• Welcome to For Trucks Only !

    We are a community of American Brand Pickup Truck and SUV owners. Join now! Its Free!

Aluminum wheels for a 1978 Dodge 1 ton motorhome

F

fueliedart

New Member
Joined
Jan 30, 2025
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Location
Reno NV
I have a 1978 American Clipper with 16.5 wheels. I would like to upgrade to aluminum wheels in possibly 16 inch ( depending on if they will clear the calipers ) or 17 inch. It has dual wheels ( Dana 70 ) on the rear and has the big I believe 5/8 lug studs front and rear. Anybody have an idea of where i might be able to find wheels, center caps and chrome lugnuts that will work. I've heard Ford wheels will work but the center register is larger. Someone else said that can be overcome by having some centering rings machined to get the wheel to be supported by the hub and not the lugnuts which I think is a great idea if that is true. I suppose the Chevy wheel could also have the center register machined larger to fit over the hub also. Anyone ever face this dilemma or have any idea on what is a good solution to this issue?
 
Waiting on the solution for this one. If the 16.5's weren't so hard to find I would just leave them.
Tire prices aren't the much different.
 
75 and 79 here, 79 swapped to 245/75r16 on ford mid 80s dually rims, no problems yet, 75 is a pita, dually rears, single front, still no luck, after a year looking actively we have pretty much given up and are going to get a pair of Firestone transforce trailer tires for the fronts, can still find new stock up in Ontario, but they cost the same price as 4 16s
 
The last Firestone Transform I bought eas still available in a truck tire. Price was around $200. 16.5/9,5. It was still cheaper than new wheel to go 17".
 
I upgraded my '85 pickup and '90 flatbed to 16". In bigger cities 16.5" tires can be found. However I found that in smaller towns, especially in more rural areas, while traveling about, that 16.5"s are like dinosaurs, nearly extinct. Attached is a pic of Chevy Alcoa 10 hole alloys with enlarged center register and enlarged lug holes to accept a shank style lug nut. You were informed correctly that Ford (1999 and prior) and GM (years unknown) have the same 8 x 6.5" mounting pattern.

20250217_104416.jpg
 
Forgot to add that I've never encountered a 16" wheel that interferred with the front disk brake caliper on any Dodge dually originally equipped with 16.5" wheels.
 
Last edited:
Another clarification regarding member who suggested using 17" dia. wheels. Most factory supplied 17" wheels from Ford and Chevy have the lug pattern of 8 x 170 mm instead of the 8 x 6.5" (165 mm). Unsure if/when Dodge changed their mounting pattern.
 
On the 79 it has 6 dished dually rims 4 on the rear 2 on the front, 75 has 4 dish dually rims on the drives but the fronts are single style like a 3/4 ton, and all the single wheels I have found have a 9/16 hole and the hubs have 5/8 studs, all the ones I can find with rear duals have hub caps on the fronts, these are the fronts I have with duals on the rear

e1e0a87edf7583417c3b7e60032f5914.jpg
 
Last edited:
Until Casca2525 submitted a pic I presumed we were talking about motor home with a dually rear and corresponding 1 ton front suspension. Upgrade may be more difficult if OP's vehicle has the dually rear and 3/4 ton front suspension. There would still be aftermarket wheels available with the correct 8 x 6.5" lug pattern. But not sure about possibilities of using Ford or GM substitutes on the lighter duty front end.
 
There was no change between 86 and 83. I haven't tried the wheels from 76 to 83 yet. My class C is all one ton.
 
Sadly there are not 100% 3/4 ton rims I have tried all 3 brands, as well as a bunch of aftermarket, because the 3/4 ton rims have 9/16 holes and the mh has 5/8 studs like a 1 ton, I even drilled out a f250 alloy rim by 1/32 but they still didn't fit right
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top