The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 8-lug Wheels with lots of Backset?

Somewhere in my wanderings through Stovebolters' websites in the last few weeks I saw a description of the installation of a '73-'87 front suspension in an AD. I think the subject truck was a 3/4 ton. The guy had done two of them, he said. On one the stock wheels set OK in the fenders, but on the other he had to use wheels from....I can't remember. Maybe a 1-ton van...anyway, the wheels had a lot more backset so the tires ended up inside the fenders.

My tape measure tells me I'm going to have the same situation on the front of my truck, and I've been trying to find that site to see what wheels he used. Does this sound familiar to anyone, and if so can you point me in the right direction?

Thanks.

:confused: Joe :confused:

Try Stockten Wheel in Ca. I know they have a web site.

I've talked to Stockton Wheel. They can do almost anything with wheels...for a price. If I can identify a stock GM wheel that's available from a wrecking yard, I can save maybe $500-$600 on a set of five. That's a worthy goal.

And yes, it has to be a GM wheel. They have the same contour in the center as the original wheels, so I can install clips and use the original hubcaps for the stock look.

Still looking for that website....

Joe

Jim Shekell in Indianna has been building custom trucks for many years. About 10 years ago he started using '73-'79 Chevy truck front cradles on AD trucks. He removes 1.5" out of the center of the '73-'79 front cradle and then welds it back up. this allows the cradle to fit right up perfectly to the stock AD frame rails and you can run pretty much any 6 lug (unless you change the spindles) wheel you want without backset or negative offset wheels. When you leave the stock setup, it will rub the fenders when the wheels are cut but that small center section removal is just enough to make up for it and allow you to run stock wheels. Hope this helps.

Thank, OCK. Much useful information, but I'm not sure how helpful in my particular situation. I'm putting late '70s 3/4 ton front suspension and rear end under my truck, as I want it still to be a 3/4 ton truck when I'm done and I want it to appear stock. It's going to be a daily driver for freeways and trailer towing and hauling and whatever, so I want to use fair-sized LT radials--probably 245LT75-16. These require a rim of about 7" width, so I can't use stock wheels anyway. (Were there stock 16" wheels? Mine are 15", and I've read about 17", but not 16".) I've learned that I can install clips in later GM 8-lug wheels and use the stock hubcaps. With the wheels painted black, you'll have to be pretty close to tell that they're not stock.

If I have to use later wheels anyway, and if they are available with increased backset, I can't see the benefit of narrowing the front suspension. Seems to me I'd also have to narrow the rear end, which is a lot more work. I finally found the website I had been looking for, and the writer says the difference in the widths of the frames at the front is 1", which is easily adjusted by using spacers. He says one might want to use van wheels. Anybody got a late '70s-early '80s GM 1-ton van with stock 16" wheels who could measure the backset for me? If I can make my choices of front and rear ends and tire size work by buying a set of van wheels from a wrecking yard and painting them black, I will save a *bunch* of money and time.

Thanks.

Joe

Actually, from what I understand that wheel clip trick will work on just about any wheel with a similar center. Someone posted a link here a while back (I think there is a link on LAROKE's web site, too), which showed the installation of the original clips on Fjord 8-lug wheels. I have five of these in the garage, and the center caps sit fine on them. Maybe this winter I'll get the clips on.

I put some 93 model 16" wheels from a pickup on my 52 this summer. The setback is about 1-3/4" more than the originals. I was going to put together a tech tip on putting the clips on the newer wheels, but not one of the pictures came out. I used 1/4" bolts to attach the clips, but 3/16 bolts would do, and the steel in the rims is hard to drill. Made some spacers to get the clips set at the same depth from the rim as the original clips were. Looks and works good. Use red loctite on the bolts so the won't come loose.

All right!!!!!!!

That's what I need. I think an extra 1-3/4" will work for me. The tires will still be a tad farther out than stock, but that's a good thing. The stock tires are tucked way under.

You didn't say...I assume these were GM wheels?

Thanks, Fred. Any chance you might try getting more pictures? And do you recall how long the spacers were? It'd be nice info to have as a double check when doing it myself.

Joe

GM wheels. I think I used 1/8" steel, same width as the clips, about 3/4 long. To be sure they didn't come apart I JB Welded them. One other note on the wheels, they were made for 9/16 studs, the AD has 1/2". You will have to buy some special nuts, my tire guy had some chrome ones in stock for about $2 each, standard cad plate ones are about a buck, but he would have had to ordered them.

Fred T,
could you tell us if the increased offset was a problem and also whether your original wheels were 17 " ?

Thanks, Fred. I don't have the lug situation as my front and rear ends are from a late '70s truck and have the 9/16" studs. Tomorrow I'll call some wrecking yards.

Joe