The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Please confirm Rims are Ok

I dont know where to put a picture of my rims on the 48 2ton I have but i want to make sure they are safe to use. My truck is listed in the gallery under Garth Sweet 48.

Thank you in advance (design).

Garth Sweet
Weedpuller

Garth I can't tell by the pictures in the gallery but you should find your answer here http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/

Thank you,

I think they are the locking ring 2-piece/3piece type from the picture.

They have a good build up of paint on them.

Is there anything I should watch for when I get the tires replaced at a heavy truck tire dealer?

Will they have problems getting them back together?

Are the rims tolerant of the removal process at the age of the rim?

The rims look like what was standard for trucks of that era. Many tire dealers refuse to change tube type 2 or 3 piece rims because they are afraid of them. If a person makes sure the lock ring is seated there is no danger. I usually put a few pounds of air in them and then tap them with a hammer. Then put it in a cage and use a clip on chuck. The danger is inflating a tire with a lock ring not properly seated. Once they are inflated, there is no danger. Let an older experienced person change them who knows what to look for. If they are the split rim type, which I have never seen on that year chev, I would replace them. They split in the middle and there is no way to see if they are seated correctly. If they have a 2 or 3 piece lock ring, that is what I ran on all of my over the road semis until I started switching to tubeless about 25 years ago.

if they are the true split rims, (split in the middle, nickname widomaker rims) no body will touch them, i'm sure yours aren't that type but if they are i strongly advise you replace them with rims that aren't widomaker style the easies way to identify these rims is to look at the outside dual on the back axle and if theres a hump in the middle its more then likely a widomaker, heres a picture to compare, its the back rim on my 61 Chevy C60 rim pic its kinda hard to see but its that hump right were the valve stem sticks out, some have said that with these center splits you shouldn't even fill them up with air when they are low, i went ahead and pump mine up to 60 psi and nothing happened, although i was kinda nervous the whole time

Nate