Split Rim Question
 

I've had this 'spare' tire riding underneath my pickup bed for the 3 years I've owned this truck. I was going to take my truck on its first real trip out of town. (About 120 miles round trip on some fairly isolated roads). Seeing that I talked my wife into coming along, I thought I better make sure my spare tire was ok. It was flat and rotted out. I took it to the local tire place & they wouldn't dismount the tire or mount a new tire because they said that they didn't have the equipment to deal with the split rims. (They recommended a truck shop.)I ended up buying a new rim & tire.
Here is my question: Is anyone using these or do they have any value to anyone? It's going to cost me money to dispose of it at the dump & I hate to toss it out if someone can use it. I realize that shipping it would be ridiculous, but I figured I would see if anyone is using these before I dumped it.
Thanks!

Re: Split Rim Question
 

I am curious if the center could be used to make a 16.5 with nubs for a hub cap. I currently have a set of 16.5's on one of my Blazers. With the clip style of wheel for hubcaps, wish that they had nubs.

Re: Split Rim Question
 

I don't have the answer but I would dump the split rim for safety concerns but - I will let other chime it.

Re: Split Rim Question
 

Well... Back in the day we welcomed them because you could patch a tire 20 miles up a logging road if you had too , Are they dangerous ? Yes but we were changing them at age 15 , because there was no option to "call the guy " you were the guy ! Wrapping a 20 ' chain through the rim was all you needed to do to keep them from taking your head off when inflating that and understanding how they work and making sure the split rim was seated correctly . I wouldn't have any problems running a set today but in today's litigious society I doubt you'll find any shop to change them . There are multiple videos of them "getting away" and many horrible injuries and deaths from changing a tire . Scrap them :smokers:

Re: Split Rim Question
 

i work on split rims quite a bit at the shop i manage. there are a few shops out there like mine that will do these but a fair warning is that it is more expensive due to the insurance we have to carry to do them. that is what really dictates how much longer we will be able to repair split rims.

Re: Split Rim Question
 

Ah the split rim......

Dealt with many of these over my military career....I'd keep it for nostalgia reasons, but if that isn't your cup of tea. Scrap it.

Smitty

Re: Split Rim Question
 

The rims make a nice bench grinder base. I changed the ones out on my 68 years ago and I've worked with splint rims since I was 17. Still have the pry tool, not worth the hassle. I have however seen a ring go through a gas station roof. The only real danger is when you are airing up and the ring is not properly seated. We would air them up..upside down with a leg of the hoist holding it to the floor,,, this was after the ceiling incident

Re: Split Rim Question
 

6 lug split? 15'' or 16''

Re: Split Rim Question
 

While we are reminiscing. I worked on these as a teenager too, never thought twice about the danger. But I was invincible then.

Ironic story, I worked with a guy who had worked on split rims for years. He had a nasty scar and was missing part of his skull from a blown apart split rim. So, the irony is...the wheel that got him was not from work. It was a tire that came apart on the freeway while he was driving next to it.

Thats someone saying, "You're not getting away from this."

The two piece splits (like in the pic) are not as bad as the singles.

Re: Split Rim Question
 

Freudian slip?:lol:

Seems like all of us of a certain age have dealt with these. Me in the army and working at a service station. And then, at my work, they pulled an old trailer out of retirement for my office and 2 of the 4 wheels on it still have the splits.

Re: Split Rim Question
 

I am keeping them on my 1968 Chevy 1 ton. 7X18 Had them powder coated.

Re: Split Rim Question
 

This is why I always mention to take these rims to a truck tire dealer only, don't waste your time at car tire places. The horror stories always come out when multipiece rims are mentioned, but nobody ever has the specifics on what rim came apart and why. What it the 20" Firestone RH 5? Was it a 16" rim? A 15" rim? A 17" rim? Assembled correctly? Were mis matched parts from different manufacture rims used? Plenty of graphic stories, no details. Anyway, my take on 1/2 ton mulit piece rims: over engineered for loads a 1/2 ton pickup can carry. You'll blow out bearings and axle shafts before damaging the rims. Most of the time, 1/2 tons rims are not worth the extra cost associated with dealing with them, especially when there are plenty of 6 lug 1 piece rims out there that will accept correct hubcap. I make exceptions when it comes to pre '69 3/4 ton original pickups. In this case, there are not plenty of 8 lug 1 piece wheels out there that will accept correct hubcap, then it would be worth the extra cost dealing these multi-piece rims.

Re: Split Rim Question
 

They are dangerous to change, not dangerous to drive, just to be clear. IF I buy a 4x4 with them, I plan to keep them and find a place that will change them. They look good!