VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans 2 piece rims

I have a 1947 AD 3600 with 15" 2 piece rims. I haven't been able to find a professional tire service that will mount new tires on these original wheels because of liability issues. I called Pomp's because they deal with over the road trucks and trailers(2 piece rims) but still no luck. I looked into new rims but I haven't been able to locate 15"x 7" or 16"x 7", 8 lug wheels with the 3.5" offset I need to clear the tie rod ends. Wheel Vintiques has 16"x 7", 8 lug wheels with a 4" offset which will work fine on the back but not the front. The other issue with the Wheel Vintiques product is that they have to be somehow modified to accept a stock hubcap which I'm not sure is possible. Someone has dealt with this problem so I'm hoping someone can help me get headed in the right direction with a good solution.

47SwiftRed

I have several 1937 Ton&half trucks with split or solid rings on 20" wheels. The problem happens when the wheel or ring has rusted beyond it's ability to grasp the rim or when an employee has many tires to mount and doesn't double check that the ring is properly seated.
For your safety, put a little air in the tire till the bead just touches the rim. Less than 5 pounds. Then tap the ring again to make sure it's seated. When airing up, turn ring away from you and reach thru the center of the wheel with air chuck.
If the ring comes loose, it will blow away from you and not decapitate you. It WiLL throw you and the tire across the garage.
Be careful and good luck, Lou .

As a kid, I spent a summer doing split rim tire repairs/replacements for a garbage truck company. There were scars on the ceiling 20' above from rings hitting the ceiling.

They taught me to use 2 chains around the tire and back through the rim. Same process as Lou mentions to fill in stages and hit the ring when filling. I remember professional shops having a cage they would roll the tire/rim into and then fill them inside the cage.

I have always used the 2 chains method when a cage was not available. I have also seen the dented workshop roof caused by the rings not holding properly.
Tony

On my 51 1Ton I used 16 x 6 rims. Two of my rims are from 80s trucks, one Ford and one Dodge. The others are trailer wheels by Dexter. They are all almost identical except the trailer wheels don’t have vents as they are welded all way around. I use half moon hubcaps on the front and non on the back.

There are 3 different types of truck rims. ( not all of these types would be found on our Chevies )
The split rim actually comes apart at the center line of the rim. When taken apart, you have 2 halves of a rim.
The lock ring style is a full rim with an outer locking bead ring, kind of like a snap ring.
Then there is the 3 piece rim, the main rim with an outer bead ring with a "snap" ring locking the bead ring to the rim.
Of the 3, the most dangerous is the split rim. To take it apart you must first separate both the inner and outer bead from the rim, locate a notch in the rim that allows a tire bar to pry / distort the rim so it can be "peeled" out of the other half of the rim. If this area of interlocking lips gets rust, the action of separation reduces the interlocking lips. To put it together, as I recall, you place the "front" of the rim on the ground, place the tire with the valve stem thru the hole, then place the back half of the rim, at a slight angle, so it starts the interlocking process. At this point you would add your body weight to the rim and with a 15 lb. tire hammer, you force / stretch the back half of the rim to complete the interlocking action. It is this process that makes the rim become dangerous over time.

I know this because from the age of 16 - 21 I worked on all sizes of these rims.

I've been hesitant to post here for fear of being responsible for a disaster.
That said, I agree with Dave. It's the old RH-5 split in the middle rim that scares the hell out of me. The ones I've had to deal with were on F*rds. I seriously don't know how they stay together even when they are in good shape.
I don't fear the 2 piece rims on the old 3600 3/4 ton Chevs at all if they are in good shape and the removable ring isn't distorted.

BUT:
The rim MUST be in good shape and you MUST know what you are doing.
A few key points:
Know how to get the ring off and on without distorting it.
Wrap a good chain snugly around the tire and through the center of the rim all the way around the wheel. I like at least 6 evenly spaced wraps.
GRADUALLY inflate the tire and tap the ring with a hammer as the tire contacts it and make sure the ring is "centered" all the way around the rim.
Fully inflate the tire and give the ring a couple of good whacks with the hammer to be sure nothing happens. If something goes "pop", beware.
ONLY then should the chain come off.
And DON'T reinflate a flat tire without removing it and chaining it up first.

And one more thing...
If you aren't sure of what you are doing... DON'T do it.

I don't fear them, but I certainly respect them. I never give them a chance to make me into another victim of carelessness or inattention.

Mike