My 84 Chevy G30 Mallard wears 16.5" shoes and, of course, I prefer to replace the wheels when going with new tires.I was told to talk with dealerships about getting some 'take-off' 16x6 wheels and 245/16e tires. I wanted to post a WTB: Craigslist ad but I'm not sure what to ask for!I'm sure this has been covered before but a quick search didn't find quite what I was looking for!

I'm more of a Reader than a Searcher but this has come up before. I haven't tried this swap on a Chevy, but my recall (so be careful with what I say) is that the GM units are an easy swap. Your coach might have come with 8.00/16.5 or more likely 8.75R16.5D The 245R16 is way more tire than the GVWR of a Class C that age calls for. You can find plenty of charts that address the Diameter, Width, Rim Width, and Load Rating. Were I doing it, I'd be looking for the 16" that comes closest to 8.75R16.5D which I heard (but haven't confirmed myself) is the 225R16. That one's available in D or E, but I think most are sold as E, even though that's only required on 450/4500 series Class C. Problem with that is the popular donor trucks you'll probably look for (dually pickups) might carry a different size than that. You'll have to check charts to see how much the size changes the dimensions, then make sure you have wheel clearance all around, and steering clearance in front. Tire shop should be able to tell you which sizes they sell most for what.

According to the sticker the wheels are 6-16.5 on all four (six?) corners.I've read the Dodge and Ford center holes are too large and it puts the stress on the lugs so I need to stick with GM/Chebby.Besides that... it seems any year GM 16" 8-lug will fit?I'll try the local GM dealership and see what they say!

The term is Lug-Centered which Dodge was, and Ford was through 1983. The wheels were also what they call "Coined." Coined wheels have alternate upset and recessed lug holes. The recesses on one wheel must mesh with the upsets on the other. Rear duals, that is. You'll see a slot in each wheel, and a pin sticking out of the rear hub to force you to align them correctly.The wheels you have an need are Hub-Centered, or Hub-Piloted. There's a precision fit between the hole in the middle of the wheel and a seating surface on the hub. Look at one of those setups and the holes will be sloppy on the studs.Do you understand OFFSET? Offset is the depth of the "dish" of the wheels. There are Dual Spacing Charts that illustrate Offset and specify how much offset is required for a given tire size. The duals can not rub sidewalls or "kiss" even momentarily with a dip or hump in the rod. The wheels you get should have the offset required by the tires you want to mount. I mention it now because it's possible the junkyard wheels you get could have been wrong for the tires mounted on them. You don't want to repeat that mistake.Oh, I looked at an old Dodge-based Winnie and its 16.5 tires were only 8.00s.

Hi,Why do you wish to change to 16 from 16.5?Southwest wheel may have what you want.http://www.southwestwheel.com/store/c-3-southwestwheelcom.aspx

Best normal sized wheels to replace my old 16.5"?

VoodooMedicineM
Explorer
Jun 27, 2013
try your local junkyard
aaron7
Explorer
Jun 27, 2013
According to the sticker the wheels are 6-16.5 on all four (six?) corners.

I've read the Dodge and Ford center holes are too large and it puts the stress on the lugs so I need to stick with GM/Chebby.

Besides that... it seems any year GM 16" 8-lug will fit?

I'll try the local GM dealership and see what they say!
j-d
Explorer II
Jun 27, 2013
I'm more of a Reader than a Searcher but this has come up before. I haven't tried this swap on a Chevy, but my recall (so be careful with what I say) is that the GM units are an easy swap. Your coach might have come with 8.00/16.5 or more likely 8.75R16.5D
The 245R16 is way more tire than the GVWR of a Class C that age calls for. You can find plenty of charts that address the Diameter, Width, Rim Width, and Load Rating. Were I doing it, I'd be looking for the 16" that comes closest to 8.75R16.5D which I heard (but haven't confirmed myself) is the 225R16. That one's available in D or E, but I think most are sold as E, even though that's only required on 450/4500 series Class C.
Problem with that is the popular donor trucks you'll probably look for (dually pickups) might carry a different size than that. You'll have to check charts to see how much the size changes the dimensions, then make sure you have wheel clearance all around, and steering clearance in front. Tire shop should be able to tell you which sizes they sell most for what.

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Best normal sized wheels to replace my old 16.5"?

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