Hi Dan. Glen is right to be carefull around those split/safety rims. I will tell you a little trick that I have used for years when you dont have a cage to work with them. I will take a chain with the hook on both ends and run it through the holes in the wheel and around the tire and then hook it to itself leaving a little slack to allow for the expanding tire. Do this in two places opposite from each other on the wheel and away from the valve stem. If the ring blows, the chain arrests the bang and should limit the damage if any. I dont mind safety wheels as they are easier to change and fix the tubes if you dont have a tire maching. I also tap the ring with a hammer as the tire is filling to seat it properly. I recommmend using either a long stem filling valve or one of the valves that locks to the stem so your hands are away from ring while it is filling. I have done hundreds of these and have never had one pop. My 48 3/4 ton has safety rims and I do my own tires because they charge $18.00 here to fix one tire. Sorry for the long post. Paying for big tires is the hard part, not fixing them. Have fun.
Ralph
