Here are some Buffalo chips for the fire!
In California, rims are identified as single piece, multi-piece, or split/divided.
The single piece rim is the obvious current day automotive and big truck item.
The multi-piece rims is also a popular rim in big rigs and many off highway application.
The split/divided rim is not usually for over the road use, and is pretty scarce. I have this style on a Hyster forklift here at work.
The divided rim consists of two halves that bolt together in the approximate middle. Six bolts hold the halves together, and another six bolt hold the assembly to the hub..12 bolts in all.
The multi-piece rim was developed to allow heavy commercial tires with very stiff sidewalls to be mounted more easily. It also had the added benefit of a very large inside diameter that allowed large brake assemblies which were required for these large trucks.
There are specific recommendations for assembling the multi-piece rims, and for inflating them safely, as has been posted above.
In my area, we have literally hundreds of logging trucks, most use the multi-piece rim. I am 60 years old, and never remember reading about a tire related fatality locally.
I will confess to driving a small Caterpillar forklift out to my shop with a partially inflated/flat steering tire. I made it about 20 feet when I heard a loud bang and saw dust fly in a unit of lumber some distance away.
The small multi-piece rim had done its thing, and launched the outer ring 15 feet across the mill into a pile of lumber!
As they say...you can't fix stupid, but I'm trying. :rolleyes:
Stuart
