The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts what "type" of rim??

Greetings folks...

Can someone tell me what style of split rim I have on my 1964 chevy C60?

here is a pic from my website...

Rim pic

Thanks

Burgie

Appears to be the widow-makers,
Scott

Are they all alike? Quite often they are not. The one pictured is the R5°.

Yes...they all appear to be the same...

I have a local guy that said he's changed hundreds of split rims of all types and has no problem doing mine. He is going to charge me $30 per tire...which would include dismounting the tires so I can inspect, sandblast and paint and then install new flaps, tubes and tires. He has a cage and all the necessary equipment...

I figured $30 per tire isn't a bad deal and certainly worth the money to pay for his extensive experience!!

Thanks guys...

Burgie

Better check with your DOT, they aren't allowed in Iowa. Won't get past inspection,
Scott

Once my local tire shop saw the wheels I had they wouldn't change them because they were illegal .I looked forever for two to replace them.

Good luck

I paid 34 usd each to get my rear wheels replaced.
In Oklahoma

Even if you can have them serviced the smart thing to do is get rid of them and use safer 20" rims, even tubeless 22.5" wheels are out there if you like.

You'll find some good info here about different rim types and some options.
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/wheels/

And here's a good cutaway picture of an RH5* rim.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2903721360080251109pPFWcO

Grigg

Thanks for all the valuable insight. Looks like I have some decisions to make...and homework to do!!

I feel compelled to write down some things that have been floating around in my head as I investigate and contemplate this wheel issue…probably with no rhyme or reason…
First and foremost is to thank everyone for their inputs and information; knowledge is power and I like to make informed decisions.
I have easily spent over 30 hours doing internet searches on split rims, widow makers, suicide rims, multi piece rims, Firestone, RH5, and the like. I have been on this site, Ford forums, welding sites, garage forums, hot rod sites, DOT sites, NTSB and even law firm sites reading case reports. Here are some quick, tip-of-the-tongue thoughts that come to mind, things that I think about when I am surfing around reading all this information…
My first “reaction” is that I am now terrified to even go near my trucks, let alone move them or work on them. I have read stories ranging from rims blowing up at stop lights to spontaneous explosions as the vehicle sits in someone’s back yard to explosions when wheeling them onto a trailer to bring them home from the service shop. I have 12 time bombs ticking in my back yard (2 trucks x 6 tires)…and am horrified by the prospect of having to even approach my trucks.
Next, I thought of how fortunate I was when I was growing up. I remember driving my Dad’s 1963 C-60 everywhere. I remembered pulling up to the scales at the local quarry loaded with 3/4” stone and weighing in at 30,000+ pounds (in a truck with a 19,500 GVWR). I also remember the times I drove the truck to the local drive-in because that was the only vehicle available to use to go on dates…so being a foot loose and fancy free teenager I would go on dates in the truck. I took it to the beach numerous times too. I’m glad I never hurt anyone driving that truck with those widow makers...
Then, I looked at things from an analytical or statistical perspective. I recalled that in all the time I was growing up and riding in and driving Dad’s truck I never recalled any tire or rim related failures (other than normal tire wear). Even when grossly overloaded, driving through the woods and literally over short stumps to get at cord wood, driving on the highway at 55-60 mph, in the mud at dumps and jobsites… the rims and tires held strong and true.
My research reveals a common thread…in that the majority (sans actual numerical percentages) of horror stories I read about regarding accidents and incidents (yes, all very sad) were in some way, shape or form associated to improper handling of the tires/rims, not following proper and established safe handling procedures, not using the proper tools to do the job, unqualified backyard mechanics trying to work on something they are not trained to work on and doing so with makeshift tools and techniques, or using rims that were in a poor state of repair in terms of mechanical integrity.
I then wondered about the tens of thousands of trucks over the 20-30 years that have had these rims as OEM standard equipment. That quantity of vehicles, times 4, 6 or maybe 10 tires per vehicles times the number of years driven…well, you can see where this is going. There must be millions of miles that have been safely driven by vehicles with these rims and, correspondingly, thousands of tire changes that have occurred without incident by experienced technicians over the years.
The message I am hearing is that I should just discard these rims and never look back? Even if I have them professionally dismounted and subsequent sandblasting and inspection reveals the rims are serviceable? True, a one piece tubeless replacement would be great, but what about the high percentage (qualitative assessment) of rims that have likely performed admirably when properly serviced and maintained by qualified technicians? I am not trying to desensitize the potential hazards that this rim design poses, but there are hazards that we face every single day…
Anyhow…enough ranting for now…

I'm in the same situation. Anyone have any idea where I can find some safer rims? I'd REALLY like some 24.5 tubeless, but at this point I would settle for 20" with a split ring.

Wow...just made a casual inquiry to a business that sells the Accuride Hub-Piloted, Dual-Mounting, One-Piece Flanged Cap Nut
10-Hole, 8¾" Bolt Circle, 6.25" Bore rims (a.k.a. part number 28160) and they are $293 each minus freight charges...

I still have some of the RH5º wheels. I found some Goodyear type wheels recently, but I haven't gotten around to changing them. I got my commercial drivers license in 1959 and I have changed a lot of the RH5º wheels. I don't care to change them any more, but I don't care to change any tires any more. I don't worry about them once they are mounted. They are more dangerous now than they were 40 to 60 years ago because of rust, but a lot of the danger is just hype. Any wheel including a 1 piece tubeless wheel can explode I have never seen a RH5º explode. Ay 2 or 3 piece wheel can explode if it is not properly mounted. The lockring or Goodyear type wheels are still manufactured for tube required tires. I would run what you have and look around for safer wheels. If you have fears of them exploding while they are parked, mount them on the inside of the drive axle and on the steering axle. If they were to come apart, they would come apart towards the truck There are still a lot of the safer types around in barns in farming country as well as salvage yards

What I see as a bigger danger is an old radial tire. I have seen quite a few of them explode while they were sitting still. And quite often they tore out a couple of cross members of a trailer and tore a hole in the floor. If someone would have been close to the tire, they would have been really torn up by the wire.

The RHº were manufactured for 3 decades and were used by Ford as well as GM. However, in those days people accepted hazards. I used a cage to inflate tires 50 years ago, and I still require the guys at my shop to use one even on brand new aluminum tubeless wheels.

Some of your google reading might have been my comments on other boards. I'm one that thinks they should be pulled from service, period. A reference you might not have come across is the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) web site. Link below. Back in the 1970s there was a recall effort made to get the RH-5ºs off the road. The wheel manufacturers agreed to pull them from their catalogs in 1972. All but K-H did so. They kept selling them until 1977. Then the recall effort got squashed in 1980 when industry pressure resulted in OSHA merely issuing stronger training guidelines for installers. So no federal action has been taken to outlaw them, but as I understand a number of states have done this on their own. And as you've read, the number of wrongful death/injury jury awards have caused most reputable shops to refuse to touch the things. You might want to scroll back through the IIHS Status Reports to read about the recall effort. Stu

http://www.iihs.org/externaldata/srdata/docs/sr0713.pdf

Yo Stu...

Yes...I did see your name on several posts in other forums and I appreciate your knowledge of the subject matter very much. Please understand my purpose is to collect as much information as I can and appreciate the opinions of others. I don't slam people for expressing their thoughts and opinions...even if they are in contrast to mine...

Did I miss or misinterpret something? Didn't think anyone was "slamming" anyone else's opinion?
Lots of good thinking and info here for everyone to decide for themselves.

Grigg

Still available used for much less if you look. I've seen them in junk yards and on complete trucks that would sell for enough as scrap to recoup most if not all the original purchase price ( = free wheels).

Grigg

Burgie - I don't want to be offensive either, and don't take offense. I try to base my comments on fact, but am honest that I have a safety first orientation.

Grigg - check in over at the YT site. Stu

Grigg...

Oh heavens no...nobody has been offensive at all...and you are absolutely correct. I was merely stating my professional approach (i.e common courtesy and manners) towards information exchange even if the opinion of one or more differs from mine. I appreciate and value the fact that we can offer our thoughts on Stovebolt without criticism or ridicule.

I have gone on other sites in which the volley of communication between individuals can be down right harsh and condescending. There is no place for that here or anywhere...we are all in this together to enjoy our love of old vehicles and genuinely want to share information in a sane, civilized and respectful manner..

Burgie

Stu...

In no way did I view your note as offensive...I appreciated and have read the .pdf file you uploaded. Great reading and thanks bro...

Burgie