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Benjo · 10-12-2008, 01:52 PM

sorry to jump in here. can someone look at the pic below and confirm with me one way or another if these rims and in fact split rims? i see no outer ring. i want to be for certain before i get new tires for the rims. also i want to stick with the vintage baby moons that i have that are just waiting to get shined up. thx

Benjo · 10-12-2008, 01:53 PM

here's the pic

Excella CM · 10-12-2008, 02:36 PM

Picture is inadquate because it doesn't show all 360*. Look at the rim where it meets the tire. A split rim will have a gap somewhere in the circumference-hence split rim. No gap? Not a split rim.

**azflycaster** · 10-12-2008, 03:31 PM

It is hard to tell fom the picture. This is what you are looking for.

Ganaraska · 10-17-2008, 06:58 PM

Yours looks like a standard rim, not split rim, to me.

Split rims were used for heavy duty truck tires, with sidewalls so stiff it was impossible to pry them over the rims. They can only be used with inner tubes.

Would suggest you take your rims to a tire store and have them sandblasted and painted. They can also inspect for damage, and true up the rims in other words straighten them. This is money well spent for a smooth running rig.

Even though it will cost more than buying new modern rims it is worth it to keep the original appearance.

Jim Foster · 10-17-2008, 07:09 PM

Standard rim for sure.

nmbosa · 04-13-2009, 08:27 PM

How about these rims? Can anyone tell if these are split rims? This is the best pic I have now, but should have better tomorrow. I'm inclined to just replace them out of an abundance of caution as a friend of mine is about to tow this 1,200 miles for me.

Excella CM · 04-13-2009, 08:42 PM

Look at the rim of the wheel where it is retaining the tire bead. If it has a break in it, it's a split rim (two piece wheel). If there is no gap, it's a regular wheel.

Ganaraska · 04-14-2009, 08:28 PM

The first pic looks like a standard 1 piece wheel. These will last indefinitely if not bent in an accident, or rusted through.

Tire stores can true these wheels up, beadblast and paint them and they are good as new.

Azflycaster shows a split rim. Notice how the rim comes apart in 2 pieces. It is held together by a ring made of steel rod bent in a circle.

These were invented so as to make it easier to install very stiff 8 ply truck tires with no fancy machinery. They work well on farm and construction equipment.As long as they don't fly apart. They cannot be used tubeless, they must have an inner tube. Tubes do not disperse heat as well as tubeless tires which means more chance of a blowout or tire failure.Most people replace them with more modern wheels.

Once you know the difference you can look at a rim and see instantly if it comes apart or is made in 1 piece.

overlander63 · 04-14-2009, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nmbosa

How about these rims? Can anyone tell if these are split rims? This is the best pic I have now, but should have better tomorrow. I'm inclined to just replace them out of an abundance of caution as a friend of mine is about to tow this 1,200 miles for me.

They are one piece wheels, but they look "off". Do you know what diameter and width they are?

53flyingcloud · 04-15-2009, 03:57 AM

Several points to remember when dealing with split rims..
1.NEVER, deflate the tire without the tire "FIRST" being enclosed in a safety cage~!!
Fact~it been known that these split rims can and do fly off, causing deadly injuries~
2.Forget this original looking "theory", this is one case where SAFETY comes first~
Fact~while they are not totally outlawed, you are not gonna find very many places that are willing to deal with them because of the safety concerns.
3. That picture showing the rims being pried off chills my blood..That is precisely how you should never do it~!
You had to have had "angels" watching over you that day..
Safety is the first considereation~
ciao
53FC

danalee · 04-15-2009, 05:07 AM

We have split rims and they required a tube with an extra long stem.

Ganaraska · 04-16-2009, 03:42 PM

It's inflating, not deflating, that is dangerous. Once the rim is properly seated it cannot be taken apart until fully deflated.

Putting them back together is when the fun starts. If the parts do not go together properly the rim can fly apart like a bomb when the air pressure gets high enough. This is when you need a cage or at least a chain wrapped around the tire and bolted together.

nmbosa · 04-16-2009, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overlander63

They are one piece wheels, but they look "off". Do you know what diameter and width they are?

Terry, they were 14.5 x ? with 14.5 7 MH tires. I just replaced them with 15 x 6 Dexstars and 225 75 15 tires. Unfortunately, one of the new tires was rubbing against what appeared to be a replacement shock mount and we had to remove the shocks. I may yet have to move down to a 205 75 15 before the long journey up I-5 starts.

putback · 04-16-2009, 06:13 PM

Let me try to scare you on split rims. I grew up in a garage in the '60s when they were common. You do the initial inflation w/wheel in a steel cage,clamp on air hose, w/split faceng a wall, and they did blow. often, with sometimes with fatil results. I personaly knew a fellow with one arm lost to a rim. A friend inflated one ring down on a concrete floor, figured it was safe. It blew, lifted him into the air, broke his arm. I was pumping gas in a little ton truck. A front rim blew just sitting there, missed me, broke a window in the shop 50 ft away. There's many more, I won't bore you. These rims are safe IF, they have a perfect ring edge and IF they have a perfect ring groove, and IF they are installed PERFECTLY. After this much time has passed the steel ring and groove are rusty and pitted, the steel is stressed. If you can find someone experianced to inspect them and they are sound there is another problem. Repair on the road, many shops won't touch them. Not enough yet? 35 yrs later I'm still carrying a shard of steel in a thigh, complements of one that blew IN A CAGE.!!!!

bobglass2 · 04-16-2009, 06:17 PM

I have another kind of two piece rim. The ring is not split but is a removable ring.
It is on a '53 FC

Bob

53flyingcloud · 04-17-2009, 03:26 PM

bobglass2
Just a trim to complement the "moon" which covered the lug nuts.
Fancy setup~!!

putback
That's a lesson worth sharing and, I thank you..
Thank Gawd, you're still alive~

bobglass2 · 04-17-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 53flyingcloud

bobglass2
Just a trim to complement the "moon" which covered the lug nuts.
Fancy setup~!!

putback
That's a lesson worth sharing and, I thank you..
Thank Gawd, you're still alive~

Not decerative, it must be pried over the wheel after the bead is broken.

Bob

putback · 04-17-2009, 07:01 PM

Bobglass2, split rim- solid ring. Less common than the split rim-split ring. The old guys used to say they were safer. If you ever have them apart you may want to scrub down the inside of the ring with steel wool. Then check it close with a magnifying glass for hairline cracks. Besides cleaning, the strands of s/wool often catch in a crack, kinda catches your eye. The solid rings would set up and be more difficult to remove. Some took a serious hammer beating, a lot of it frustration and anger, hence the fine cracks, and chips. Those same hits often caught the rim and deformed the recieving groove. Problem is, like 53cloud said. That rim/ring with a baby moon is just about as pretty as you can get on an old A S ! If I could find a pair of good ones I'd use them. A little dbl pinstripe just outside the moon, sweet.

Jim Clark · 04-17-2009, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by putback

Let me try to scare you on split rims. I grew up in a garage in the '60s when they were common. You do the initial inflation w/wheel in a steel cage,clamp on air hose, w/split faceng a wall, and they did blow. often, with sometimes with fatil results. I personaly knew a fellow with one arm lost to a rim. A friend inflated one ring down on a concrete floor, figured it was safe. It blew, lifted him into the air, broke his arm. I was pumping gas in a little ton truck. A front rim blew just sitting there, missed me, broke a window in the shop 50 ft away. There's many more, I won't bore you. These rims are safe IF, they have a perfect ring edge and IF they have a perfect ring groove, and IF they are installed PERFECTLY. After this much time has passed the steel ring and groove are rusty and pitted, the steel is stressed. If you can find someone experianced to inspect them and they are sound there is another problem. Repair on the road, many shops won't touch them. Not enough yet? 35 yrs later I'm still carrying a shard of steel in a thigh, complements of one that blew IN A CAGE.!!!!

I had a friend in high school who was crippled by a split rim. On another occasion I saw first hand what a split rim can do to a human. The unlucky tire mechanic lived but he to was crippled for life. Listening to him scream as he lay in the middle of a concrete slab until help arrived is not something I will forget. If you have split rims toss them in the trash it will save you or someone else and keep you out of a lawsuit. Cages are used as are chains to work on the rims but not everyone has the equipment nor do they like the extra hassle it causes.