Don't hold back~ let me know your thoughts. I'd absolutely love me some wide whites, but at over 200 a tire, this looks good to me~ (as I have way more time than $$$) Making your own wide whites... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkcm3rh60p0
Go for it! Zig, just remember... And I type this without a hint of hurl: YOUR truck is YOUR truck. Make it happen. Who cares what anybody else thinks? Seems to me April school vacation is coming up, so you have plenty of time to get the correct tools in order to do the job (my gauge project necessitated the purchase of a Dremel, and if it ever stops snowing, I'll get back to it). Show us PICTURES! My opinion? DOESN'T MATTER. (but I am a blackwall-tire guy) A number of years ago, I was at a Car Show with my daughter. We observed a car which was "overdone" to say the least. My daughter blurted out "Dad, that car is COOL! Not for me, but COOL!" 'nuff said.
My sons have been doing this for years. Some suggestions, thoughts, and gibberish: I personally would not pull my vintage trailer with these or go on a heavy trip...just around town. I have been against the kids doing this otherwise. Only certain tires have white. And different widths of white. Different tires have different qualities of white stuff to work with. Some have none. Do not get tires and think that you are going to make quality or near quality ones the first time. Get your old junk tires out to study and practice. Study how "to guess" how wide the white is and how deep you can go and how smooth you can get it. If you are in a rush or time based...probably forget it. Do not try on brand new tires...you can give me the money instead. It is a messy, but a lot better than those fake, dumb, white thingy things some people put with their tires. When in practice mode, pay particular attention to stains and what craziness follows. For some reason...super easy to ruin by staining or expanding the stain. And you think that you can clean it off by your special stuff...forget it. My sons in most cases have just bought them in the end...again...in rush and very time based. If I were keeping up with this.....I would put them on some other rims and put them on for town or toodling(???) around with a different look. If you have some time, want it done for free....My wife has a very neat talent of converting all my (especially the right front tire) into white walls. She never admits to having that talent...but I have seen her secret and stood there in pain. I don't confront her much anymore with this special gift she has. rod
I'm loving it, so far! I just know that others have opinions, and that is what I'm looking for. Mostly those centered around tire safety. I have the patience of a saint, (I teach 3rd grade...) and lots of time, from time to time. I also am pretty steady with a brush, and I consider a grinder to be much the same... An extension of sorts. I feel perfectly comfortable knowing I could buy some raised white letter tires (if they made those in original tire size for our trucks) and grind them into near perfect wide whites at w-a-y under Diamondbacks price. Really, I just want to know if it is safe. I have *never* painted a truck before, but I think mine turned out alright. (That is yet another reason I hope Evan stops by here on his way up North. I'd love to get his take on my paint job/no buffing...) If I can paint a truck, I think I could skin a tire or 5... Thank you, all. I love what I have read so far!
Interestingly enough... When I picked up Penny in North Carolina, she was wearing PORTA-WHITES! Zig, my opinions are cosmetic-based only. Obviously, the safety of you AND the work environ, and the suitability of said tire(s) after modification must be considered. But we're still going to need some pictures...
Factory Stock Tires Summary: Some things are best left factory stock. Tires, IMO, are one of those things. Background: Back in the 70's, when I was a 16 year old long haired teenager, I bought a used set of G60-14 Kelly Supercharger tires with like new tread, both had repaired sidewalls. I put them on my jacked up 1970 Nova. When the right rear tire blew out about a week later I was on Interstate 75 running 60 mph in 4 lane bumper to bumper traffic. As I was changing the tire and putting on the spare, with semi trucks and cars zipping by, I vowed to never again install tires that had any sidewall repairs or modifications. And I am a "hot rodder" kind of fella.... My 2 cents.
Hey Zig, what happens when you blow a tire? GMC's tend to look a little odd! I hope you think this picture over carefully before modifying tires.
Hey ! That's a City Of Los Angeles truck in the old Forester Green we stopped using in the early 1970's . Where didja find that photo ? . I only run Radial LT tires on my trucks and yes , I run mostly unloaded but using Passenger Car tires on a big heavy old truck is foolish to the extreme as the moment you realize you goofed in $aving a few Dollars on tires is 1/10th of a second before you or someone close to you , dies or is crippled for life . Think carefully here .
Removing material from the sidewall is not only weakening the construction, but also removing the tires ability to pull heat out of the tread. Consider what you would tell a judge and jury if grinding a tire resulted in a fatality.
I hate to be melodramatic, but there are plenty of idiots on YouTube already. Don't be one of them. It's just money. Save a little longer and get something safe. It took me almost 14 months to be able squirrel the money away to have proper white walls.
Here's the dealio~ Somehow I saw me running my original 16" wheels on new rubber rolling down the road~ Sadly, that ain't gonna happen. I had a tire shop pull off the old rubber and tubes so I could grind down the wheels, paint them and go. Turns out that the wheels I had were questionable at best, and could very well leak air around the rivets. I could run tubes, but ...no... I got on craigs list and found some clown shoes that would work. Maybe. It sucks that I worried so much about staying 6 lug so I could run original wheels. Good luck. They don't clear the calipers, and you are going to spend bucks anyway. $169+ per friggin tire! 200 for Diamondbacks. Now I know why they were so much. Are you all mounting these (Diamondbacks) on stock wheels or are you using tubes? BTW, they DON'T make chrome center caps for stock wheels. There went another dream.
Fear NOT Zig, Original wheels are out there... in 15- and 16-inch. You'll need to look of course, but they are available. From somebody who couldn't stand the thought of running stock, skinny 16's, you'll find a SCORE. Liken it to a 235 somebody pulled out to"stuff a (insert motor type here) in", there are a set just waiting for you. My guess is tires TOO. How can I be so sure of this? A friend of mine had just such a set, all painted, with skinny bias ply tires, just sitting in the garage because he opted to roll on radials instead. He may even still... I can check if the need be.
Since I wasn't aware of the price of tires, and knowing I'd have to get hub caps since they don't make centers for original wheels, (more $$) I got on craig's list and picked up a set of chrome spoke 16" with tires that have acceptable tread. I'll still need to get spacers as the back set on these wheels puts the rim right snug against the end of the tie rod. So even with spacers, I am $$$ ahead AND my truck looks pretty friggin' cool. (IMO)
I can lend you a camera... Funny, I thought we'd see PICTURES of said chrome spoke wheels! Just think of all the newbie forum-goers who have been battered by picture-requesters... expecting to see YOUR bling.
Oh never fear~ there will be a picture or two but I'm going to wait until I have the wheels mounted on the spacers like it will actually be. Also I have some brand new lug nuts coming so I will wait to post photos until it's complete. Trust me, I *really* want to post some pictures! Parts should be here no later than Tuesday.
