I have 2 steel 6 lug 15 inch wheels that I'm curious about. One has the hubcap clips and is assembled with rivets. The other does not have the clips and is welded together. Both are 5 inch wide, and both fit the bolt pattern on my 53 pickup, which is 5-1/2 inch I think. What would these wheels have originally come on?
Last edited by Gdads51; 12/03/20245:53 PM. Reason: add detail to title
Mike Burns 1940 Chev 1/2 ton 1953 Chev 1/2 ton 1950 Studebaker Starlight Coupe 1947 Indian Chief 1943 Indian 741
Mike, Pictures would help pin things down for best answers. How many clips on the one with riveted center to rim? Does the other rim center section have bumps on the outer side of the hub cap ring?
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
What Dan said. Rim width measurement is between the bead seats, not overall. Confirm that's where you're measuring the width. 15x5.5 rims were optional on a '53-55.2 3100's. Standard rims on '56 3100's were 15x5. Later years used the same rim dimensions, but the hubcaps fit over the bumps on the inner ring like Dan mentioned. The 6x5.5 bolt pattern was used pretty much throughout the 1/2 tons into the 70's.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
It's mostly about the year. Clips were replaced with nubs in about 63. As said, the 6 on 5.5 lasted for a long time. So tons of wheel choices to include artillery/rally wheels/many aftermarket.
Last edited by bartamos; 12/04/202412:06 AM.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
Mike - Your 6-clip rim (15 X 5 w/6 lugs) appears to have been available for 1947-50 1/2 ton trucks and 1946-48 passenger cars (same part number as shown in the extract from 1929-54 Chevy arts Book below). The other 15 X 5 - 6 lug rim with the 3 nubs appears to have been first used in 1961 on Light duty trucks from what I have been able to find in said year dealer handouts (see this 1961 Dealer handout). That dealer hand out shows pictures of the newer style over-wrapped hub cap that mounts on the external nubs and also indicates 15" diameter as standard wheel/tire size for the C10.
I didn't look further in that dealer handout resource to see how long those 3 nub wheels were used, but Kevin above mentioned they continued up into the late '60's. I think I recall seeing that 1970 wheels started using 4 nubs for hub cap mounting, but haven't researched to confirm. Perhaps others can add more details???
Anyhow, hope this is helpful.
~ Dan 1951 Chevy 3 window 3100 Follow this story in the DITY Gallery "My Grandpa Carl's Truck and How it Became Mine" 1966 Chevelle (Wife's Hot Rod) | 2013 Chevy Silverado (Current daily driver) US Army MSG Retired (1977-1998) | Com Fac Maint Lead Tech Retired (1998-2021)
How many clips on the one with riveted center to rim? Does the other rim center section have bumps on the outer side of the hub cap ring? 
