VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1912-1928 split rims

I have new tires ,tubes and liners for my 1928 truck, the tire places around here in Southern Indiana will not deal with split rims due to the liability. I have removed the tires with a sawzall , I have found a few split rim tools for a model A, is there any difference in these tools? or is there a easier way to mount these tires.I have done quiet a few split rims with the rings in my younger days so I am aware of that danger , do these type of rims pose the same danger as the ring? Do I need to build a cage?

Are you talking about a one piece rim like a car rim? If so, fold it together enough to put the tire (with flap and tube already installed)on and inflate a little. I do not fully inflate till its bolted to the wheel. Shouldn't be any safety issues, but tough to do without scratching the paint.

yes,
the rims are the same as on a auto but with 6.50-20 tires , the rim splits in the middle and locks back in with a tung like . I was not sure how much spring is in the rim?
Thanks
Kelr.

When I changed from the old to new tires on my 31 with disc wheels, my "rubber" man did not demount anything, but kept the wheel in one piece. As an experienced worker, he mounted the new tires very slowly on the rim, and I have not had any trouble in the years after driving the car.

A lot of people said it could not be done (or safely done). But I saw the operations with my own eyes, so I had to believe it.

Thats possible with a larger diameter passenger car tire like an 18" or larger. Truck tires are too stiff for this.

As with anything, there is a certain amount of danger. Take your time and first make sure the rim is in good condition. Mounting is the easy part. Filling with air is the dangerous part. You can wrap it with a logging chain if you like and do it outside. I use a long hose with a locking type fitting to the valve stem and went in 10 psi increments. I over inflate by 10 psi and then bleed off at the compressor. Leave it sit for a bit then take a look. I have mounted both ring type and the rims for 1928 trucks. I believe the ring type are more dangerous, but that is only my opinion.

The correct way to mount your tires is to collapse the rim enough to get the tire/tube/flap combo in place. Then use a rim jack to push the rim back to the position where the lock can be fastened. These rim jacks are not difficult to find, I have 2 or 3 of them. I recently saw one on ebay. If there are old car guys in your area who have demountable rim era vehicles, one of them will have the appropriate tool. You can use some rubber or leather between the tool and your rim to protect your paint.

Mike

A rim tool should look like: This one is upside down....It is used to collapse the rim for removing the tire and also to expand the rim inside the tire beads and latch and pin the rim in place....
Some thread here or on the old Chatter had a discussion about mounting these tires and rims. Chipper had several postings, If My memory is correct.





The "split rims" on a 28 are not really split rims, they are demountable rims. You need to find a VCCA owner that has done several sets of tire mountings and has the tools (you will need some refreshments and a large tin of cornstarch baby powder) and get a lesson or two. There are a few tricks of the trade that will help you. Like what tire tools you need and how to do the job right.


The rims that are split rims that have the lock ring are the ones on 3/4 and larger trucks of the 40s 50s and 60s. These are the rims that can be dangerous if they are not put together correctly. I had a job in a Sinclair filling station back in 52 and 53, when I started fixing flats on trucks Chevrolet, Ford and all medium duty trucks and larger had these split rims and the locking ring. I was told that "If you don't get the ring on right, when you air the tire up (80 - 100 PSI) the ring can blow off and take your head with it."... I was careful, I laid the tire over on a 4x4 block and used the back side of the air chuck and pulled on the hose to keep it on the valve stem. I would air the tire up to 15 or 20 PSI then check the ring, then if it looked ok I would carefully fill it to 80 or 100 PSI, whatever the driver wanted. Later they came out with the cages.
I liked doing truck tires. I got $2.50 of the $5 the station owner charged, and he furnished the tools, hotpatchs and valve cores. Hotpatches were from 5 to 15 cents each and valve cores were about a dollar for a box of 50.

Back in '51, I was a sophmore then, A guy at the local garage had one blow. He survived but with the injuries to the body & head, he never was the same. Sure could of used plastic surgery back then. I have them on my old trailer I use to haul wood but if I need a tire changed I take it to the local garage. They have the tools.

Replacing the tires with out a rim tool is possible but dificult. Find a rim tool and save an hour and skinned fingers on each wheel.

I bought my tires from Kelsey Tire. I think they may be in Indiana too. The advice he gave me was to "buy one of the rim tools from a Model T hobbyist". The one I found cost $25.00. "Get some tire Lube from a local tire shop". I took a used margarine container down to a Les Schwab dealer and when I explained what I was doing they filled it up. I laid out some cardboard in the driveway to keep my rims from being scratched too much. The first one went rather slow, by the time I got to the fifth one it was a piece of cake. Do not pull them down too far as this will distort your rims. Just far enough to wiggle the tires over them. The tire lube is for when you expand the rim back into the the tire with the rim tool. Be sure to use flaps. It will take a little trial and error as when you expand it back out the tube will turn a little on the rim. I also had to use a file to ream out some of the stem holes in the rim the old style tubes had rather small stems. The tubes he sold me were 1" smaller than the tire size so as to potentially eliminate folds in them and problems down the road. I saved one of the tires and had another rim. When we go to some of the little shows around our town I set it out with the rim tool as a living history display along with a tube and patch kit. I don't pull the rim down very far in case someone bumped and it popped loose. But a lot of people will tell their kids they changed their bike tires or ? and it gets them talking. I tell them there were no cell phones and maybe no service stations for miles so you were on your own.

Hey, I went to a swap meet today and the first thing I saw of interest was the above pictured rim tool. Rusty but I can loosen it up and bead blast it to look like new.. $6.00!!SCORE.