16.5 to 16 wheels 1977 Chevy C20

[Gerard]

Hello fellow Chevy owners,

I have a 1977 Chevy C20 with old 9.50R16.5 tires, on 7.5"/190mm wide rims, 8 lug
So I need, new ones, but 16.5” tires are almost non-existent and the standard brands are expensive.
So actually, 235/85R16 tires (same width and diameter) and 16” (inch) rims should go on it;
this combination is slightly higher than the original 9.50R16.5,
but the better size 235/80R16 is not available in standard tires

From about 1980 onwards, Chevys also had 16” rims and tires, but the rims I found are too narrow, 6”.
In the table, you can see that the rim must be at least 7.5”, so the 6” is much too narrow.

You must be registered for see images attach

I also would like to put my original hubcaps back on.
Does anyone have a solution? Thanks in advance for thinking along.

 

[legopnuematic]

A 235/85/16 can go on a 6.0-7.5” wide rim.

For sourcing alternative 8 lug wheels, GM retained the 8x6.5 bolt pattern into the 2010’s, Dodge still uses it, and ford changed in 1997 I think. For keeping hubcaps something in the 90’s vintage for a 16” steel wheel with hubcap bumps.

 

[Grit dog]

^What he said.
Seeing you’re in Europe, there ain’t stacks of old 8 lug Chevy rims laying behind people’s garages.
You have to decide your budget as new wheels would come from here across the pond, right?
If you’re intent on keeping the poverty caps and minimizing cost, you could find whatever steelies work and then drill and tap the face for clips to mount the hubcaps. Look at Detroit Steel wheels to understand what I’m referencing.
Aside from that idk how you get new rims from the US or anywhere overseas without spending big bucks.

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

A 235/85/16 can go on a 6.0-7.5” wide rim.

For sourcing alternative 8 lug wheels, GM retained the 8x6.5 bolt pattern into the 2010’s, Dodge still uses it, and ford changed in 1997 I think. For keeping hubcaps something in the 90’s vintage for a 16” steel wheel with hubcap bumps.

Phord used a dog dish hubcap on their 8 lug trucks....I don't know if the center hole/hub size is the same or compatible with the GM though. The 400 series 2500/3500 either had Argent (silver)steel wheels with center caps, or white wheels with full wheel covers. Silverado had chrome plastic center caps and stainless steel trim rings, lower level trims got black plastic center caps and no rings. Both types of center cap use the "jelly" emblems that melt and look terrible..... like the rear cap in this picture. All four are like that, and the caps are cracked so I'm not currently running them. I want to run the 800 alloys but there is difference of opinion on whether you have to trim the back of the caps to run the 400 cap. But I got one on it yesterday, blew a tire on a curb and had the wheel to trot to the tire store.

 

[bucket]

A 235/85/16 can go on a 6.0-7.5” wide rim.

For sourcing alternative 8 lug wheels, GM retained the 8x6.5 bolt pattern into the 2010’s, Dodge still uses it, and ford changed in 1997 I think. For keeping hubcaps something in the 90’s vintage for a 16” steel wheel with hubcap bumps.

I'll add that the Ford Econoline vans kept the 8x6.5 bolt pattern, till end of production as far as I know. As did the GM vans, the current ones still use the 8x6.5 bolt pattern.

 

[75gmck25]

My ‘75 GMC originally came with 9.50x16.5” tires and split rims, so I needed to find a better choice. I went to a junkyard and pulled 16”, 8 bolt rims ($25 each) from various GM squarebody trucks, and at that time they were easy to find. I’m sure it’s a little harder to find junked American trucks in the Netherlands.

I found GMC hub caps for 8 bolt rims on eBay (they are not the same as the hub caps for smaller GM wheels). I have full-time 4WD, and they fit over the fixed front hubs and the 14 bolt FF hub in the rear.

I have been using 245/75R16, load range E tires, since they are easy to find, and are closest to the original height. My GPS show the speedometer only reading about 1 mph low. I’ve also considered 235/85R16 because they are a little taller.

You have to verify the fit of newer 8 bolt wheels because at some point the manufacturers started using hub-centric wheels instead of lug-centric wheels. I believe nearly all the 8 bolt lug-centric wheels have the same bolt pattern, but maybe different offset or width.

 

[Steelbuddha]

I did the same thing with my '84 a few months ago. It came to me with flotation tires on 16.5" wheels. Found an excellent set of 16" 8-lug wheels on Facebook Marketplace for $200 plus a little driving time. The wheels I got are Mopar, but they fit and run fine.

The last time I bought 16.5" tires (12 years ago), Goodrich 35-inchers was about the only reasonable alternative. Nowadays there are a couple of 37" tires that fit 16.5" rims, but that's about it. And the prices are insane.

 

[Rusty Nail]

I has a 77 C20 with a Corvette engine in it.
Sits on aluminum 16x8 bullet holes wrapped in 235/70R16s
I call em 30x10s
Looks tougher than leather

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Hope this helps.
Good Luck!

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[goldpack]

great looking rims there. and last pic there has a fur baby.

 

[bucket]

great looking rims there. and last pic there has a fur baby.

That's Franklin. He's Rusty's trusty steed.

 

[Radiohead]

I found some 16" bullet hole wheels off a G van on Craigslist three years ago with 20 year old studded snows (crazy, not checked or split at all) to use as rollers in 265/75/16. I like the 31ish size and when it finally goes on the road full time, I'll put some safer rubber on them. Probably use the snows as burnout material or just find some other rims and save them for snow service (hasn't snowed at sea-level for years).

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[bucket]

I used to have a set of those Outlaw II wheels in 16x8. Wish I would have kept them. They went with a Burb that I also wish I would have kept.