wheel interchange

[TimTim]

Anyone know if a mid 80's steel 3/4 ton wheel will fit an 03 2500HD. I don't want to run my alum wheels through an Ohio winter.

 

Thanks in advance

[Larry]

Yes, 8-lug wheels have had the same back spacing for years. Even all the way back to the good ole straight axle days.

 

When I lived in salty Michigan I would always see people stash away their regular wheels in the winter to protect them. I never could understand that because aluminum and even steel wheels can handle the salt far much better than body panels, brake components, starter motor, electric 4wd encoder motor and wiring harness can handle the salt-water intrusion and corrosion. But nobody seems worried about the important stuff...only worried about the wheels.

[99silveradoz71]

But nobody seems worried about the important stuff...only worried about the wheels.

 

 

 

 

 

As Andre Agassi once said, "Image is everything"

[Wingnut]

Yeah...And wheels are easy (and relatively cheap) to swap out. Can't swap out the entire body for the winter

[sub5]

Actually aluminum wheels get damaged in a really bad way with corrosion from road salt. It will pit the aluminum near the bead so bad that you will end up with slow leaks. It gets bad enough that a sealer won't even work. Here in Montreal, Quebec we use more road salt than anywhere else in north america and it's a killer on our vehicles. But I agree that the body is more important to protect and that's why every second year I get my cars lubed inside the panels with a gel lube. Used to use old oil but it's now illegal to do so. The gel doesn't run down like oil and lasts for years. Just my 2 cents.

[TimTim]

Yes, 8-lug wheels have had the same back spacing for years.  Even all the way back to the good ole straight axle days. 

 

When I lived in salty Michigan I would always see people stash away their regular wheels in the winter to protect them.  I never could understand that because aluminum and even steel wheels can handle the salt far much better than body panels, brake components, starter motor, electric 4wd encoder motor and wiring harness can handle the salt-water intrusion and corrosion.  But nobody seems worried about the important stuff...only worried about the wheels.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

The best thing I found you can do to preserve a vehicle is keep it clean and keep it in a garage when not driving it.

 

I have an 83 k20 that has been an Ohio truck all its life and garage kept up until 2 yrs ago. After I started leaving it outside it really stated to rust in all the normal places. It still has all the orig. body panels and is a nice truck.

 

I use a great rustproofing at our bodyshop for corrosion protection in hard to reach areas. The product is called Transtar amber rustproofing #4423. It comes in an aerosol with a wand (like WD40 wand). I am pretty sure its thinned down version of cosmoline. It will actually creeparound all the spot welds and between the seams. I sprayed it in all the door bottom seams, hood lip, fender bottoms, tailgate bottom, rockers...etc... Just put the wand in any hole and spray. It will only work for inner panels, not dense enough for underside abuse. For the under side I use Rusfree Undercoating, you need a compressor and application gun for it though.

 

I highly recommend the Transtar if you care about your truck and plan on having it for a long time. Plus you can do it yourself and onceit tacks up it wont run out like cosmoline does in the summer.