Very informative guys, you do have my attention now. Don’t want anyone to think that I’m a know it all and that I’m not heading your warnings, I’m far from it, that’s why I’m asking these questions.
I can certainly see that a lot of care should be exercised in handling tire changes with split rims. I also feel with proper attention to detail and procedure that this can safely be done in a home shop. My tire dealer didn’t seem to have a problem with mounting tires on these. He is in farm country and does a lot of truck and tractor tires so I suppose he is used to split rims. We handle fire arms which are dangerous also but as long as the proper precautions are taken, we can enjoy the safe use of all these objects.
In looking the ring over I see the inside is oval shaped with a relief on opposite sides, in order to get the ring out of the gutter and back into it. Once your sure the ring is seated in the gutter and assuming it is not cocked, bent or stretched, if you bring up the air pressure gradually, I don’t see why it should come off or pop out of the gutter. I would agree one hundred percent with the procedure of staying out of line with the ring when filling the tire, for the first time, till the bead is fully seated against the flange. I would only use a locking type air chuck on the airline to keep my self out of the line of fire. And I would also agree that the results of a sudden release of air pressure from a pressure vessel can cause substantial damage. Afer all as was pointed out a tire pumped up to 40 or 50lbs contains a substantial amount of energy. Once the tire is fully inflated and the bead set, it is apparently as safe as any other rim, other wise we would have been reading about law suites and recalls for the last 60 years, from people being maimed by drive by ring pops.
So, MNSmith, if I understand you right, what your saying is that if you pick up a nail that the ring can be blown off also? Seems like that would create the same circumstances as pulling the valve core to deflate the tire, no? If that were the case, it would seem to open up another, avenue for law suites and recalls wouldn’t it?
Thanks Larry, if I remember correctly, it was Ru-Glide, I used to wet down all the rubber with it when I was a greaser at the Chevy garage in ’59. What we used on the tire beads was a soap, a tire mounting compound, because it would wash off and any thing that was left between the bead and rim would eventually wash out. I believe the Ru-Glide rubber lub soaked in to the rubber, soften it and maybe even expand it a little. There are lots of compounds on the market now but I can’t use five gallons of it.
I have never seen a “cage”, and am sure I couldn’t afford one, nor would I have room for one. Would like to see what you all are talking about though.
I have on of those cheap’o Harbor Freight tire changers bolted to the floor, it has a bead breaker with it but I’m not sure yet if it will work on this heavy of a tire. It’s pretty light and only has a 7.5”x 1/8” base to support the wheel center on. I think they are more suited to ATV tires etc., ya might be able to peal off a 14” 2ply but not much more.
As far as cleaning the gutter and ring, the rims have been sandblasted and primed and painted, so they are clean.
Trucker, I would really like to read some of those threads, can you recall a link to any of them? The search thing doesn't seen to work very well for me, I haven't been able to find any thing with it yet.
And guys, I would change out the rims, but in three weeks of pounding the wheel thing into the ground here, and all the archived threads that I have been able to find so far, there appears to be no real agreement on a proper replacement wheel for the early 15”, 8 bolt, ¾ ton wheels with a 4 7/8” center. Let me add, other than having someone take your old centers and mount new tubeless rims to them, and that smacks of big bucks, even if you could find someone to do that.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny G
Sandwich, IL