The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 6 lug wheels for 1961 C10 with 235

What was the size (height and width) of the orginal 6 lug steel wheels that Chevy installed on the 1961 Apache C10 1/2 ton long bed with the 235 motor/
Thank you.

JB - Welcome back sir! According to the GM Heritage Center 1961 Chevrolet Truck Data PDF the screenshot below shows the different specifications for the C/K/P10 trucks depending on the Base or designated RPO for the truck.

Their where 3 different size options, 15", 16" and 17.5" depending on the Base or RPO option selected.

Note: All the 15" and 16" wheels were listed as 5" (5K) wide for the rim size. The 17.5" wheels where 5.25" wide.

Wow. Ask and ye shall receive. Shortest thread ever.

Thank you everyone.

Could anyone identify this wheel (set of 4) that came with my ‘61 Apache step side long bed. I’m not sure if they are original to the truck.
The second photo is the backside of the wheel.
Thank you

Semi-drop center locking ring wheels. What diameter are they? I think they were an option.
I think the standard wheels were drop center “safety rim” wheels.

Hi Frank50, The tire size says they are 15". I never saw a wheel with six clips to hold the hub cap. These wheels did not come with caps when I bought the truck.
They were not mounted on my truck. Previous owner claims they are original to the truck. He replaced them with aftermarket Vintique wheels that are on the truck now but I would like to
find an original set that I could install with original 1961 hubcaps.
Do you think if I remove one of the tires that I would find info on the tire side of the wheel?
Thanks

JB - I did a deeper dive, after seeing your pictures, into several Chevy resource documents and found that it looks like your 3 piece wheels could very well be original to the truck. They were apparently a heavy duty option for the 1961 (and could be other) model years for the C10. The first screenshot below is taken from the GM Heritage Site 1961 Chevrolet Truck Data PDF, showing there was a 3 piece 15" rim option for the C10.

The second screenshot is taken from a 1962 Chevy Master Parts Catalog that shows the passenger car and truck wheel options available with more descriptive detail. The 15" 3 piece rims are noted to have 6 hubcap clips and with riveted center section and the standard 6 lug wheel stud mounting pattern. The upper right drawing shows the 3 piece construction design.

6 clips where common for hub cap retention going a good ways back. I think IIRC, the 3 clip style came along with the Task force and later 1/2 tons, apparently with the exception of these 3 piece heavy duty wheels. Probably not alot of these wheels around as the vast majority of 1/2 tons came equipped with the standard one piece rims.

Hope this provides the details you seek.

Thank Gdads51

Hi Gdads51, I was told by a guy at a swap meet that these wheels could be "split ring" wheels and could be dangerous.
Would you know anything about that and would it apply to these wheels. I am hoping that's not the case as I plan on having these wheels sandblasted,
painted and new tires installed.
Thanks
JB

Your wheels are not the deadly ones. Somewhere on this forum is a chart with pictures of various multi-piece rims. It useful for identifying the make and model of split rims and identifying the dangerous ones.

The two piece Firestone RH-5 is the "widowmaker".

Thanks Otto

While they are not the widowmakers……..
before you spend $ and time on them you might want to visit your intended tire shop to confirm they will work on your standard split rim wheels. In this day and age they may suggest you go in another direction (or elsewhere like a truck tire place).
Chuck

Hanks, thanks for your reply.
So you suggest that my wheels are "split ring" wheels? Previous members have not stated that they are "split ring". Just the opposite.

I don’t know the technical term for your wheels but they look be multi piece/removable outer ring, while they might be safe they command more respect to work on and now a days not all shops will work on them. Big truck tire shops are set up for them, but every local tire shop might not.
Chuck

JB - To the best if my knowledge your rims are 3 piece design that pretty much mirrors the design of some of the larger trucks 3 piece wheels.

Technical jargon aside, they are commonly called a split ring design.

The main wheel section and outer “side ring” are one piece, with no split or separation. The “clamp ring” is a split ring that gets wedged in between the main wheel and side ring.

It acts as the locking ring when the tires are inflated.

Definitely check with yiur local shop to see if they will work on them. Most big truck shops work on these regularly and gave the proper safety equipment to do it right.

Others with more direct experience should be along soon to offer their input.

Thanks for everyone's help. I will bring a wheel to a truck tire shop.

Another question though, what color are these wheels painted at the factory? body color or black or white?
Thanks

JB - Below is a chart form the 1961 Chevrolet Trucks data file that shows the color options for wheels for two-tone paint schemes.

The ** note at the bottom indicates "Colors shown for two-tone applications CK10, 20 and C30 models only. Wheel color for all solid colors and all other two-toned models is JET BLACK."