The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun 1955 Chevrolet Truck 3800

I wonder if the 8 bolt patterns have changed over the years.
I need new rims. Have 16s in front and 18s (duals) in rear.
Would like 16s all around.
Maybe 18" rims must be used in rear to fit over hubs?
Thanks

17" rims are what the 3800's came with.

Your truck probably has a 14" rear drum

On most steel 16" rims, the rib that the wheel center welds to, narrows down to 13.5" Depending on where it narrows down at, a 16" rim may work.

The problem with the early rims is that the center band is pretty wide.

Try your 16's on the back to see if they work. Otherwise you need a different rim.

Not sure about the '55 3800s, but my '59 model came with 18 inch wheels. 16" wheels wouldn't fit over the rear drums. In my case, I upgraded to 19.5" one piece wheels so I could run modern radial tires. It turned out to be the best improvement I've made to my truck.

If your truck is a factory dually then it came with the 18" 8 hand hole wheels in the 8x6.5" bolt pattern which is the same that GM used on 1 ton duallys until I believe 2010. Your studs are 1/2", 73-91 square body were 9/16" studs and 88-up were 14mm studs. The later wheels are probably what you have on the front but 16's will not fit on the rear if your rear brakes are the same size as on my 52 DRW. Some have talked about downsizing the rear brake to 3/4 ton 3600 rear brake because they are smaller and are said to fit 16's. If you leave the large rear brakes you will probably have to go up to 19.5's as mentioned above.