The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Tons 'o Fun 55.2 3800 SRW wheel fitment question

So I want to make my truck derivable. I just got it and all the wheels are mismatched and most of the tires are dry rotted to a point of being worried each time I back it out of the barn. I feel like I've read a thousand threads about wheels and tires but nothing that answers my questions. If this answer is out there please direct me to the right place. I also want to make this thread more helpful to others and more inclusive than some of the other threads I've read. Lets try to find out what trucks could be included in this group so there isn't a different thread for each model truck. I am working on a 1955.2 3800 with single rear wheel. I don't know if wheels and tires for earlier or later trucks could be included but if anyone knows please add that.
What I need help with is identifying my limitations on wheels and tires so we can find a wheel that fits. I tried putting an old 16" duel rim I had laying around on this weekend to check for fitment and it doesn't fit over the drum. How much bigger do I need to go to make it fit?
I found a craigslist post for newer (2011-17) stock chevy wheels. Would they fit? I know they will probably look dumb but for $150 for the set they might be usable until the truck is a little more complete. They are listed as 265-70-R18 {8 lug} TIRES with CHEVROLET 2500 hd, 3500 hd 18" WHEELS. I feel like SOMEONE has put there newer truck wheels on there bolt just to see what it looked like and could shed some light on this for me. If they don't fit what should I be looking for?

No, the '11-'17 wheels will not work. In addition to the difference in backspacing and offset, which will allow the wheel to make contact with the steering components, the bolt pattern changed from the old 8 x 6 1/2" to an 8 x 180mm.
What you're going to need is a wheel with around a 3 1/2" backspace (this can vary depending on width), pretty much any 8 lug wheel before 1988 (Chevrolet/GMC) will work. For later model wheels, the Ford Econoline 250/250 van wheels have the proper bolt pattern and backspace, and are readily available. Most of them are a 16 x 7, and should fit fine with a single wheel truck. duallies are a completely different can of worms, as they have larger rear brakes than their SRW counterparts.

what size were those brakes? Could mine have started life as a duel wheeled unit? Because these breaks seem HUGE to me.

I'm not familiar with the 55, but the 48-53 1 tons use same brakes, and in fact same rear axle altogether, for the singe and dual wheel trucks with one exception of wheel stud length.

If you have single type wheels up front it was probably singe wheel truck from the start, unless someone changed hubs along the way.

You probably need 16" or larger wheels to fit over rear brakes, and as mentioned most any older 8 lug wheel (non metric bolt pattern) will be the same old 6.5" bolt circle and may fit.

At work, we cut the frames of DRW ford, Chevy, and Mercedes van chassis and stretch them to different lengths to be used as a base for class C motor homes for companies like forest river and Jayco. I snagged up the spare tire to one of the units last night and it fit the front but not over the rear drum. I didn't know about the 8X180mm bolt pattern but it sure fit like it was meant to be.

Are you looking for single wheels or duals? You said single wheel truck, but sounds like you’re test fitting dual wheels?

I’m pretty sure you’ll need 19.5” duals to fit over rear drums, and even then might just fit.
Single wheels 16” ought to fit, but probably not all.

The front has duel style wheels so I thought I should put the same thing on the back to make them all the same but maybe (most likely) I don't know what I'm talking about. Right now the front 2 are 2 different duel style dished in and one rear appears to be a 16" trailer wheel while the other is a 16.5" split rim painted bright blue so I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking for. The split rim had regular short studs while the trailer wheel had long shouldered studs with 3/4" nuts as spacers put on between the hub and wheel to accommodate for the threads that didn't go all the way down. Typical farmer trying to make something work with what was laying around I'm sure.

If you’d like to run dual wheels try some 19.5”, they have a good chance of fitting. Truck probably came with 18” tube type

thanks, what kind of vehicle would have had 19.5's?

Chevy step vans and RV chassis, though a lot came with 16" if not 19.5".
And you'll need 8 lug on 6.5" bolt circle.

17.5's might also work if you come across any, come on Dodge, etc., motor homes, heavier duty tires in many cases.

Ed

I have to admit to making an error, the rear brakes are the same for dual and single on the '55, 12" in front, 14" in the rear.
The 8 x 180mm bolt pattern I mentioned was for '11 and up Chevrolet and GMC pickups, vans still use the 8 x 6.50" pattern.

Thanks for getting to the bottom of that truck/van pattern issue for me.