The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Split Rims Tip 'n' Tricks

didn't exactly know where to put this at so i figured in here well heres the deal i'm trying to take the tires of my rims off my 1955 chevy 2nd series 3600 and its those split rims never dealt with them before but have it somewhat figured out how to do it but i can not get that darn ring off and its really tickin me off :mad: any tips and tricks out there for this really need to know asap cause i need the tires off them rims to put on 5x5 rims on my 85 2wd (and the rims with the tires are 8 lug so don't work) need help badly and imediatly
thank you so much in advance
Nate

I assume you do have the air out right? Look for the knotch to stick a pry bar in. Maybe spray the ring with WD-40. Hope you get it to come off.

First- - - -the tire bead has to be separated from the rim, ON BOTH SIDES! Use a tire hammer, or a slide hammer designed for the job. It just can't be done with makeshift tools. A tire hammer has a spoon-shaped end that's driven between the tire and the rim with a few well-placed swings. Once the tip of the hammer penetrates all the way to the wheel, move around and do it again, until you're all the way around the tire. It will give you a great cardio workout before you're done. A little WD-40 might help break the tire loose, if it's been on for a few decades. Once the tire is free on both sides, the ring will come off, and you can push (or pound) the rest of the wheel out of the tire. Is yours a 2-piece rim with a split in the outer bead, or does it have a 3rd. piece that locks it in place? The 2-piece type has to be pried off by inserting a specially-shaped pry bar into the slot at one end of the ring. You've GOTTA loosen the bead from the rim first, in any case.

Alternate suggestion- - - -find a shop that does heavy truck tire work, and pay a pro to do it. He will make it look easy, I guarantee!
Jerry

thenk you for your suggestions guys i was working on the one tire for a while and it wouldn't go and i put wd-40 on the ring thinking it would help but i think it made it worse so i made the post on here to ask for help while i waited for replies i was like hey lets try the other one said to myself "ha watch this one will go like a piece of cake" sure enough comes off without a problem so back to the other one it just would not come me and my brother tried few things and then the screw driver i was prying with slipped and i smashed my hand on the rim and ya now i got a broken finger nail thats pretty much also pelled off my finger (hurt like heck & bleed alot) so ya don't think i'm gona monkey with them split rims any more
how many of you would condem me to H3LL if i just cut the ring off?
thanks
Nate
p.s. took me like 15 mins to type this cause my finger all bandaged up

I used to work on school busses. 1960 Chevy 48 pass 60 series, two 1967 Chevy 60 series and they had the rims that split down the middle. The first few times I had to split those apart like to have driven me insane, but didn't take long for me to get the hang of it. Didn't like airing them up even with a good cage.

Jerry said it right...Take your split rims to a pro...They are incredibily dangerous!!!!...I have repaired everything from 15in to 10.00 x 20..and if you don't know what you're doing you can get yourself killed...Many a man has lost his life from split rims blowing off!!!...Thats why you will see this really heavy duty cage at the tire shops..They are for airing up truck tires and wiil spare you if something goes wrong....I lived on the edge for years..Took many chances..BUT..I was lucky...I used to lift my lube rack and lay it on the split rims to air them up...Had on old International wheel blow apart that sent me into the wall...I'm sure glad I don't have to deal with them anymore...I put modern wheels on my old Chevy trucks when I can..Do yourself a favor...Take em to the local tire guys...Al..

In Princeton, Texas about one year ago a split rim exploded while a young man was airing it up and the force threw his body up into the underside of the canopy hard enough to dent the metal sheeting. He did not survive. This is not meant to be a gory story but to emphasise the potential danger in dealing with these wheels. A cage is a must.

well i'm not realing goin to put tires back on these split rims just take the tires off i would just like to get the tires off and just set the rims aside and never use them again cause i got two trucks with these split rims (1955 Chevy 3600 and a 1968 International 1100C) other thing is i spose does anyone know why they made split rims?

If you don't need the tires and just want them off the rims, I'm thinking sawzall. But, that's just me being ignorant. I agree with Jerry, I have heard too many horror stories about split rims killing people. Take 'em to a pro.

screw split rims, man.. take a sawsall to 'em and be done with it.

Some cats want them for originality, others have them because they quite simply can't afford new rims at the time.

I'll be putting modern rims on the '46 2 ton before I ever use it regularly on public roads.

If you don't care about the tires, the sawsall method is completely painless. Just cut around above the bead and maybe once across the tread and they just about fall off!

Fumblin46,
what are the modern rims that will fit on that truck?

-W

Old Iron, the concept behind split rims goes back to early heavy-duty tire construction. The sidewalls were made thick enough that it was difficult, if not impossible to install the tires on conventional drop-center rims. Also, split rims, with their straight center sections, allowed for bigger brake drums to be used without going up a couple of sizes on tire diameter. For instance, my 59 1-ton used 14" brakes on the rear axle, with 18" rims and tires. To use a drop-center rim with those brakes, it would have needed a 20" rim and tire.

There's nothing really dangerous about split-ring rims, IF they're in good condition, and are assembled correctly. They're just terribly unforgiving of incompetence or carelessness.
Jerry

well see thing is i wana keep the tires off them so the sawsall method won't quite work to well just one of them things that you wana cut the ring off and say screw it but part of ya wants to keep the rims in good condition just incase they end up being worth something so you ain't kickin yourself in the but few years down the road wishing you wouldn't have cut them i just want the tires off (want to keep the tires) then the rings and rims will sit in the corner of the shed

Nate

Hotrod,
that is the first time I have heard that explanation, and now I have one that makes sense! The stories I used to hear were about how they were so easy to change in a field, or on the side of the road. I knew that sounded like a bunch of bull.

You should have the two-piece lock-ring style rim, not a split ring on the truck. GM used them because a farmer could break it down with a minimum of tools. While they are not that hard to break down if in good shape, I let a truck tire man do mine, he charges $5 for each time he touches it. Meaning to break down, it's $5. To mount is another $5.

There are not any good replacements, the problem comes with the tie rod on the front. Setback on newer rims is too deep, and the rim hits the tie rod end. Some guys have used trailer wheels, but then you can't use your hubcaps.

If you are going to use the rims, be sure they are cleaned up, and there isn't any major rust pitting on the lock rim or wheel where the parts mate. If there is, I recommend torching so they can't be used again.