15" x 6" OE wheels

[68panelman]

Wondering what is the biggest/width tire that can fit on this size rim? Looking to bring my K/5 off its 4" rancho front spring down to a 2 -2.5" maybe stock even.
Gave up looking for 8" wide stock, already have a set of rallies and slots, would love 6lug 16", but those are impossible to find. Not wanting any mud tires, I know that limits tire selection. Want to get my rig down to nearly stock like picture, ooohh16"s Anyone doing the tall and skinny look?

[special-K]

Those look like 16.5 wheels, but probably 16". I see 235/75s a lot on stock wheels, as as a radial equivalent. So go from there. I never looked to see if 85 series are made for 15s. In 16" that's what I look for to get tall/skinny. If not tall 15s can be found you could try to find the 6-lug 16 factory wheels. Could get lucky, pretty hard to find. Here are 255/85-16s on 7" wheels (would work with 6") and 4" lift (less in rear) on the K2500 to give reference. They're about 33". I'm sure they would work with 2-2 1/2". Probably would work with stock height. Next size down would be 235/85 which is closest to stock bias 7.50-16s, the size 3/4t and 1t trucks went to from factory once radials came along. I would judge those would be close to the diameter shown in your picture. They're around 31"

[68panelman]

Yeah,definitely difficult to find the 6lug 16's, that would open up the tire options a lot. Your truck looks nice sporting the no nonsense look.

[cadillac_al]

I always planned to put these on my truck.

https://www.etrailer.com/Trailer-Tir...tails=.reviews

[68panelman]

Thanks for the reminder! I completely forgot about etrailer, I thought about that a few years back, I wish I purchased then when they were around $68 each! Shoot! Now I'll need 3/4 ton caps

[special-K]

I'd inquire about that hubcap mounting. From my experience the hubcap type/size is all about the bolt pattern and not rim diameter. That Blazer you showed, I believe, has 16.5s going by the larger diameter and lower vs lower profile tire. They definitely aren't 15" wheels and those are definitely 1/2t hubcaps. My guess is those are 8.75 - 16.5 tires on stock width (6.75) wheels

Speaking of trailer wheels, I put 15" steelies and hubcaps on my 5x10 utility trailer. 5 x 4.5 lug pattern is hard to find in a car wheel. Ford only put 15" wheels with that pattern on 49-52s before dropping to 14" as low-slung turnpike cruisers came along. Mopar ran 15s later on, but they use a smaller diameter hubcap and mounting circle. So I found a pair of 49-52 Ford wheels. Then I had a tire go down fast due to inner sidewall in contact with a bolt shank, ruined that rim. I picked up a Mopar 15" so now run a LUV hubcap on that side. 4.5" bolt pattern is the only place I've seen two hubcap sizes for and that is only Mopar doing their own thing. Dexter makes the wheels I need to run my 1/2t Squarebody hubcaps and use my remaining 49-52 as a spare. Except.... I've decided I really like the painted LUV hubcap on there. They remind me of back in the day when campers and boat trailers came with their own hubcaps, only with a Chevy bowtie

[68panelman]

These will accept 3/4 caps, there is a customer review with pictures of square body 3/4 hubcaps on the link above. I had a set of those 16.5 wides back in the early nineties that were on my 70 and bartered them for parts, I do remember they had no mounting nubs though

[special-K]

I see that review now. Looks like Dextar re-invented the 6-lug wheel center. A unique center stamping apart from tradition. I thought the photo provided showed the center ridge looking a bit wide. Not to mention they broke the code on disc brake wheel = 4 nubs/drum brake wheel = 3 nub. Also no venting, same as Wheel Vintiques 8-lugs. The longer I live the more knowledge I have gained has become inaccurate or irrelevant. Too bad they had to go and change things up (for no apparent reason). It's great these wheels are out there for old truck guys but they missed their chance for mounting correct hubcaps. Oh well. But all the more reason for someone to reproduce the 8-lugger caps

[argonaut]

Originally Posted by 68panelman

Anyone doing the tall and skinny look?

I went the tall-skinny route on my 72 Blazer. It has original springs (around stock height) and I run a 33" tall tire on a 15x7" wheel with good backspacing. Because it is skinny, I really don't need a lift kit and don't have any rubbing. The neutral wheel offset makes steering really easy and responsive (relative to an old truck).

Originally Posted by 68panelman

Wondering what is the biggest/width tire that can fit on this size rim?

I think 235 section-width is probably most common. But I think you could reasonably use a 255 or 265 section-width tires. 15x6 should probably run a 235/75r15. It'll be hard to get a tire much taller than that, as most metric sizes maintain a similar width-to-sidewall-height ratio up and down the range of sizes. You might put a 31x10.5 on, or even a 33x10.5, but wouldn't suggest it.

I myself run 33x10.5 on a set of 15x7 slots. Gives the tires a nice look. I personally don't like the way 1.5" wide tires look on an 8" rim, and i feel that 6" is a bit too skinny.

Now if you bump up to a 16" wheel, you could run a 255/85 if you want a tall skinny look. These are approximately 33" overall diameter.

Aftermarket steelies get a little tricky. Many won't support mounting of a dog dish hubcap. Unless you mount some sort of clip on there yourself. They also tend to have too much backspacing. 4" is about ideal, but many have 4.25" or even 4.5" which gets a bit too close to the tie rod end, and also may cause the tires to rub on leaf springs when at full-lock turn.

[BLAZERMAN]

I ran 33"x 9.00" Kelly Springfield ATs on 15"x6" stock steel wheels on my 68 K/10. I used a Skyjacker 2.5" Softride lift, it made a big difference in the way the truck looked and handled over stock. This was in 2003 and Kelly was the only tire brand I could find at the time that offered a 9" wide 33. It turned out they were very good tires.

[68panelman]

Originally Posted by argonaut

I went the tall-skinny route on my 72 Blazer. It has original springs (around stock height) and I run a 33" tall tire on a 15x7" wheel with good backspacing. Because it is skinny, I really don't need a lift kit and don't have any rubbing. The neutral wheel offset makes steering really easy and responsive (relative to an old truck).



I think 235 section-width is probably most common. But I think you could reasonably use a 255 or 265 section-width tires. 15x6 should probably run a 235/75r15. It'll be hard to get a tire much taller than that, as most metric sizes maintain a similar width-to-sidewall-height ratio up and down the range of sizes. You might put a 31x10.5 on, or even a 33x10.5, but wouldn't suggest it.

I myself run 33x10.5 on a set of 15x7 slots. Gives the tires a nice look. I personally don't like the way 1.5" wide tires look on an 8" rim, and i feel that 6" is a bit too skinny.

Now if you bump up to a 16" wheel, you could run a 255/85 if you want a tall skinny look. These are approximately 33" overall diameter.

Aftermarket steelies get a little tricky. Many won't support mounting of a dog dish hubcap. Unless you mount some sort of clip on there yourself. They also tend to have too much backspacing. 4" is about ideal, but many have 4.25" or even 4.5" which gets a bit too close to the tie rod end, and also may cause the tires to rub on leaf springs when at full-lock turn.

Great info, thanks for that, for some reason I was not getting notifications on my threads?

[68panelman]

Originally Posted by BLAZERMAN

I ran 33"x 9.00" Kelly Springfield ATs on 15"x6" stock steel wheels on my 68 K/10. I used a Skyjacker 2.5" Softride lift, it made a big difference in the way the truck looked and handled over stock. This was in 2003 and Kelly was the only tire brand I could find at the time that offered a 9" wide 33. It turned out they were very good tires.

Great pictures and information. I love how your truck looks!

[72ochre]

235/85/16 on 16x6 6 lug steelies.

[72gmguy]

I did 31x10.50 dick cepek tires on the narrow factory rims with no lift.

[72gmguy]

I do have 1 1/4 inch wheel spacers on the rear in the above pictures.

[68panelman]

Looks great!

[geezer#99]

Do you know about this guy.
Might have rims for you.


https://akhwheels.com/wheel-categories/light-truck/

[68panelman]

Originally Posted by geezer#99

Do you know about this guy.
Might have rims for you.


https://akhwheels.com/wheel-categories/light-truck/

Thanks, I'll check him out

[68panelman]

Originally Posted by 72ochre

235/85/16 on 16x6 6 lug steelies.

Looking good 👍