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On my '59 Viking 60 I have RH-5 wheels. I'm getting ready to put 8.25 x20 tube type radials on it. I have located 6 of what appear to be Goodyear "L" type variety six hole Budd wheels. These wheels are two piece with a split rim ring. Is this a better wheel to use? If my RH 5s are in good condition and my tire store is willing to install the tires does it make any real difference. If I could find some 22.5 six holes I would use them, but the only two sets I have seen were in use and the owners were unwilling to part with them. New they are $250-$300 apiece :-(

Split ring rims are fine if they're in good shape and your tire man knows how to handle them. Stay away from the RH-5's.

Hy Matthew Blair, I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that the RH-5 wheels are illegal to put back together when a tire shop has broken them down. Plus I think 99.9% of tiremen will not work on those wheels, they don't call them widow makers for nothing!

I too could be wrong, but I don't believe any state has made the split rim illegal. Due to the litigious mindset of the age, you may not find anyone willing to work on them though. Canada may be a different story.

Try a man that deals with heavy equipment tires. They often will come to you and are experienced on these types of wheels. We have a great tire man here and he deals with them all the time.

Good luck.

My tire store will in fact mount the RH 5 wheels so that's not a problem. The real issue is am I significantly better off getting the other wheels?

The locking lip on a brand new RH-5 was pretty skinny, and 40 or 50 years of use, abuse, and rust hasn't helped them much. I've spent many years changing tires on split ring wheels, so the normal removable rim wheel, either 2 or 3 piece, doesn't bother me at all. I won't do anything other than break down a RH-5 rim, and I strongly encourage the owner to cut it up with a torch so it can't be reassembled. If you can find safer replacement wheels, trash those things! All it takes is one moment's inattention to kill or permanently injure someone!
Jerry

I've spent time reading the wrongful death/injury court rulings on the web relating to RH-5° rims. One of the court briefs pointed out that besides the failures caused by damage, rust, metal fatigue, etc, the rim's basic design leads to separations because it does not allow the technician to see from the wheel's front whether there is a good seat of the rim's halves. Lock ring style on the other hand, whether two or three piece, all permit the tech to see if the ring is seating properly as the bead forces it outward.

I'll agree with the others. Cut them up, or somehow render them distroyed, then recycle them. Stu

My local KAL Tire supports the "cut 'em up and melt them" approach; they won't touch the wheels. The cost of replacement, however, is an eye watering $4000. (In Canada, that's almost a tank of gas.) If the vehicle was a daily driver then, yes, mortgage one of the grandchildren and have at it. But, it's a nostalgic thing, and monies are better spent elsewhere. That annoying eating habit must be met. So, the 40 will sit with its rotted rubber until the Loonie increases in value or I win the lottery.

I have a 53 GMC 2 ton that has the RH-5 wheels and I have not been able to find anything to replace them. I don't worry about driving the truck. I changed a lot of them in the 50's and 60's, but I quit doing it after I had a wife and kids almost 40 years ago. The centers are riveted and I have been toying with the idea if removing the centers and welding them to open center (Dayton) tubeless rims. I have welded other wheels like that in my brake drum lathe and had pretty good success. I always have a bunch of low profile 22.5 tires that are not good enough for my over the road equipment but would be fine on a bob tail that never leaves the county.

I've built a lot of dirt track race car wheels by purchasing blank wheels without centers, and machining/welding my own centers made from flat steel plate. If you can do a good job of fitting and welding the centers into a tubeless wheel, go for it. Just be sure the welds are good quality, with the right alloy rod and good penetration. I used to use a magnetic-base dial indicator to check for runout after making a few tack welds. If everything was OK, then I'd weld it up all the way.
Jerry