Re: Hub caps
 

Conventional wisdom is 69-72 chrome, 73+ stainless.

Re: Hub caps
 

I'm not sure of stainless or chrome years^^^probably true
But my understanding is

73 and above concaved in, where the bowtie was yellow

And 69-72 bubbled out where the bowtie was blue

What I have seen is 69-72 are worth more $

Re: Hub caps
 

This ^^

There are oddballs out there as well, I have a 69-72 GMC 3/4 ton cap like Daves, except it is an "innie" like 73-up :crazy:

Re: Hub caps
 

And, this the "innies" and "outies" applies to 3/4 ton caps.

Re: Hub caps
 

How do you know it is a 69-72?
Was the metal the difference between it being 73up?
And they just tooled it with the 73up machine?

Re: Hub caps
 

Yes 3/4 ton caps
As far as I have seen. The only difference on 1/2 ton is color of bowtie
Now I'm wondering about the metal?
Will 69-72 polish up differently than 72 up

Re: Hub caps
 

69-72 are chrome. If the finish is gone, it's gone,

Stainless will polish as long as there is metal.

Re: Hub caps
 

I thought these were a fair deal
http://www.ebay.com/itm/381980414168...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Re: Hub caps
 

Here is a pic

Re: Hub caps
 

Close doesn't count (unless these are what you're looking for, then that's all that counts!)

But when it comes to rarity and price, 1/2 ton Chevy 4WD != 3/4 ton GMC 2WD

The one ledzepp posted appears to be the same as what I have, though I can't tell the difference between 1/2T and 3/4T. Is there a size difference? I've always assumed so...

Re: Hub caps
 

1/2 ton are 10.5" in diameter. 3/4 ton are 12" in diameter

Re: Hub caps
 

First design 12" 3/4 ton concave , used on early 1969. Chevy had these shallow concave 3/4 tons also, till they both standardized on the taller convex versions till '72.

Re: Hub caps
 

Thanks for the info! I posted a pic a while back and special-k thought it had maybe come on a van, which seemed the most plausible explanation that anyone had at the time.

Re: Hub caps
 

This is generally true, but there are a few deviations from this rule. Some blue bowtie 3/4 ton convex caps were made from stainless steel. Not sure if they were original issue on some '72's or later parts dept. pieces. There also was some rare chrome '73-'75 caps. Those chromed steel caps are much stronger than the chromed brass of the '69-'72 era.

Re: Hub caps
 

Yeah, I got a new argent GMC 8-lug cap from a closing GMC dealership. My StepVan theory was a grab at straws. I know they went with the new caps in '76, like pickups, but wondered if there were some odd painted ones uses post-75. I would think if that was true they would have been white. It makes sense that there was an early '69 design, because of the color.

Re: Hub caps
 

Correct! Deluxe '76-'78 1/2 and 3/4 tons used the newer flat aluminum caps, while base models '76-'78 continued to use the older '73-'75 style, but they were painted white.

Re: Hub caps
 

3/4 ton caps: the innie vs outie is also a tough one to crack. Generally speaking for 3/4 tons, 69-72 chromes were outies and 73+ alums were innies - but, I have seen some 73+ yellow bow tie alum outies at times. Have never, ever seen a 3/4 ton 69-72 chrome innie though - was always my understanding that there weren't any of those made.

Re: Hub caps
 

Another oddity is the Canadian GMC hubcap. I believe the early '73-'75 1/2 and 3/4 tons continued using black center trim paint while American GMC's did not have black center trim paint, however they were all concave during this period. Maybe some north of the border GMC guru's can chime in on this one.

Re: Hub caps
 

Just climbing out from under my rock, here... but I'm having a time finding steelies for my 72 C20. Any tips for those 'been there/done that'? 8 lug. I'd say 16 inch, but I know there were variations. What's on there now are aftermarket 16's.

Hubcaps? Whew. Who knew? That's gonna take another deployment.... I'll just take the steelies, for now.

Thanks!

Kevin
1972 C20 Fleetside Long bed

Re: Hub caps
 

Kevin, the stock 69-72 caps will fit both 16" and 16.5" gm 8 lug steelies. While 16.5s were standard thru mid-70's (and 16s could be ordered in cases), 16s, even from 73-87 era, are a nice upgrade for tire availability (but there are still tires for 16.5 rims). Also the accuride Ford 8 lug rims that can be purchased relatively inexpensively will also fit stock caps. The 3/4 ton caps are getting hard to find, as you've just read, and, worse yet, when found the prices are getting silly. Member PICKMUP (Frank) does some beautiful refurbs on these and he's a great resource to ask if he has any available. His prices are very fair in my opinion, especially considering the amout of work put into the ones he restores. Accuride rims are lug-centric, not hub-centric like GM, but that's ok - they work just fine. Ref member Sicklajoie's truck to see an example of what they look like. Indistinguishable from GM rims visually - and some better width options. Personally, I tend to scour the junkyards for squarebody 8 lug wheels - but they're getting hard to find.

Re: Hub caps
 

I can likely solve that one, since mine were NOS and still in the bags and never had been installed.

When I went to install the first one, it was an outie. I installed it with a rubber mallet and when I knocked it in the center, it became an innie. So I popped it back out, figured "don't do that", and proceeded.

All of the others were also "outies" fresh from the package.

So, from the factory, they are outies. It's easy to make an innie by hitting or pushing too hard, but they come out of the bag as outies.

That's the 3/4T chrome 70s at least.

Re: Hub caps
 

Yes, like I mentioned in the quote, chrome PO3s were outies. I was referring to the aluminum 73+ 3/4 ton caps where I have seen them in both innie and outie configs (without using a hammer).

Re: Hub caps
 

Thanks, Jocko! Good intel!

Re: Hub caps
 

You meant to say Stainless, not aluminum, right? I don't know of any aluminum caps other than the next design.

Re: Hub caps
 

YES! Sorry about that! Ha.