66 truck I bought a couple of weeks ago. I have swapped many disc onto 67-72 trucks, no problems there.

The question that came to mind going thru a review of other posts is track width. Both front and rear, with a possible rear swap in the near future. I have some 15x8 wheels off of a big bolt pattern caprice/impala? sw.

I am going to swap to the front discs and a 72 5 lug rear end in the next couple of days. I have a 66 chevy swb with a fleetside bed,(trailing arm suspension). I am using a 78 complete front suspension with cross member, and a 72 trailing arm 5 lug rear end. I am also going to use the new 235/75/15 tires that came on the truck.

Am I going to have interference problems with the front fenders and the rear bed sides because I guess the front and rear track widths will be wider?

I want to keep the look I have with it lowered and paint the 15x8 wheels the same color yellow. The wheels on it now are 15x6 6 lug.

I also have a set of aftermarket 6 lug rotors that I could use and keep the original rear in the truck. If the 15x8 wheels and the tires I have won't work, what 6 lug disc brake compatible wheels should I look for? Not sure what 15x6or 7 6 lugs came on.

Any idea suggestions or opinions for the easiest way to keep the look of the truck?

Thanks,
Steve

[lolife99]

You need 71-87 stock steel wheel that were found on the 4x4 trucks to clear the brake calipers.
The pre-71 wheels won't work.

[markeb01]

I’m no expert on lowered fleetsides, but here are my observations.

If you were to run 15x6 disc brake wheels (5 or 6 lug) they should work just fine with the 1.5” wider track (3/4” per side), especially with relatively skinny 235/75 tires. In fact I swapped my front suspension and never realized it was wider until reading about it on this forum 10 years later.

Fleetside beds have more rear fender clearance than stepsides, so the 15x8 wheels should also fit okay in the rear with the later rear end. I don’t know how well the 15x8 wheels with fit in the front, it will probably depend on how much the chassis is lowered. But again a 235/75 tire is pretty skinny so it will “probably” clear. Hopefully you’ll receive more input from others that actually run this combination.

As noted by lolife99 the 71-87 6 lug 4x4 wheels clear the disc brake calipers. The only sizes I’ve seen in stock hub cap style wheels are 15x6 and 15x8. The 15x8’s are somewhat hard to find now. Here’s an earlier thread that may offer some other useful input:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...c+brake+wheels

[qksilver]

Thx............


I have a 79 4x4 parts truck but it has rally's on it.

Steve

[Clyde65]

Ralleys will work, 4x4 are 6 lug and 15X8"

[kieth]

The later model rear end is wider than the one on your truck I believe it is about 3/4" per side, I found this out because I bought a complete rear end off of a 71 and was going to use the axles 5 lug with my truck they did not fit, I would just use 4x4 6 lug wheels that way you will have more rear wheel and tire clearance and you will not have to change the rear end.....Kieth