15 x 8 4x4 steel wheel no slots

[special-K]

FYI,there wheels were not offered from GM till post-72. Back then they offered 8.25 x 16.5 for the 10.00 -16.5 tires in 6-lug.They are exactly like the standard factory wheels,but wider,because they are made by the same supplier...Kelsey-Hayes. I was still buying these wheels new till the early-90s

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by special-K

The only wheels with no slots I know of are smoothies. You can buy them new in primed.primed center/chrome rim,and all chrome. The accept a few special caps using inner nubs,like Vette rallye wheels do. It's the Kelsey Hayes/OEM style that you have to find used

Below is a pic of the hard to find no slot wheels. This is the only one of them I've ever had. It is a 3 nub drum brake wheel.

Originally Posted by special-K

FYI,there wheels were not offered from GM till post-72. Back then they offered 8.25 x 16.5 for the 10.00 -16.5 tires in 6-lug.They are exactly like the standard factory wheels,but wider,because they are made by the same supplier...Kelsey-Hayes. I was still buying these wheels new till the early-90s

Could you buy 15 X 8 wheels directly from Kelsey Hayes back then? If so, its probably possible that a lot of these we are finding never actually came on a truck.

[derotoreut]

Originally Posted by 67_C-30

I'm talking about the outer ring of the wheel itself. That wheel is shaped unlike any 15X8 factory steelie I've ever seen. It also looks deeper than any of them as well. Compare your wheel to any wheel on this thread, and you will see what I mean. Your's have a angle wheel it steps down to the diameter that the center of the wheel welds on, but most have a radiused step instead of the angle. They may have been factory, but they are very unusual if they are, and I've never seen any like them. I've looked at lot of these wheels over the years, and those are the only ones I've seen like that.

Yes you are correct, they are deeper then other wheels. They are 15X8 with 3" backspace. That's why I didn't really care for them.

Originally Posted by 67_C-30

I'm not knocking them, they are very good looking wheel, they are just different than any I've seen. I'd love to have those wheels!

That's OK. No offense taken. I didn't care for the backspacing. I have since sold the wheels because I bought a couple sets of M1009 CUCV wheels.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by 67_C-30

Could you buy 15 X 8 wheels directly from Kelsey Hayes back then? If so, its probably possible that a lot of these we are finding never actually came on a truck.

Yes. Well,not directly but you could buy Kelsey Hayes wheels from a tire store. I bought from a place called Standard Wheel & Rim,which was a commercial vehicle business. The last 9.75 x 16.5 Kelsey Hayes I bought were designated trailer wheels. They also sold chassis/axle/brake parts. I think most of the wheels we saw growing up were bought and installed by the owners. Once more fancy wheels became available for trucks,as well as the wagon wheel,is when you stopped seeing many trucks with wide steelies. I always assumed most felt if they were buying wheels they wanted to add flash for their money. I always dug the wide steelie look. No real effort in style,just what's required required for larger tires..."Beefy Stock"

[joeysautodetail]

The info on here is just amazing thanks folks. But i'm still on the hunt for one original 15 x 8 wheel that fits disc brakes. Please inbox me if anyone has located one in their stash lol thanks again joey....and again thanks for all the info.

[cleanfreak]

Are you still looking for the 15x8 no-slots? I may have a line an 4 , let me know if interested - Bob

[special-K]

Rallye wheels have 10 slots and standard wheels (aka steelies, Kelsey-Hayes, OEM-type, factory, solid disc*, etc) have 4. They are for venting brakes and to allow water drainage. Also helps prevent mud or snow from packing as easily, and wash out. Figure before these, cars had spokes and the first solids were so narrow they were flat as a pancake. It's just the way all US auto wheels were made when tires got shorter and wider. These are wider standard wheels that were sold to use with oversize tires. They were for function, and yeah, they look tuff open or with hubcaps. Then came the rod & custom era where cast aluminum racing wheels came to the street on rods, and styled wheels (chrome mags,smoothies*,etc) on customs. Those mixed and we got more stylized aluminum wheels and racier chrome mags. Rallyes & center caps that show the lugs were European influence to look sporty, of course, but also I'd think maybe cuz them foreigners was a comin'. Many car names started coming from other countries in the '60s**. It wasn't till '92 that GM Trucks became 100% Euro influence.

* No slots

** COUGH ** ((Even '75 Ford Granada sold as a Mercedes look-alike. Amber rear turn signals ended up on about every US car))