OK, you got the lug nuts off, right? Now screw them back on a little, just enough to protect the threads, and soak the joint between the wheel and the hub with a good penetrating oil. Then, hit the wheel assembly near the lug studs with a BFH. The only dangerous place would be if you hit the split ring itself with a sledgehammer, or something heavy enough to dislodge the fit between wheel parts. If the rims don't fly apart hitting chuck holes on farm roads, you're not likely to develop enough force with a hammer to displace them. If you calculate the force on a split ring in pounds sometime, the numbers will scare you to death! An 8.25X20 tire is putting approximately 40 TONS of force against the split ring. A little hammering isn't likely to make it come apart!
Jerry
