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Old 05-11-2023, 04:59 AM   #12
Ledslinger
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Lee's Summit, MO
Posts: 102
Re: Wheel color 1962 K1000 GMC Suburban

Pulled the tires off the front of my truck and there's no indication the wheels were ever white. One of the wheels had some high spot wear on the inside from a tube being installed at some point. This wear through the paint would be a good indicator of layers of color, if white rims were white between the beads.

If when I pull the back tires off there is any indication the wheels were ever white, I'll paint them white. I'm pretty sure they were always black, and since the vehicle original owner was a university geology department, there is little logic in anyone repainting the wheels.

I suppose the best explanation as offered, is that the original base 15" wheels, or optional 16" wheels were found lacking in some regard. Either traction off road or ground clearance, and a set of 17.5" wheels were ordered through dealer replacement parts source. Possibly these wheels arrived black and there was no reason to repaint them. Or someone decided the truck should have this option and installed them before delivery.

If my truck has dealer installed 17.5" wheel option, that is part of its history, and I will keep that history.

Was cleaning the front wheels and spare wheel for painting today, and noticed the date codes on them. The spare was from 1965, and the two fronts were both 9 of 1961. All three wheels are black - front, back and between the beads. The September 1961 date code seems potientially consistent with being factory installed on an early 1962 production vehicle.
The 1965 date coded wheel being black could be evidence that wheels sourced through parts channels came black.

Are white GMC wheels also white between the beads and on the back or are they just white on the outside?
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