Steel rim opinions
 

So I need to put som bigger rubber on the truck. Right now the wheels I have are 16x7 or 7.5. Not totally sure. Anyway I would like to go a little bigger but not break the bank either. Just doing some looking and I found some black steel rims for a price I can pretty easily afford. I’m a pretty simple guy and really don’t want a fancy rim. These are perfect for me. I also know that you get what you pay for. I don’t wanna buy them and then just have to buy another set because they are just junk. Is there anything wrong with a simple steel wheel? My other question is what size? I have read that 17” have become the most versatile size with a lot of tire options. I also need to keep in mind tire cost. I’ll mostly be on the pavement. Maybe a little screwing off here and there but nothing serious. So what are some wheel tire combos you would all suggest to me. Again price is important but I need to fill up the wheel well a little. If you have pics of a good setup that would be cool. I have a 4” lift in the truck

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

No pics handy, but I picked up a set of wheel vintiques series 82 rims. They're about as plain and black and steel as you could want. They're 16" 8-lug rims, and I bought them in the 10" width. I put Mickey Thompson Deegan 38 tires on them, in a 305/70r16 size. They were one of the cheapest mud terrains I could find in a load range E. My truck is stock height. The tires look a little "stuffed" in the wheel wells, and they do rub at full lock. I think the 305/70 size would be about perfect with a 2" lift, but would be okay on a 4" as well.

Personally, for a 3/4 ton truck(which it appears you have), I'd stick with 16". 16" has been the most universal size since whenever for full-size trucks, and will likely continue to be so.

It doesn't take more than an hour of googling though, to figure out what common size tires exist for the different size rims. Figure out what width and diameter you want to end up with, and look for common tire sizes that will give you those dimensions on 16", 17", and 18" rims. You'll quickly figure out what tire and rim combos are cheap and common.

Another option, is to keep your current rims, and go with a much taller tire. Look at 255/85r16 tires. They're 10 inches wide, which should be fine on a 7 inch rim. They would have the same diameter as the 305/70r16 tires I purchased, but will be much skinnier.

https://tiresize.com/calculator/

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

Thanks for the reply. I was going to go with the rough country steel 16x8 and use a 33x12.5. My only concern is the manual lock hub. But that should fit so long as I leave the cap off right?

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

Good price. Only 60-79$ a piece and I can grab a set of tire for a 1000$ or less. I thought it was a good deal

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

Or maybe some cragsrs?

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

im currently looking at vintiques...https://www.summitracing.com/parts/wvi-82-680804
and uswheel....https://www.summitracing.com/parts/u...7880/overview/...with a 5.150 center hole they'll clear 4x4 hubs
but these are stock style wheels...just wider

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

I look at all these rims and they are on trucks similar to my own. Are guys boring the center out to accommodate the hubs or do most rims just fit? I read a few things that said don’t worry about it they will be fine but I don’t wanna buy something to put it on a shelf because of bad advice

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

I'd say for the cheap steel rims in a 8x6.5 bolt pattern, you don't have anything to worry about on the center hole for a truck of your vintage. I think I've heard that some of the 90's trucks began changing up that hole size, but don't quote me on that.

All I can say for sure, is that the 16x10 wheel vintiques series 82 rims fit absolutely perfect on a 80's 3/4 ton squarebody. Center hole was perfect.

My reason for shying away from the cheap D-window rims is that I had a similar rim in a 16.5 size crack up on me. It was probably just a fluke, but I was nervous enough to avoid it. I figured the factory style wheel center had enough built-in flex that it wouldn't crack like the more rigid D-window rim would.

Again, most folks get along just fine with a D-window rim, or else they wouldn't be selling them, but I wanted the stock look and the peace of mind.

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

Another comment. You said you'd go with a 16x8 and a 33x12.5. My 305/70's are the metric equivalent of a 33x12.5. They can work on a 8" rim, but a 10" rim is better. Biggest consideration is what tire combo you might consider in the future. If you ever wanted to run larger tires, you want the 10" rim size now. If you think you might run a more stock tire size in the future, stick with the 8" rim size.

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

If I could only get these in white to go with my future 2 tone paint and hubcaps. I'm really not wanting to paint over or remove black powdercoat

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

yeah tell me about it....I cant believe they only come in black....im needing white for my hubcaps as well...I guess im gonna suckitup and blast the black off and then powdercoat white...just extra money I shouldn't have to spend....

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

Been meaning to call them and see if I can get a set unfinished. I can get the powdercoat done local.

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

I thought about the same thing but someone told me they tried and was told you could get any color you wanted....as long as it was black....

shouldn't cost much to get them blasted though....

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

I would like to go larger if I can. Getting the 10’s may be a good idea

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

Hey guys is there a way to measure if my current rim is a 16x7 or 16x8? Hard to do with the tire on. If I knew they were 8’s I’d order the 33’s now and just wait on getting different rims for the time being.

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

I don’t think I can run a 33 on a 16x7 can I?

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

If you like skinny tires, you can run a 255/85r16 on a 16x7, roughly equal to a 33x9.5x16. I have a set of Dick Cepek Extreme Country in that size on my 04 Burb and have been really happy with their performance.

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

I'm running Hummer H2 rims on my 3/4 ton, and they fit perfect. It's a 17x8.5" rim, which will give you better highway manners with a larger tire. I'm running 265/70/r17 tires which is a common size for a lot of the 3/4 ton trucks from the last two decades. Those are a 32" tire, but there are all sorts of larger sizes available in 17". Backspacing is right on, and the hub bore is exactly the same as a 3/4 ton squarebody, so you maintain a hubcentric fit. The load rating of the rims are also much higher than anything I've seen from the aftermarket, if you care about moving heavy things. I picked the set up off of craigslist, including the spare rim, for $250 a few years ago. Once you ditch the idiotic fake air system center caps, you can use externally threaded lug nuts and any of the 2000s 8-lug Chevy centercaps from aluminum rims will bolt right in. You can also use centercaps from steel rims, but they need to be trimmed down to a smaller diameter to fit inside the rim. That's what I did on mine, because it was cheap, and the trimmed area is hidden in the center of the rim anyways.

I'm on a work machine right now, but I can upload photos later on from home if you're interested.

PS, if you're set on 16" rims, 16x7" 8-lug aluminum rims from newer 3/4 tons are all over craigslist. You should be able to find a set cheaper than a new set of steelies will run you, and IMO, a factory rim is almost always a better option.

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

Looking at these Mickey Thompson Baja Locks These should work with my manual locking hubs as long as I don’t use a center cap correct?

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

I’ve been looking at the same exact wheels, keep us posted on how they look and if they work, I want 15x12 to get the stance for my truck.

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

Do you think they will fit around the manual locking hub?

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

Yes I know they will, I had a set of 10 wides on my last truck and I cut out the center of the center cap to access the locking hub but left the look of a center cap. I just cut out the round m/t emblem to give access to the hub.

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

Awesome. I’m gonna go 10’s but not sure diameter yet

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

If I go with the 16x10 it has a -25 mm offset. Do I have to do anything special with that? Or I can go to a 17x9 and it has no offset. I’m completely inexperienced with this. What is my best option?

Re: Steel rim opinions
 

I know I need at least a 16 because of the truck itself and I don’t wanna shave the brakes just to put a 15 on it. I’ve never dealt with offsets though.