Wheel specs for lowered 69 stepper????

[JConley]

I have a 1969 Stepside that has drop spindles on it. I assume that it is a 2.5" drop spindle but I don't know for sure. The spindles have Russell stamped on them. The back is lowered to match but I'm not sure how much.

I want to lower it down to a 5/7 drop but the current wheels are the wrong offset. They seem a bit wide and would likely cause a fender rub when I get down to the 5/7 stance. To get to the 5/7 drop from where I am, I plan on utilizing the drop spindles in conjunction with a 2" drop spring in the front. If it isn't low enough then I would cut the coil more to get some wheel tuck. In the rear, I plan on using a 6" drop spring with a 1" block.

Now back to the wheels. I currently have 255/70/15 tires and plan on re-using them for now. I want to get to a 235 size tire after these wear out. What width and offset do you recommend for a 15 wheel to fit these 255 tires now and also fit the 235 tires later? I plan on using some cheap steel wheels for now. I really like the Crager Soft 8 wheels. How do I check my rear end to see if it is the narrow or wide axle? It is a 12-bolt and I assume it's the stock rear end. Again, its a 1969 stepside. Please help me get my wheels right so I can get it lowered more. Here is a pic my truck.

[67Slider]

I gotta say I love the way she sits now! Welcome to the board. I am no wheel guys but one will surely chime in.

[lolife99]

A stock '69 rearend would be 6-lug.
You need to measure the rearend width to know for sure what you have .
55-1/2" or 57" backing plate-to-backing plate.

Measure and let me know.

I helped measure wheels for member hot trux' sweet stepside.

[slow-1]

Your blue stepside looks perfect the way it is....to me.

I'm sure it will look good lower as well.

[JConley]

Thanks for the comments guys! I took the wheels off and measured at 2 places. I had to approximate the wheel mounting surface dimensions because of the lip. In the picture below, I circled in red the places that I took my measurements.

Wheel mounting surface to surface = approx. 63.5" - 63.75"
Wheel backplate to backplate = 56.75"

Does that mean I have the wide rear end?

[lolife99]

You have the wider 71-72 rearend in your '69.

The biggest problem is your 255/70-15's aren't going to work up front with a 5" front drop.
(unless you remove the inner fenders.
Probelm #2,... using a 15" diameter wheel,... you can't get enough backspacing to tuck them under the fenders.
(4" MAX backspacing on a 15" wheel and lower control arm trimming will be neccessary.

My '69 is a 5.5/7.5 drop.
215/70 and 275/60 tires on a set of 7 and 8 inch rally wheels.
EDIT:
Can't load a picture,... or I would.

[JConley]

Well dang... Ok, so here is the plan. Ultimately I want my truck to have a 5/7 drop stance with 18" rims on all 4s. Current funds don't allow me to drop the truck and buy new 18" wheels and tires all at once. I initially planned on dropping the truck first and spending as little as possible on the wheels/tires (sticking with 15's) to fit the new lowered stance. When funds allowed, later I would upgrade to 18" wheels. But now that I can't re-use my front tires because they are too wide for the 5" drop, this changes things. Any suggestions on the cheapest way to fit tires under a 5/7 drop? Maybe I can find a set of skinny front tires and wheels on craigslist that will fit the front?

Anywho, for my longterm goal of 18" wheels, what kind of backspacing/offset do I need? I was thinking of having either 235 or 255 wide tires in the rear and 235 or 215 wide tires in the front. Suggestions on rim width and backspacing?

[JConley]

For a 5" drop on the front, what kind of wheel specs are recommended? Lets say for an 18" wheel with a 205 to a 235 size tire. Should the wheel be 7" wide? What kind of backspacing?

[lolife99]

Alot of people run a 18x8 or 18x8.5 wheel up front with a 5"-5.25" BS.
I suggest a 245 or 255 width tire in a 40 or 45 series height.

Look around the board and find a 18" wheel combo you like.
Then go off of what that owner used.

[lolife99]

Just a few of the MANY threads, using the search feature at the top of the page,...

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=498172

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=415366

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=272783