Rim/Tire sizes

[oldandintheway]

I just noticed that the rims/tires on my 71 camper special are 16.5". Is this standard on most of your trucks? I just went through having to replace the rims on my suburban because nobody seems to make 16.5" tires anymore. Believe it or not I ended up finding some late model Dodge rims with the same 8 lug pattern. Have you guys dealt with this issue, and if so have you had to change sizes? I really don't want to go to a fancy wheel on this old truck, so worst case i buy new rims for the burb and put the others on my sweptline. At least the tires are new on the Dodge so I have a while before I have to shell out more $$$

[robertob]

Somebody switched mine out for 16-inch off of a later Dodge truck, probably the same ones you have. I don't mind except that I am going to have to paint them white from silver.

[Hobcobble]

I just noticed that the rims/tires on my 71 camper special are 16.5". Is this standard on most of your trucks? I just went through having to replace the rims on my suburban because nobody seems to make 16.5" tires anymore. Believe it or not I ended up finding some late model Dodge rims with the same 8 lug pattern. Have you guys dealt with this issue, and if so have you had to change sizes? I really don't want to go to a fancy wheel on this old truck, so worst case i buy new rims for the burb and put the others on my sweptline. At least the tires are new on the Dodge so I have a while before I have to shell out more $$$

The 16.5" wheels were offered on Sweptlines
starting in '69[?], I believe. A 16" Dodge Truck
steel wheel shouldn't be a hard thing to come
by from your local bone yard. Some here have
reported that Dodge Truck wheels from later years
['90s] will also work. Tires for 16.5" wheels
have pretty much become extinct.... as you've found
out.
John

[CLAUDE]

Some time after 84 Dodge went from 5x4.5 to 5x5.5

[WD]

That only applies to 1/2 tons.

I ran mid-90s Dodge van 16 inch 8 lug as spares/winter wheels on my 85 XLT Lariat F250HD with no issues. 8 lug is 8 lug as far as 3/4 ton Ford and Dodge are concerned. Same wheel suppliers, same axle suppliers, same wheel studs.

If you have a good digital micrometer, you might consider measuring F250 spindles/kingpins and see if the whole thing would swap to your straight axle. That would make for really easy to get disc brakes if it works... And bronze spacers are cheap if the dodge axle end boss is too thin... Have done it the other way, F250 drum spindles onto D300 axle... Worked great.