50$ each to mount new tires on split rims

[72c20customcamper]

Local truck and farm place wants 50$ per tire to mount and balance on my 68. I have to supply the tires. This doesnt include tubes or liner if needed. I like the look but by the time I get tires and mount them It'll l be over 700$ . And that with just decent tires.

What would you do?

[leddzepp]

Scrap the split rims, go with some newer 16” wheels.

[Stocker]

What I would do is what I already did. Ditch the wheels that few people are willing to work on anymore. Or sell them to a purist, or trade 'em or give 'em away.

Then get a set of Ford 16x7 eight-lug steelies and never look back.

[WorkinLonghorn]

Local guy here has no problem what-so-ever working with spit-rims. However I went with some $6 Ford 8-lug wheels off Craigslist so that I'd have more freedom of choice in the future. If you want to keep them, I'd look around for someone else to do the job.

[jocko]

It’s a no-brainer to switch to newer 16” wheels BUT - if you are like me, the locking ring rims indeed complete the perfect period look on SOME vehicles. Assuming this is for your C20 long stepper and not that K20 you’re racing me to I think they look perfect on your truck and I (personally) would spring for the cost. You’re probably lucky to find anyone that will do it. One additional consideration is just how many miles you plan to put on the truck per year. If it’s not your dd, then you won’t have to do this for again for a long long time. If you will drive it a lot, then maybe now is indeed the time to transition to newer 8 lug wheels. Just some thoughts. It is a pricey proposition. I’m at the same decision point with a full set of 5 pc’ed 16.5” wheels....

[68Gold/white]

Originally Posted by leddzepp

Scrap the split rims, go with some newer 16” wheels.

Amen to that!!!

The 16" wheels became standard in 1990 or 1991, there's tons of used ones around...Gitterdone!!!

[Rooster73]

at my shop we get around 27.50 to mount most split ring . we wont touch a 1 piece ring, they have to be stretched to remove x50 years of use. true split wheels are another story , they have a front half and a back half that lock together, no ring, these are the true widowmakers. all that to say this, make sure they know the kind you have,maybe they misquoted. ahh how I remember tire cages.

[michael bustamante]

I heard that going to a shop that does commercial truck tires is the way to go for split ring mounts.

[cypressbog]

The 68 C-30 SRW 9 foot stepper had 17.5" one piece wheels and I took those off and installed 16". Still have the old 17.5's in the basement too.

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by jocko

It’s a no-brainer to switch to newer 16” wheels BUT - if you are like me, the locking ring rims indeed complete the perfect period look on SOME vehicles. Assuming this is for your C20 long stepper and not that K20 you’re racing me to I think they look perfect on your truck and I (personally) would spring for the cost. You’re probably lucky to find anyone that will do it. One additional consideration is just how many miles you plan to put on the truck per year. If it’s not your dd, then you won’t have to do this for again for a long long time. If you will drive it a lot, then maybe now is indeed the time to transition to newer 8 lug wheels. Just some thoughts. It is a pricey proposition. I’m at the same decision point with a full set of 5 pc’ed 16.5” wheels....

The are off my long stepper. The truck has 17s on her

Originally Posted by michael bustamante

I heard that going to a shop that does commercial truck tires is the way to go for split ring mounts.

That's all this shop does. And quarry t-rex dump trucks

Originally Posted by Rooster73

at my shop we get around 27.50 to mount most split ring . we wont touch a 1 piece ring, they have to be stretched to remove x50 years of use. true split wheels are another story , they have a front half and a back half that lock together, no ring, these are the true widowmakers. all that to say this, make sure they know the kind you have,maybe they misquoted. ahh how I remember tire cages.

They looked at it when they quoted it

[72c20customcamper]

Think I'm going to use the white wagon spokes off the 72. Not my favorite but they have new tires on them . I bought Ford 17x8 last year for the 72 so I'll just get a set of tires

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

I agree, ditch them. In time you can find vintage 16.5 x 8.25" mags, and tires run about $160 last checked. Still a pain should you need one in a pinch. When I burn the rubber off the 9.75" rear tires those wheels are gone. Shame too, 9.75 turbines are nice on these trucks.

Not sure how you'd even get away with $700ish. When I priced tires for a 16.5 wheel, the cheapest one ran $375 a piece minimum. In other terms, more like $1600 for a full set.

[weim55]

I kept the splits on my '50 3600 because I found one piece drop center wheels for hubcaps with clips are nonexistent. Not sure if that's an issue for your 68 but it might be a consideration in the decision.

A couple things to keep in mind: if you live in an area where rust could be a consideration when they break down the wheels and tires there's a good chance if rust has eaten away at the wheel or the split ring they could be deemed junk at disassembly and they're not going to put it back together to get you rolling again. All split rims have to run tubes too, A real pain in the butt for any tire repair in the future.

I have no regrets with keeping the splits on my 50 but if there was an alternative where I could keep my original hubcaps with a one piece wheel I certainly would've gone that direction.

Steve weim55 Colorado

[72c20customcamper]

Originally Posted by 71CHEVYSHORTBED402

I agree, ditch them. In time you can find vintage 16.5 x 8.25" mags, and tires run about $160 last checked. Still a pain should you need one in a pinch. When I burn the rubber off the 9.75" rear tires those wheels are gone. Shame too, 9.75 turbines are nice on these trucks.

Not sure how you'd even get away with $700ish. When I priced tires for a 16.5 wheel, the cheapest one ran $375 a piece minimum. In other terms, more like $1600 for a full set.

Mine are 17 inch rims tires are cheap . I even measured them to make sure the po didnt put 27s in 16.5 rims
From what I understand 27 inch three piece 8 lug wheels made by Kelsey hays was optional on 3/4 ton trucks.

[72c20customcamper]

Mine look a lot like these. Three pieces the center the split ring then the outer ring. The split ring isn't a solid ring it's more like a huge retainer. You can see the gap in it near the top

[72c20customcamper]

Mine..from what I have read the 17 was optional till 1968 and could carry more weight.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Mine look a lot like these. Three pieces the center the split ring then the outer ring. The split ring isn't a solid ring it's more like a huge retainer. You can see the gap in it near the top

I take it back, keep em.......$700 isn't that much.

[weim55]

Originally Posted by 72c20customcamper

Mine look a lot like these. Three pieces the center the split ring then the outer ring. The split ring isn't a solid ring it's more like a huge retainer. You can see the gap in it near the top

these are the exact rims that are on my 50 3600 3/4 ton. This is a 15 inch eight bolt wheel. It's a very unusual configuration split rim, only two pieces. The main wheel and the retainer ring. The retainer ring is not split and it does not use A separate lock ring to hold it in place. It took me a while to figure out how to get this configuration apart. I can't tell if your 17 inch wheel is the same (?) if you do decide to get new tires on the splits be sure whoever you take it to knows what they're doing with these, they are not like any other typical industrial split rim. I had to look mine up in the service manual to break it down correctly.

Steve weim55 Colorado

[Killer Bee]

I'd be running my snap rings if they weren't corroded so bad, originally field serviceable, no machines needed!

take a look at the tools that came with the jacks in some old trucks, the tools were often there..

tubes outlive tubeless tires and also field replaceable at fraction of cost, small tire punctures no issue..

since the only ones left are very old and generally have some level of corrosion, they're slowly slipping away to obscurity..

operator error and lack of proper inspection were the worst enemies of multi-piece wheels..

I wouldn't throw them out purely based on design, they made it this far..

but I would insist on thorough inspection and proper handling or do it myself..

heard this story before but had to google it to refresh my memory.. guess she passed recently..

Woman Who Ended Split Rim Wheels Passes Away

these are my '65 C20 15" snap rings still holding air in 80's vintage tires and unknown age tubes..

maybe one day I'll break them down for closer inspection but I fear metal loss would prevent responsible reassembly..

heck, the more I look at them, might as well deflate them but they've been inflated over 10 years I know of without even a squirt of air

[yuccales]

Originally Posted by Killer Bee

they've been inflated over 10 years I know of without even a squirt of air

I need a tire like that for my wheelbarrow.

[kipps]

We pulled an '49 Ford truck out of a field where it had been sitting for 30 years. Three of the tires still held air.

Like Killer Bee said, those multi-piece rims were designed to be easier to service; not harder. It seems tire shops have got quite a racket going, by convincing us that only they can handle a tire.

At least disassemble, clean, and inspect your rims. You owe yourself that much.

If everything checks out, install new tires yourself. Inflate with a remote chuck while the tire is laying flat and under something heavy, such as a pickup(not under the fuel tank) or tractor loader bucket.

[special-K]

If it's the split rims you want for that truck, I'd spend the $200. But maybe try to find a cheaper place first. It costs me $80 around here for any old dismount/mount, which is a lot as it is. So a little more than double isn't all that awful. Just buy 30 packs for a couple months and it will come out in the wash... or toilet or the bushes more accurately.

[Wrenchbender Ret]

I used to do them all day long back in the 50's. for $5.00. Take them off the truck, tear em down, fix the flat & reassemble them & put back on the truck.
George

[weim55]

But to answer your original question: i've worked as a mechanic in the construction industry for decades so I've done dozens and dozens of breakdowns and repair- replacement around split rims. Replacing the 5 tires on the splits for my '50 were the biggest ***** tire replacement I have ever done. Since the tires had been mounted for 40 or 50 years, they were hard as a rock, and may as well have been welded to the wheels. In the end the only way to get them off the wheels was to section the side walls in three places on both sides of the tire with a sawzall. I have a tire machine in my shop which was of great use to mount the wheel in a stand to help cut the tires apart for removal. It took every bit of three hours to break down five assemblies. As these old cars always are, once everything was a part it was obvious the wheels need to complete refinishing to clean up the surface rust and really poor paint. I had all the rings and wheels sandblasted and completely refinished them. I installed the new tires and tubes myself and that too took every bit of three hours.

It was a lot of work and hassle but I'm very happy with the results. The correct restored wheels and tires look so much better on the truck and I like the way it looks period correct on the totally stock truck.

So yeah, if it is a competent shop it's worth every bit of $50 apiece. Just my two cents, feel free to ask any questions about it if I haven't answered them.....

Steve weim55 Colorado

[72c20customcamper]

I'm putting on the wagon wheels that are on the 72 for now did new tires last summer and putting new rims and tires on the 72. This way I can play with the 68s originals without being rushed. But I plan on bead blasting and some new paint .

Steve These shouldn't be that bad to dismount the tires are only 23 years old ....