Chevy/GMC wheel choice question

[Antichrist]

First, I'm a complete noob when it comes to Chevy's in spite of the fact my uncle was a, believe it or not, respected Chevy salesman.

My mom needs new tires on her 2005 Silverado 4WD 1500 Extended Cab w/8' bed.
It came with P265/70R17's and I'm thinking of suggesting switching to 16" wheels to save money on tires.
I've found a set of 6-bolt 16" steel wheels from a 2005 GMC pickup for $100 which seems like a decent deal as they are in good shape and include the lug nuts and center caps.

What I'm wondering is if they will clear the calipers. Definitely yes? Definitely no? Definitely maybe?

Normally I'd just test fit them but the truck is at my brother's (non-car guy) 3 states away and he needs to drive about and 45 min to get them.

If it helps, these are the wheels I'm considering

Thanks.

 

[xpndbl3]

Doubt 15" rims will fit and will cost more than the "savings" of swapping to smaller tires.

 

[Antichrist]

Opps, 16" not 15".
Also it's a 2005, not a 2007.

 

[rxinhed]

The 17s have been on the market long enough now to have equilibrated in price due to being a fairly common size.

What were you considering in 16s?

 

[hillbillyjake]

from what i've read on the tahoes, in 07 they went to 17 to clear the calipers. anything older than that should be able to clear 16's. just what i have read. no first hand experience.

 

[bob91yj]

16's will clear through the '07 Classic.

 

[Antichrist]

The 17s have been on the market long enough now to have equilibrated in price due to being a fairly common size.

What were you considering in 16s?

I've looked at several just to get a sense of price difference.
Looking at same OD tire, but slightly narrower, but comparing same brand and tire, the 16's are anywhere from $25-$50 less than 17's.

I would think a 2005 GMC wheel would fit a 2005 Chevy, but like I said, they are new to me. The only GMC I've ever owned was a '53 deuce and a half. LOL

 

[AA1PR]

you may be able to save but the ride comfort of the 17's I feel are worth the additional price

on my 04 yukon the 17" rims were an option, I know teh 16" tims were standard, so it should be a go

here is a tire calculator site that may help you in your search

http://ejelta.com/tiresize/?ws17=1&

changing [much larger or too small] tires will throw off the computer, shift patterns I have heard in these rigs

 

[Antichrist]

He's keeping the tires within 1" OD of stock, less if possible.
I'm not sure how tires with less sidewall, the 17", could be more comfortable than tires with more sidewall.

 

[bftank]

it's a 1/2t truck not a caddy. 16 or 17 is not going to change ride quality. switching to an e rated tire if you don't currently have them will help with the mushy feel around the corners, might be a little firmer but not unpleasant.

the 265/70/17 is approximately a 31" or so tire. i would suggest a 235/85/r16e in a cooper at, approximately a 32" tire. good tire low noise capable of mild all terrain. if she likes a more aggressive terrain the tmaxx looks nice.

 

[James86004]

This thread is timely because I was looking at doing the exact same thing. We have an 06 Silverado 4wd Z71 with the 265/70R17s on it. The OE Goodyears had belt separation issues after about 20,000 miles so I got a big credit on them and put BFG ATs of the same size on. Now that those are worn I am getting a little bit of sticker shock on replacing them, the set will be about $225 more than the 235/85R16s on my Land Rover.

So, from Tire Rack, the original sized tire is:

Diameter 31.8 Load Range C $223 each

And the two sizes I am considering are:
235/85R16 Diameter 31.7 Load Range E $167
265/75R16 Diameter 31.8 Load Range E $183

The 235 would have the advantage of being the same size as the one on the Land Rover and the one I plan to put on the Range Rover. My only concern is if it will be too narrow. I can't really imagine it will.

I was at the u-pull-it yard a couple of weeks ago and the wheels were amazingly cheap, especially if they were steel, something like $25 or $30 each.

 

[James86004]

I happened to mention this to my Dad, and he told me he had a set of aluminum 16" Chevy truck wheels in his storage shed. The lug holes are 6 on a 5.5" bolt circle. So, he took some measurements of the inside of the rim, I will take some of my brake calipers, and if it looks good he will ship the wheels to me. He lives in Virginia so it will probably take a week to get here.

At the stop light this afternoon there was a 05 or 06 Silverado 2500, extended cab, long bed, 4wd, with 235/85R16s on it, but the wheels were steel. I would assume the brakes on a 2500 wouldn't be any smaller than those on a 1500.