Need ideas to help me choose wheels

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thecantaloupeman

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So I'm looking at getting new wheels for my C20 Silverado. I am not 100% sure of what style I want yet, but I know I'd like to lower it a bit (not slammed), and I'd like it the tires to be good in snow. My current Firestone transforce HT's (8.75x16.5) suck in even rainy weather.

Anyway I've been looking at pictures and came across a really cool square that happens to be from an article on squarebodysyndicate. I really dig the no hubcap look with the OEM styled steelies. The wider back wheel and narrow front wheel looks awesome. It looks like a drag truck. It also seems practical for my needs as a daily driver.

Anyways I have a few questions. Does the different size front and rear put me at a disadvantage when rotating the tires since there is only one other place each tire can go?

Are the Radial A/T's good in snow?

Is having no hubcap or cover an issue at all?

And finally has anyone purchased steelies from stockton wheel? If so are they under 150$ a wheel? SBS ordered the back set custom from them with powder coat I believe. These are the sizes:
Front: 15×8″ needs to be custom ordered with a 4″ backspace.
Rear: 15×10″ needs to be ordered with a 5″ backspace

Thanks -Dawson
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Ricko1966

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Lowered and snow dont play nice together neither do wide street tires and snow.With no hubcaps either run acorn lug nuts, or periodically oil your lugs, the exposed threads will be more prone to rust and be difficult to remove.Yes you are handicapping your ability to rotate the tires. As for lowering the front I'd recommend dropped spindles not different or cut springs. Lowered spindles will lower ride height without changing the front suspension geometry.Cut springs or lowering springs Will change front suspension geometry.IDK if they make lowered spindles for c20. If you can live with 16x7s on all 4 corners these are ford van wheels probably $15.00 each in the junkyard.

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thecantaloupeman

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Lowered and snow dont play nice together neither do wide street tires and snow.With no hubcaps either run acorn lug nuts, or periodically oil your lugs, the exposed threads will be more prone to rust and be difficult to remove.Yes you are handicapping your ability to rotate the tires. As for lowering the front I'd recommend dropped spindles not different or cut springs. Lowered spindles will lower ride height without changing the front suspension geometry.Cut springs or lowering springs Will change front suspension geometry.IDK if they make lowered spindles for c20. If you can live with 16x7s on all 4 corners these are ford van wheels probably $15.00 each in the junkyard.

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If I lower it, it will only be around the height of that SBS truck maybe even a bit higher. I like the idea of acorn nuts. I wanted to find some pictures of all white steelies with just a center cap but didn't find many. Maybe someone on here has a few pics that can give me a visual idea of what it would look like. I also could do the dog dishes, but I'm honestly not really a fan of the later style. The 73-74 style ones look awesome on everything. Maybe someone can change my mind, but I haven't seen a lowered square with the 78 style dog dishes that I like yet.
 

78C10BigTen

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I personally feel that the SBS truck would look WAY better with 73 dog dishes on! And i agree that hub caps or enclosed lug nuts will be a benefit to those stud threads.
 

Dutch Rutter

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Third on the dog dishes. Tough to beat the classic look of rallye wheels too.
 

thecantaloupeman

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I personally feel that the SBS truck would look WAY better with 73 dog dishes on! And i agree that hub caps or enclosed lug nuts will be a benefit to those stud threads.

Funny you should mention that. They had a pic of it with the dog dishes on and I do in fact prefer the look, however I'm not sure the same look would work with the 78 dog dishes. They just don't look as "hot roddy" or classic.
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78C10BigTen

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Funny you should mention that. They had a pic of it with the dog dishes on and I do in fact prefer the look, however I'm not sure the same look would work with the 78 dog dishes. They just don't look as "hot roddy" or classic.
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I may have missunderstood wich were 78 and 73. Those still look better then studs n nuts but my dads 73 had the yellow "star" style dog dishes and i LOVE them! Plus i prefer the wide steelies with the (i guess later) star style dog dishes.
 

thecantaloupeman

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I may have missunderstood wich were 78 and 73. Those still look better then studs n nuts but my dads 73 had the yellow "star" style dog dishes and i LOVE them! Plus i prefer the wide steelies with the (i guess later) star style dog dishes.

These dog dishes are the later style I'm pretty sure. The ones on that SBS were the older ones. I think they used those on the older 67-72 trucks as well. I like those more. They look more classy. The ones on the white truck are like the ones on mine and I'm just not sure they would look as cool on a lowered truck with the BFGS.

It sucks because I'd like to just put the 73 style dishes on my truck but they'd feel out of place because I'm pretty sure they weren't offered after 75. I could be wrong.
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78C10BigTen

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These dog dishes are the later style I'm pretty sure. The ones on that SBS were the older ones. I think they used those on the older 67-72 trucks as well. I like those more. They look more classy. The ones on the white truck are like the ones on mine and I'm just not sure they would look as cool on a lowered truck with the BFGS.

It sucks because I'd like to just put the 73 style dishes on my truck but they'd feel out of place because I'm pretty sure they weren't offered after 75. I could be wrong.
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Those pictured on the white truck are 16" but yes those are the "star" hubcaps im talking about. I love those and thought they were from 73 but thats because thats what was on dads 73 SB truck when he bought it and i always saw. Btw i learned to drive in that truck, no ps no pb and a whooped straight 6!
 

78C10BigTen

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These dog dishes are the later style I'm pretty sure. The ones on that SBS were the older ones. I think they used those on the older 67-72 trucks as well. I like those more. They look more classy. The ones on the white truck are like the ones on mine and I'm just not sure they would look as cool on a lowered truck with the BFGS.

It sucks because I'd like to just put the 73 style dishes on my truck but they'd feel out of place because I'm pretty sure they weren't offered after 75. I could be wrong.
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And also for the record if you put ones on yours the same as the white one i wouldnt look twice. Unless its 80s then id be like they arent right on there.
 

Dutch Rutter

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Did they make rallyes in 8 lug ? His c20 should be 8 lug.

I missed that it is a c20. That does throw a wrench in the rallye wheel option. Unless someone put in the extra work (alot of work) and convert it over to a 5 lug. Or you go with custom made wheels (big bucks).

Edit: These look about as close as one could get. However, they are from a 90s era 3/4 ton truck.

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thecantaloupeman

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My 1976 GMC brochure has both types of hub caps.
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Interesting! I'd be curious to know if they also offered the older style hubcaps in 78 on the silverado. I would probably go out and buy a set if I knew they were offered as an option back then.


Also yes my truck is 8 lug. That kinda throws a wrench in a lot of cool wheels. Most of the modern style 8 lug wheels are all for offroad rigs and look weird on street tires.
 

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There’s many options for steelies like you’re wanting.
If you stick to 16s (don’t do 15s on a 3/4 ton for a multitude of reasons), options are reasonable price and plentiful.
Stockton, wheel vintiques, us wheel, and Detroit steel wheels are the ones off the top of my head.
Tires? No BFg radial TAs are not good snow tires. No performance car tires really are. And I don’t think they even make 16s.
If you want decent/ok in snow and fat car tires, sipe them, tread depth must be 3/4 of new or more and lower pressures to min safe and weight in the back. What you’re asking is having your cake and eating it too.

lugs, regardless of open, closed nuts hubcaps, no hubcaps, one should grease or preferably anti seize the threads anyway.

staggered white 16” steelies with low pro tires would look bad ass though. Imo you’re on the right track.
 

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