nother split rim question

[scotty85]

i just got a 68 cab and chassis C 30. it has what i at first thot were split rims in the rear,but after doing a search and looking at some pics,i dont think that it does.

they have what looks like the flat part of a wheel stud visible around the rim,where the center meets it. i dont know if they are actually some sort of stud,a big spot weld or what. but at any rate,they look like normal rims,i cant see any wierd lockrings or anything.one of the tires is flat and seperated from the bead,and it looks like any other wheel.

also from what i gather,most,or all,split rims used tubed tires. these are a wierd size,but are tubeless. they are an 8-75, 6 ply rated sidewall, "courser traction" tire.

i plan to use this truck to pull a large goosneck trailer,after giving it some TLC,of course. i dont mind running the 17.5 size till its time for tires,as long as they are not unsafe or dangerous.

can anyone confirm my thots that this is a normal wheel? if not anyone got any pics of different types of dually splits to compare em to? the only pics ive been able to find on here so far have all been of single wheels.

if its a normal wheel,anyone got anything to say,good or bad,bout the 17.5 size?

thanx a bunch

[barn9]

Just stop at any tire shop, they can tell you real quick by looking. If they are split rims, get rid of them pronto (that's my opinion of them).

[junkyardjohn]

IF THEY ARE TUBELESS, THEY ARE NOT SPLITS. JOHN

[68w/sbc406]

i worked for a company that had a bucket truck that had split rims on it and we took it down to have new tires put on it and they refered to them as 'widow makers'and would not tuch them other than take them off. we had to buy new wheels.

[Hunter]

I drove an 18 wheel end-dump truck as a kid and repaired my own flats, of which I had a lot from driving in dumps. I could do 10 of them in a day. These were big mother truck split rims, not them little tinky 16" ones like on pickups. I'd do all the repairs at one time, then air 'em up. The old drivers would leave the scene immediately. If you've ever seen one of those rings come off under high pressure you would leave the scene too. I would wrap a big piece of chain around it several times, then put a huge rug on the thing, clip the air chuck on, then get the hell outa there. They'd air up to 100 lbs. which is a freakin' bomb. Never popped one, but was across the street from a shop when one did explode. Flourescent fixture chunks flying and guys running out of there at high speed. Nobody hurt. CHEAP lesson.
I'm not sure why they ever made them for a 3/4 ton pickup with a GVW as low as they are (for a truck). Very few tire shops will touch them and your Discount Tire - Big O Sam's Club etc. weenies wouldn't have anybody who knew how to work on them even if their insurance would let them.
Good advise above: Steer clear of them. You don't need them on a pickup. You won't be able to give them away when you do take them off your truck. There have been a lot of threads on the limitation of wheels available to 8-hole users. Regards, H.

[scotty85]

thanx for the replys fellas. believe me,if they were splits id be puttin all 4 of em right in the trash can. i think they not,as they are a tubless traction tire,and the one that is flat does not have a tube in it. the truck runs and drives,but is not yet roadworthy. as soon as i get everything working i will take it by a tire shop and have em looked at,just to be sure. i have read some threads about needing new wheel studs in order to use newer wheels.

thanx again,im sure ill have some more qustions as i start gettin it fixed up

[Zeke]

Just because they are tubeless tires doesn't mean the rims aren't split. Some split rims had a solid outer ring with a snap type ring that fit between the rim and outer ring, so call safety split rim as the outer ring would force snap ring to lock into the rim. I would take it to a tire shop to make sure.

[dwaite72lnghrn]

If they are split rims you will see a split (1/8" gap or so) in the rims somewhere. Also a separate steel ring around the Bead lip with a gap in it also. These splits should be opposite each other.

[junkyardjohn]

Originally Posted by dwaite72lnghrn

If they are split rims you will see a split (1/8" gap or so) in the rims somewhere. Also a separate steel ring around the Bead lip with a gap in it also. These splits should be opposite each other.

NOT TRUE ..... THE SPITS ON MY 69 1 TON HAD SOLID RINGS ON THEM. NOT ALL SPLIT RIMS HAVE RINGS THAT ARE SPLIT. JOHN

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by junkyardjohn

NOT TRUE ..... THE SPITS ON MY 69 1 TON HAD SOLID RINGS ON THEM. NOT ALL SPLIT RIMS HAVE RINGS THAT ARE SPLIT. JOHN

Absolutely true. My 72 has slpit rims, but there is a solid ring, with no gap in it.

This is the best picture I have of them right now....

[jhwkns]

I had a 67 with factory 17.5's... Not split rims... Check Sears for your tires. They used to have a small selection of them in that size. They aren't very common... If memory serves me correctly. No tube type tires are manufactured in .5" sizes. I had 8.00x17.5's with a highway tread. They lasted forever, but the grip on wet roads was awful.

[longhorn71]

here are some pics of spilt rims.the one ton one is a 18" rim.the outer ring is removable.the 3/4 ton wheel is the same if you look close you can see the split in the ring.the16" one is what i put on my 1 ton they are of an 84 truck.please do not ask if i would sell the split rims,unless u need a good fire pit!!! .these rims should be removed from service just my .02 cents

[bucket]

fwiw....i have splits on my 67 3/4 ton. i was going to get rid of them (i had heard horror stories) but there is a great tire place here in KC that works on semi's etc. they have no problem working on them. i asked if i should swap them and they asked "why? they are no big deal if you know what you are doing" The farmer relative i bought the truck from said the same thing...."i've changed those tires dozens of times....they are fine".

my understanding is they are dangerous when being inflated. if my tire goes low or flat, i take it in. somewhat inconvenient but it's not a daily driver.

[Fred T]

Originally Posted by bucket

fwiw....i have splits on my 67 3/4 ton. i was going to get rid of them (i had heard horror stories) but there is a great tire place here in KC that works on semi's etc. they have no problem working on them. i asked if i should swap them and they asked "why? they are no big deal if you know what you are doing" The farmer relative i bought the truck from said the same thing...."i've changed those tires dozens of times....they are fine".

my understanding is they are dangerous when being inflated. if my tire goes low or flat, i take it in. somewhat inconvenient but it's not a daily driver.

Right they are. The two biggest enemies of the 2 or 3 piece rims are attitude and rust or damage. If the rings are damaged by rust or abuse, they need to be torched and sold as scrap. The attitude that I mention is the attitude of the repair mechanic. These rims require inspection and careful assembly. One does not cut any corners with them. The majority of mishaps are the result of the mechanic's negligence.

I have a local tire company that works on the rims for my 52. I still have the lock-ring style, a two peice rim that is fairly safe. So far, I have been unsuccessful in locating rims for the front axle on the 52, they have and odd setback with minimal clearanc for the tie rod end.

[Chris H]

I was recently told by an old heavy truck mechanic that all the sizes ending in .5 are single piece (or drop-center) rims.
16.5,17.5, 19.5 and 22.5 come to mind.

Can anybody verify this? Cant say that I have ever seen 16.5 splits.

[Longhorn Man]

I have seen a split ring fly off a day or two after it was assembled and aired up...it was bolted onto the truck and just blew off...luckily at night.
This is one of those things that, while thay can be safe, I wouldn't want to trust anyone but myself...and this is one area I DON'T trust my self in.

[scotty85]

thanx again for all the info. you guys seem like good peoples here on this board,guess im used to things over on pirate4x4 where you need flame protecton if youre asking a question thats allready been asked,ever in history. ill hafta make this place one of my daily stops

dean those pics are especially helpfull. my wheels dont look like either the top or the bottom pic. thanx again for all the info and great attitudes

[texnician01]

My grandfather had a 67 half ton with split rims. They are still on the rear end of the truck that was made into a trailer in the early 70's. I think they are 16.5's Never looked very close at them but now that this comes up I am absolutely sure they were 6 bolt split rims. they may not be chevy though. they could easily be international or something. I think they are original though cause one of them still has the original hubcap on it. I stole the posi out of it and just put back in junk carrier with nothing but axle gears, c-clips, and the retainer.

Nathan Wheeldon

[Robert1970C20rstbukt]

I've got a set of 'em from my truck, and another that I use for a spare. They're really skinny 7.5/16/LT's. I've changed a couple of these before but I had an old timer there watching me to make sure I put the rim together right and I've been lucky I guess. These rims aren't really dangerous except when you air 'em up, put 'em in a cage or wrap a huge chain around it a couple times and get the he!! away while it starts to air up. I tore down my spare and cleaned it up and painted it, and I worked on a couple from the old 67-72 style c50/c60 grain box trucks, they have 10 lugs. Those SOB's are fun to work on! Here's an old pic of my spare tire from like 4 months ago:

[Brainchild]

We used to slide the split rims under the car lift at the filling station to air them up.I have seen one come off.Sounds like a bomb,and lifted the lift with a ford truck on it a foot in the air.

We finally have cycled all the split rims out of the farm.The last two left in the spring.I refused to fix them.So once they go flat,swap the tire on the one piece or replace the tire and toss the split wheel in hte scrap pile.