1970 gmc 1 ton dually wheels

[playinsafe44]

my dad just got a sweet deal on a couple of trucks. a '73 mustard yellow 1/2 ton (250 I6, original with 60,xxx miles), and a '70 gmc 1 ton dually, flatbed with a 350, granny 4 spd, and nice flatbed. he bought them both for 500 bucks. we drove them away, the 73 is cleaning up real nice, but the 70 will need a little more tlc. right now we are looking to get some better wheels for it. the ones on it have some pretty serious rust. what are our options? i thought the eagle alloys 16 inchers would work, but them i was told that i cant run them on the inside rear, and then les schwab told my dad that he would need wheels custom made. so any suggestions would be great for wheels

[oldiron]

I put a set of Weld wheels on mine. Ran the old split rims on the inners. With the 70 you can run later 70's drop center rims for the inners as the bolt pattern is the same.
First picture stock rims
Second picture the Welds

[72armyswbtruck]

Nice looking truck,

[special-K]

I ran `71-up chrome budds on mine with painted budds for inner rears.The only problem was the pre-71 drum brake trucks use 1/2" studs/lugs and the later trucks use 9/16".Also,the 1/2" lugs are flat back castle-style and the later 9/16" are beveled and use a spreader ring to seat into.I drilled my drums,pressed 9/16" studs,and chamfered the wheels to eliminate the need for spreader rings.That worked out fine dispite what all the nah-sayers said about keeping centered,loose fitting studs,and all the other blah blah blah.

[playinsafe44]

those welds are pretty much what we are looking for. so you have to use a stock steel for the rear inners? i love that truck of yours old iron, we plan to haul a LOT of wood with it

[IAFF2407]

Oldiron, everytime I see that truck I fall in love again.

[Cyclone44]

Originally Posted by 72armyswbtruck

Nice looking truck,

That is sweet...

[playinsafe44]

im sure theres more people running around with duals. theres a black 1 ton somewhere on this website that is just beautiful, it has modern wheels similar if not the same as those welds. im just trying to find out the easiest and nicest way to go with the wheels. eventually this will be fixed up and looking like a new truck again, the perfect parts and wood hauler!

[tcb-1]

Originally Posted by IAFF2407

Oldiron, everytime I see that truck I fall in love again.

x2!!

[72BlckButy]

oldiron... that thing is beautiful!

[playinsafe44]

so would i have to drill the drums and install 9/16 studs to be able to install modern wheels? and even then i still have to run the steel inner rear?

[BLAZERMAN]

Originally Posted by playinsafe44

so would i have to drill the drums and install 9/16 studs to be able to install modern wheels? and even then i still have to run the steel inner rear?

Yes you will have to drill and insatall 9/16" wheel studs and most all aftermarket budds require the use of the stock type inner steel wheels to remain hubcentric.

Heres a pic of my 72 that I run American 19.5s on.

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by playinsafe44

im sure theres more people running around with duals. theres a black 1 ton somewhere on this website that is just beautiful, it has modern wheels similar if not the same as those welds. im just trying to find out the easiest and nicest way to go with the wheels. eventually this will be fixed up and looking like a new truck again, the perfect parts and wood hauler!

I think you would be talking about this '68 owned by JoesJunk.

[67_C-30]

BTW, Here's my cheap but decent looking set-up on my '67 C-30 dually pickup. They are standard 16" steel wheels with '97 Chevy C3500 trim rings and center caps. They do require special lug nuts with external threads to hold the caps on.

My '67 C-30 came with 17.5" wheels and my '69 C-30 ramp truck came with 16" 2 piece wheels, but regular 16" rims clear the drums with no problems on both trucks. Some 73+ model trucks that came with 16.5's, I know 16's won't claer those drums. I think with your '70 you can run any 16" wheel you want with no problems.

[special-K]

As mentioned,once these trucks went disc brakes in`71 the stud size increased from 1/2" to 9/16".Drilling and installing the larger studs is one option and another wouldbe to swap the front to disc brakes and use a `71-up rear.

[playinsafe44]

joesjunk '68 is the truck i was talking about. thats the type of wheel we want to put on. 67_c-30, did you convert your studs to 9/16th? and those are more modern steel wheels right? i like your wheels and the trim rings really make them look great. swapping to disc brakes and installing a different rearend seams like way to much work a wheel upgrade. and is everyone that has a pre 71 dual with non stock wheels either swapped to discs and a newer rearend OR drilled their drums?

[playinsafe44]

anyone?

[67_C-30]

I changed the lugs on my '67 C-30, but I didn't on my '69 C-30 ramp truck. I am running newer style 16" wheels and tapered seat 1/2" lug nuts (the factory ones were flat). I have been running it like this for years with no problems.

[rambler]

subscibing to the thread.. love the pics and someday I've got to a C30!

[Longhorn Man]

you guys think old iron's truck looks good, you should see it in person.

[playinsafe44]

does it seat nice and tight just using tapered 1/2 inch lug nuts? we plan on taking this thing back and forth from portland OR to boise ID and i dont want to worry about the wheels vibrating, braking studs off, or anything esle serious. and if anyone has had their studs changed over to 9/16th, how hard was it? can you do it yourself, or is it something a machine shop should handle? thanks for all the info, i just want to know the options/risks

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by playinsafe44

does it seat nice and tight just using tapered 1/2 inch lug nuts? we plan on taking this thing back and forth from portland OR to boise ID and i dont want to worry about the wheels vibrating, braking studs off, or anything esle serious. and if anyone has had their studs changed over to 9/16th, how hard was it? can you do it yourself, or is it something a machine shop should handle? thanks for all the info, i just want to know the options/risks

Its easy to change them, and you can do it yourself. You have to knock the studs out and open up the holes with drill and tap the new ones in. However, I went to a parts store and found some 1/2" lug nuts that used a 7/8" lug wrench to take them off. Most have a 3/4" or 13/16" outside hex, but the ones I got have bigger tapered seat. They seat vey good and I have have had no problems with any vibration or coming loose for over 5 years now. As you tell below, I this truck has been no stranger to a load duriung that time!

[playinsafe44]

ok so im thinking ill just get the wheels we want, and then figure out if we can get away with using some different tapered lug nuts, or installing 9/16th wheel studs. all the pics are great by the way! i would love to get a set of the steel wheels like you have on your dually/fleetside and the beauty rings and caps. thats just a real clean look. what would i get those off of? the welds are the coolest, but i should hold off on them until im 100% sure on how to install them.

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by playinsafe44

ok so im thinking ill just get the wheels we want, and then figure out if we can get away with using some different tapered lug nuts, or installing 9/16th wheel studs. all the pics are great by the way! i would love to get a set of the steel wheels like you have on your dually/fleetside and the beauty rings and caps. thats just a real clean look. what would i get those off of? the welds are the coolest, but i should hold off on them until im 100% sure on how to install them.

My wheels came off of a '97 C3500, but you could use any 16" Chevy rims from the mid 70's up to about 1999.

[CCCC]

I am running 5 C30s of various years and have encountered some interesting stuff - all resolvable. With the dually (offset) wheels after the original split rim type, there are verying issues having to do with beveled holes, non-beveled holes and even those later where there were raised rings around four holes to be mated on the rear hub offset to the four on the other wheel - ostensibly to help "lock" the two wheels to help prevent loosening. I tried to write this all out to you in detail last night but the forum logged me out before I got if it finished and sent. If you want more detail on this stuff and the solutions I have applied, send me a PM