Fast is a sub-set of happy! Not necessarily a sub-set of safe, however. I also figured out that highway speed and ride height (obviously) were going to be determined by outer diameter. I think I'm at 31" or 32" now. My truck is now suitably menacing despite the sweet harmless green and white paint job.
On Feb 4, 2013, at 9:43 AM, "Nate" <nathan.h...@lacity.org> wrote: > > Yes ; > > Happy & Safe is good , you forgot _fast_ =8-) . > > Speed in old trucks is a relative thing but taking the time to sort out the > loose front end & spring shackles then fitting a good set of _radial_ LT > tires , makes a world of difference . > > I ran 16" 6 lug rims on my '49 with Dayton LT's and it stuck to the road like > glue in spite of way too fast in the canyons . they also wore like iron in > spite of heavy Commercial Service and lots of towing , the boob who bought > then destroyed my old '49 prolly threw out the custom made 4" WWW tires I had > on it . > > I now have a '69 C/10 and it came to me with FUGLY American Racing steel > spoked wheels from , oh , 1972 I'd guess ~ they still had the original blue & > red painted pinstripes amd crappy 14" tires , it took me a while to find a > set of original 15" steel wheels , sadly in 1969 you could get 15" or _16.5_" > wheels & tires , I went down that horrible 16.5" road once , never again . > > Happliy I met a nice young fellow who was building an ' Old School ' Truck , > he was shickled titless to get those worthless wheels & tires.... I even gave > him the original chrome lug nuts after I'd cleaned them up a bit . > > I always buy my tires by the outer diameter & tread width and my Son insisted > I try Falcon LT tires , they're very good indeed *but* the biggest O.D. they > make is only 28.9" ~ this means my poor old truck cannot go 65 MPH without > buzzing the crap out of it's tiny little 250 CID InLine 6 Banger...... > > At least they are proper 6 lug 15" factory wheels and are now white and have > the correct painted " poverty " hub caps like a proper Ranch/Farm/Work Truck > ought . > > Hopefully the TH350C lock up torque converter tranny I bought , will raise > the usable Highway speed . > > You are correct , most Salesmen are not interested in Servicing the Customer > , they just want to move the highest profit margin junk or clear out old > stock or worse , sell you what _they_ think is " cool man ! " . > > -Nate > Jonas wrote : > > > > I forgot to give Nate credit for the "Jonas' solution"! (Thank you for > > sharing this knowledge, not readily available elsewhere! It's amazing how > > little a lot of the thieves in the tire and wheel business actually now > > about their productsÂ…) > > > > I like my truck better without the hubcaps. The truck is Galway green and > > cream and I painted the wheels fire engine red. > > > > I have read of people who have drilled the 16" wheels and inserted the > > clips without a problem, but I think they are a bit small and weenie for > > those macho 16" wheels. It has more of a factory-yard farm look to it now, > > which I prefer. > > > > This is all about driving on radials. If you want to stay with 15" wheels, > > there is probably a set of bias-ply waiting for you at Coker or somewhere, > > for too much money (IMHO). (Right?) Then she becomes a trailer queen and > > you should never drive her very fast or carry a load. > > > > I don't ever drive my truck fast, but I do like to carry a load now and > > then. I took home a ton of tile the other day which I bought at a discount > > if I could haul it away, which I could. > > > > Happy. That and safe is what counts. > > > > > > > > > > On Feb 2, 2013, at 8:20 AM, "Nate" wrote: > > > > > > > > Look at Jonas' solution , he got back to the 16" wheels , maybe not > > > having original hub cap attachment though . > > > > > > I recently had to find a full set of 6 lug 15" wheels for my '60 C/10 , I > > > kept hitting up various Pick-A-Part yards and found two or three on one > > > older truck , I was surprised but pleased , they looked terrible with > > > many old coats of peeling paint but where solid so I bead blasted & > > > powder coated them , they look fine and work well plus hold the original > > > hub caps fine . > > > > > > I'm still waiting to see the pictures of them . > > > > > > Good luck hunting ! . > > > > > > -Nate > > > Dan wrote : > > > > > > > > Looking for an inexpensive way to get my 58 Apache back to spec tires > > > > and wheels. > > > > Would be great to run across an old set of originals.. I've looked and > > > > no luck yet. > > > > > > > > Any aftermarket that are close? And I was thinking 15x8 but below > > > > someone mentioned 7 or 7.5 > > > > Whitewall tires would be nice too but I'm wanting this thing to drive > > > > right, more than just looks. > > > > > > > > Any help appreciated! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: Jonas Thaler > > > > To: old-chevy-truck@yahoogroups.com > > > > Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2012 1:57 AM > > > > Subject: Re: [old-chevy-truck] Finally -- new wheels and real, manly, > > > > TRUCK TIRES! > > > > > > > > Nate, thanks for the vote of confidence! > > > > > > > > You and a couple of others here inspired me to do my homework. AFTER I > > > > got B-S-'ed by the lying-sack-of-shirt guy at Just Tires, and threw > > > > $400 down the crapper, I started reading up on tires and wheels. > > > > > > > > It occurred to me, when I was hauling an entire kitchen of tile and > > > > sacks of cement down from the Valley on tires that were meant for a > > > > Mercury Marauder or a Lincoln Town Car, that I was ACTUALLY USING IT AS > > > > A TRUCK and might be endangering myself and others. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > On Aug 18, 2012, at 10:46 PM, Nate wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Jonas ; > > > > > > > > > > It sounds to me like you're going to be well pleased . > > > > > > > > > > Few bother to sort out the correct wheels & tires , this means their > > > > > truck looks cool but drives like crap , after a few years they dump > > > > > it and get another project.... > > > > > > > > > > These old trucks are extremely nice drivers in spite of no power > > > > > steering , this is no accident ! GM knew exactly what they were doing > > > > > . > > > > > > > > > > -Nate > > > > > Jonas wrote : > > > > > > > > > > > > I think I might have solved the wheel tire and ride-height problem > > > > > > on my 59 3200. Or at least I have taken a step, maybe a gamble. > > > > > > > > > > > > I found some very solid steel wheels from a 1990's Chevy van or > > > > > > pickup. They are 16" and the wheel-industry part number appears to > > > > > > be 1621. The wheels fit the truck perfectly. I can now stop driving > > > > > > on those car tires (225/75R15) which were way too fat and too low > > > > > > and not properly load rated. These wheels will sport LT215/85R16 > > > > > > tires, which are thinner and taller and much closer to the original > > > > > > 7.0 or 7.5x15 bias ply that the truck might have come with. And boy > > > > > > are the wheels and tires heavier than the car tires that were on > > > > > > there. (Could that cause a problem?) > > > > > > > > > > > > The ride height is going to be 2 inches taller than it is now, and > > > > > > within a half-inch of what it would be with the bias tires. And I > > > > > > think will be happy! For now I have dispensed with hubcaps and have > > > > > > painted the wheels Fire Engine Red. The truck is Galway Green and > > > > > > Cream. So sue me! > > > > > > haveTW none of this cost very much. At one point I was looking at > > > > > > having custom wheels made. I got lost in all the metrics of > > > > > > setback, etc. My 1621 wheels, BTW, have the same setback as the > > > > > > original 15" wheels. They just stiick out a bit more on the outside. > > > > > > > > > > > > I will post pictures next week when I pick the tires up from being > > > > > > mounted and get some new lug nuts. The ones I have now are really > > > > > > chewed up. > > > > > > > > > > > > Thanks for listening. Any comments? Am I creating a monster? > > > > > > > > > > > > jonas > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! > > > > > > > > To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the > > > > email), to: old-chevy-truck-unsubscribe@! Groups Links > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Ole Chevy and GMC trucks rule! To unsubscribe, send an email (with no subject, no body, just the email), to: old-chevy-truck-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.comYahoo! 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