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Jul 21st, 2025 | | | | Joined: Apr 2019 Posts: 116 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2019 Posts: 116 | Hi.
I have a 1951 3100. I have 16" x 6.5" bias tires on it.
The rims are 6 lug.
I do not have a spare.
I have a few junkyards around me. If I wanted to pickup a rim for a spare, what size would I be looking for?
Thanks,
JD
1951 Chevy 3100 1/2 ton (1957 235, 4 speed, 411 rear)
| | | | | Joined: Oct 2021 Posts: 5,684 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2021 Posts: 5,684 | I believe the original rims are 16" x 4.5"
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1956 Cadillac Sixty Special Fleetwood (The Godfather) | 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado (The Purple Knif) | 1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe | 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
| | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 | I believe the original rims are 16" x 4.5" Correct. Later 16" rims (55.2 and up) were 5" wide. They usually had only 3 hub cap clips instead of 6. The 5" wide wheels were used with 6.50-16 tires. If 6.00-16 tires came on the truck, it would still have had 4.5" wide rims. The 4.5" wide rims were phased out (along with 6.00-16 tires) for '56 model trucks. Later Vehicle Info Kits dropped wheel size data for some reason. But they do not include 6.00-16 tires on any models.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 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. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2019 Posts: 116 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2019 Posts: 116 | Kevin,
I am not sure if the rims are original to my 51. My rims have 6 hub cap clips.
I have 16" x 6.5" tires on it, so that would mean the rims are 16"x5" correct?
Thank you.
Last edited by JD1; 09/16/2025 4:15 PM.
1951 Chevy 3100 1/2 ton (1957 235, 4 speed, 411 rear)
| | | | | Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums | | Housekeeping (Moderator) Making a Stovebolt Bed & Paint and Body Shop Forums Joined: May 2015 Posts: 9,830 | If they have 6 hub cap clips, they're likely 4.5" wide. I'm pretty sure your current 6.50-16 tires weren't installed at the factory. The will fit on the narrower 4.5" rims. That's what I have on my 3100.
When GM went to the 5" wide rims (a better fit for wider tires) they reduced the number of hub cap clips to 3, but there may be 6 clip holes, and possibly someone installed more hub cap clips, but I doubt someone went to that much trouble.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truckFollow this saga in Project JournalPhotos 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. | | | | | Joined: Oct 2021 Posts: 5,684 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2021 Posts: 5,684 | I got 3 clips and 6 clips mixed up in my mind. Yes. The earlier rims - 4.5" wide - have 6 clips. The later rims have 3 clips.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1956 Cadillac Sixty Special Fleetwood (The Godfather) | 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado (The Purple Knif) | 1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe | 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
| | | | | Joined: Apr 2019 Posts: 116 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Apr 2019 Posts: 116 |
1951 Chevy 3100 1/2 ton (1957 235, 4 speed, 411 rear)
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