The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk split rims

spent half the day fussen with my 17 inch split rims on my 48 ton. how in the h..l do you break them down. maybe the 25 per wheel might be best. but as i am a tight ..., wanted to see your thoughts.

It takes a special spoon-shaped hammer that is driven between the tire bead and the rim, all the way around. Once the tire is loose on both sides of the rim, the bead ring is pushed down toward the center of the rim, and the lock ring is pried off. Lift the bead ring off, flip the rim over, and support it on something lilke an old brake drum. A few taps of the hammer should drop the tire off the rim. Sometimes a good squirt of WD-40 helps the tire break loose if the rim and tire have rusted together. Quite often, a badly-rusted rim is a real PITA to disassemble, and it's also likely that one with a heavy rust buildup will also be damaged too badly to reassemble safely.
Jerry

Edit: Here's a couple of pics:

http://www.gemplers.com/product/6A/32-Duckbill-Bead-Breaking-Hammer

http://www.gemplers.com/product/T11D/17-Short-handled-Bead-Breaking-Hammer

The long-handled hammer is better for a pro tire shop. The shorty costs less, and is OK for occasional tire work.
Jerry

There is also a slide hammer that resembles a steel fence post driver only it has the duck bill end to fit against the tire bead. For non-pros it prevents banging and bending the split ring. If there is a rural tire store near you they still fix a lot of split ring type wheels. One just eight miles from me in Leonard, Texas charges $7.50--a steal.

I've used splitting wedges that I've rounded off, with a 3-5 lbs maul to break the bead. The old full serve gas station that I worked at nearly 30 years ago promised me all of the specialty tools when they retire. So soon I'll have the real deals to bust down my tires/rims. Using the right tools sure make life a lot easier,
Scott

Hit the lock ring a few good ones to knock the rust off. Knock the bead down with either a tire hammer or bead breaker. Some people use wedges, but I can't seem to hit them. After a hit or 2 apply a generous amount of rubber lubricant such as RuGlyde. Allow it to soak a few minutes and knock the bead down so you can remove the lock ring. Then turn it over and give it a hit or 2 and put in a generous amount of RuGlyde and let it soak for a while. Then knock the bead down. Lay a block or something under the rim to elevate it about a foot or so. Then knock the tire off the rim with a hammer. When you have it about halfway down, push the stem in so it doesn't get stuck or smashed. If it doesn't want to go, give it some more RuGlyde. When you have the tire off, put a little air in the tube. This will help free the tube from the tire and the flap or snake belly. To mount the tire, put some tire talc in the tire to keep the tube from sticking. Put the tube in and inflate it a little. Then put the flap in and make sure that the tube has no folds and the flap doesn't pinch it. Stand the tire up with the stem down. Stick the stem through the hole and let the tire drop on the rim. It should slip on easily. Reinstall the lock ring or rings depending on if its one or 2 piece. Tap it a few times to make sure it is seated properly. Use a snap on inflater check, preferably one with a regulator set at the desired pressure. In being around them for over 50 years, I have never seen a lock ring blow off. But don't take any chances while you are inflating it. I used to change them in a matter of minutes 50 years ago. Now it tires me thinking about it.

********************WARNING*****************
********************WARNING*****************

USE A TIRE CAGE TO REINFLATE. I have seen split rims come apart during inflation. The very least they will blow the tire 20 feet or more in the air. The last one we had come apart blew a 200lb man almost 20 feet breaking his arm in 3 places. He was LUCKY, most are seriously hurt, paralized or DIE.
********************WARNING*****************
The HAZARDS associated with the split rims is the reason commercial trucks and the Military quit useing them years ago. But there are a few still in circulation waiting to be phased out.
********************WARNING*****************
PLEASE USE A TIRE CAGE I do not want anybody hurt. I have had to evacuate injured soldiers due to these things coming apart, NOT a pretty sight!

********************WARNING*****************

Please Excuse my forceful rantings, but I know the DANGERS.

Brad

When I first got out of high school many moons ago, I worked as a laborer at a rock quarry. One of my many menial tasks was to fix tires on the dump trucks. They had split rims and seemed to weigh a ton. Before starting to break one down and before reassebmling and inflating we wrapped a log chain, 2 wraps through the center of the wheel and around the tire in 2 locations. It was a pita to work around the chains, but I had more than one of them coming flying loose so I guess it was worth it.

One of the old timers there showed me the scar where a rim had came flying off and took a hunk of flesh out of his forearm and broke the bone.

Approach with great caution!!!!

They are dangerous! I used to work at a small service station.We would put them under the arm's of the hoist and stand way back while inflating.Sometimes they were really rusted on so the boss would pull the ring put em under the hoist and pour an entire bottle of coca cola on em,put the air chuck on and go to the other room,inflate just a bit and wait.took about an hour on some but you'd hear em pop.I know not recomended procedure but it worked for him.personaly I don't like em anymore!