BUSY BOLTERS Are you one?  The Shop Area
continues to pull in the most views on the Stovebolt. In August alone there were over 22,000 views in those 13 forums.
| | Click on image for the lowdown. 
====
| | |
10 members (TUTS 59, homer52, Guitplayer, Hotrod Lincoln, 32vsnake, Charles in CA, Peggy M, 46 Texaco, 2 invisible),
556
guests, and
1
robot. | | Key: Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod | | | Forums66 Topics126,776 Posts1,039,271 Members48,100 | | Most Online2,175
Jul 21st, 2025 | | | | Joined: Apr 2021 Posts: 8 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2021 Posts: 8 | This may ruffle some purists feathers....I'm just bouncing some ideas around, I have steel 19.5's for my 1 ton dually and I was wondering if anyone has heard of milling them to a 19in rim for more tire options. I know its common for alloy 22.5's to be cut to 22's. I might lower the truck and the shortest 19.5 tire I can find is around 32inches. I'd like to keep the original wheel style.
1957 Chevy 3800
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 28,674 | First, call your insurance agent. You're probably going to need lots of liability coverage for when the wheel disintegrates and you run over a minivan with a soccer mom and a bunch of kids in it. Better increase your life insurance while you're at it, so your family will be cared for if you don't survive the carnage.
All the tubeless tire rims (the ones that end in a .5 measurement) have tapered tire bead seats. Any attempt to flatten the bead seat area on a steel wheel to accommodate a different design of tire bead would end up with cutting the entire bead area off. The thickness of a steel wheel in the bead seat area is 1/4" or less and there's no room for reshaping. Even doing that on an alloy wheel would make it deadly dangerous by thinning the stressed area where the tire bead meets the rim.
Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln
Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt!
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway
Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
| | | | | Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 5,096 Crusing in the Passing Lane | | Crusing in the Passing Lane Joined: Jun 2011 Posts: 5,096 | What wheel bolt pattern do you have?
Ed
'37 GMC T-18 w/ DD 4-53T, RTO-610, 6231 aux., '95 GMC running gear, full disc brakes, power steering, 22.5 wheels and tires.
'47 GMC 1 ton w/ 302, NP-540, 4wd, full width Blazer front axle.
'54 GMC 630 w/ 503 gasser, 5 speed, ex fire truck, shortened WB 4', install 8' bed.
'55 GMC 370 w/270, 420 4 speed, grain, dump bed truck from ND. Works OK.
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2005 Posts: 2,832 | Not possible. You need a decrease in bead mounting surface not the total diameter. The bead surface would have to be turned (not milled) a quarter inch for a half inch total and to my knowledge there is no 1/4" thick steel on wheels till you get into construction,farm, or semi tractor and even on those not in the bead mounting area. A quarter inch thick steel wheel would be heavy indeed.
Evan
| | |
|
|
