Split Rim?

[davepl]

I've got to ask... what's a "split" rim?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390967970213...S:1120&vxp=mtr

[72kool]

its a rim that has 2-3 pieces. the front bead is either a split ring or a large ring held in place with a smaller split ring. they are dangerous to work on and are illegal in many state to make anymore. alot of shops do not work on them anymore due to insurance and liability issues. i have done alot of them in my life and prefer solid rims. if you run a split rim you must have a tube and flap otherwise it will not hold air

[So.Cal.Super]

Courtesy of the net.

Enjoy!


Split rims represent a piece of automotive history hardly used today. Due to the heavy use of inner tubes to keep tires inflated in early vehicles, well before the days of tubeless tires and solid wheel rims, split rims made it easy for a vehicle owner to pull out a flat tube and replace it on the side of the road. However, these rim types had their flaws, which appeared over time as the vehicles aged.

In a split-rim wheel, the rim that the tire is beaded onto consists of two or more parts. When the tire is deflated the rim nuts can be loosened. The rim halves then separate and come off the tire with a little encouragement from a tire lever tool. Inside the tire and on the rim halves sits the inner tube that keeps the tire inflated; without the inner tube, the air pressure would just squeeze through the halves.

Check out the Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3_PMhBa_-c#t=32

[Bigdav160]

Something you don't want.

The rim halves are held together with a ring and bolts. It allows for tires to be changed without dismounting.

They can have catastrophic failure and kill. Just look up split rim failure on youtube and you'll see people disappear off the screen when the ring comes off the rim.

[BLT gmc]

In the picture Bigdav160 has we can them a split bead. These are much safer than the old timie split rim or two piece rim. The old time split rims had solid beads, the rim was actually two piece and came apart almost in the center of the rim. These edges had complimenting C groves than mated together. It is common for these channels to fill with rust and stuff. The the blow apart and are nick-named the widowmaker.

[OSM 70 C20]

I always like the name "Suicide Rims"

[MARKDTN]

In about 1988 I watched a guy in a tire shop stand in the middle of a 10.00x20 truck one and air it up. I thought about it and thought how lucky he was to still have arms.

Later in the mid 90s I saw a ring come off one inside a cage. The cage wasn't bolted down and it moved the cage about 10 feet. There is a LOT of energy stored when inflating a split rim tire. DO NOT take it lightly or get complacent, it only takes 1 time to change your life in a bad way. Follow safety procedures on these to the letter.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by davepl

I've got to ask... what's a "split" rim?

The term "split rim" unfortunately has become a generic term for any multipiece rim. A "split rim" wheel and a "lock ring" wheel are 2 completely different rim designs. Anyone in the trucking industry knows the difference and would not clump the 2 together as being "split rims". The ebay listing is incorrect. He has the '69 thru '74 version of the 8 lug "lock ring" wheel, however the ring is missing. '67-'72 3/4 ton Chevy pickups never came with split rims, they came with lock ring wheels. "Split rim" wheels were used on some 1 1/2 ton trucks, which were indeed a bad design, however the lock ring 8 lug 16" wheel never had any safety recalls. Anybody have a documentation for any safety recall for the 16" 8 lug lock ring wheel?

[70cst]

This si why Split Rims are deadly ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVXFTskT5Z4


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQbKCd3ezrA

[Spartan]

Just to ad nauseum the pic in my avatar is a lock ring type rim.
I changed the tire awhile back and due to the stories when airing up I put the bucket from my tractor on it to keep it from flying off. It didn't fly off and all was good. I will be changing the rims out at some point...maybe...depends on how original I decide to go with resto. There are shops around here that still do them. Truck shops mostly.

[SS Tim]

Sometimes a drawing helps.

[factorystock]

Originally Posted by SS Tim

Sometimes a drawing helps.

The 2 piece design you posted are the 1 1/2 ton truck "split rim" type dubbed the "widowmakers" . Fortunately, '67 - '72 pickups never used that bad design. Here is the 2 piece "lock ring" design GM used for 8 lug 16" rims. Again, this style was sold in millions to the trucking industry, every manufacturer offered them. I know what can happen when they are not correctly assembled or mismatching rings are used etc. I also know what can happen when you reverse polarity when trying to jump batteries. I challenge anyone to come up with any documentation that the 2 piece "lock ring" wheel was ever safety recalled.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by davepl

I've got to ask... what's a "split" rim?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/390967970213...S:1120&vxp=mtr

As a child we were sitting in the car while getting gas and something moving so fast we couldn't see it bounced off the hood and broke the windshield. Lucky it was a glancing blow, if the right trajectory it would have went through the windshield and maybe killed somebody.

The man was using a remote valve and a long hose to fill the split rim tire setup. He went behind a door and turned the valve to fill it to protect himself. His garage door was open and almost got others killed/maimed.

Run as fast as you can away from split rims of that design.

They also make aftermarket split rims that bolt together, and I believe they are safer than the old design. I'd still stay away from them too, just not necessary.

[factorystock]

How shocking, both emergency vehicles coming to the rescue with those lock ring wheels http://movietvlocations.tavres.com/w...2-i-medium.jpg

[Elliot949]

My 67 Originally came with Split Rims... My Dad seemed to think his 3/4t needed to be like a tractor then in about 2000 he decided to take them off and stick a set of 16X8 rims on with some Good Year 31x10x16 tires... He stuck the splits in the garage and there they set... When Dad passed away in 2004 I inherited the truck... I lived in Colorado at the time and loaded all the spare parts up and took it all to Colorado... then in 2009 We move back to Kansas... since 2009 I have lived in 3 different homes and finally got tired of dragging those heavy as boat anchors around so I took them to the scrap yard and got 26.00 for them... These wheels are dangerous to mount and dismount and typically a regular tire shop will not even deal with them so it is expensive to mount and balance them... I you have them get rid of them... LOL.. JMHO

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by factorystock

The 2 piece design you posted are the 1 1/2 ton truck "split rim" type dubbed the "widowmakers" . Fortunately, '67 - '72 pickups never used that bad design. Here is the 2 piece "lock ring" design GM used for 8 lug 16" rims. Again, this style was sold in millions to the trucking industry, every manufacturer offered them. I know what can happen when they are not correctly assembled or mismatching rings are used etc. I also know what can happen when you reverse polarity when trying to jump batteries. I challenge anyone to come up with any documentation that the 2 piece "lock ring" wheel was ever safety recalled.

What is your point exactly? Do tell.

[JuddP]

Originally Posted by factorystock

The 2 piece design you posted are the 1 1/2 ton truck "split rim" type dubbed the "widowmakers" . Fortunately, '67 - '72 pickups never used that bad design. Here is the 2 piece "lock ring" design GM used for 8 lug 16" rims. Again, this style was sold in millions to the trucking industry, every manufacturer offered them. I know what can happen when they are not correctly assembled or mismatching rings are used etc. I also know what can happen when you reverse polarity when trying to jump batteries. I challenge anyone to come up with any documentation that the 2 piece "lock ring" wheel was ever safety recalled.

So my 67-72 lock ring wheels are safer to use than typical split rims? When I'm adding air, do I need to chain them while on the truck, or anything special?

Thanks!

[B. W.]

Originally Posted by JuddP

So my 67-72 lock ring wheels are safer to use than typical split rims? When I'm adding air, do I need to chain them while on the truck, or anything special?

Thanks!

I would use a remote fill air hose & stand out of the way. One of my two has lock ring wheels & that's how I air up.

I'm with factorystock on this one. I grew up changing semi tires, all were 2 piece wheels (locking ring) We had a fleet of 400 semi trailers, we did road side swaps all week & Friday was "Tire Day" (Why Friday!?) Sometimes we only repaired a dozen or so, sometimes 50 or more. We had a cage but we usually aired up on the trailer because when both duals are mounted the rings face each other, if one blew it was "captured" by the other tire.

I did thousands back in the day. There were very, very few failures. All of these failures were due to using a bad/damaged ring or rim (makes sense).

Lock ring wheels are very safe if properly serviced & maintained. All of us (the older ones anyway) have traveled many miles on them without a thought (think school bus).

One big advantage the this setup is that if you are out in the toolies you can break down & repair your tire wherever you may be.

These rims are obsolete now because everything went tubeless.

[mike16]

if you have the origonal rims, keep them as they are all but impossible to find now.

if you dont have the origonal rims then forget looking for them and go with the one piece rims.


the safety issues are overstated. if you know what you are doing they are as safe as any other rim. nuff said there because I know others will disagree.

the 68 and older rims are Fireston two piece rims and are pretty safe to assemble and disassemble.

the other rims , for the 69 and later trucks are the split rim shown in the pics above.

really, the rims are pretty safe if you know what you are doing when taking them apart. most idiots will tweek or spring the outer rim part making it a proverbial time bomb for the next guy who tries to reassemble them. I have the origonal two piece firestone rims on my truck and they always generate conversation where ever I go,

do a search and you will see some posts on split rims by me