Wheel ID and tire choice

[Det57]

Is this wheel the dreaded "Widow Maker" split rim or not? It appears to have the outer ring but the ring does not have a split in it...it (the ring) appears to be a solid piece. The hub center is 6 1/4". Truck is a 69 C50

The tire on it is a 8.25x20. with the inner tube.

I like the look of the wheels and was thinking of getting them blasted and re-painted and putting on a 9.00 R 20 with the inner tube and flap.

I don't want to change the wheels right now and the tires are very bad.

Is the 9.00 r 20 the right replacement size for the old tires and proper fit for these wheels?

Thanks

[CarolinaHD]

Unless they were changed out by a previous owner those are widowmakers. The ring is solid, as you said, it's a part of the wheel so it cant be a split ring rim. Post a pic of the inside of the wheel and you can forsure tell. Itll look like the pics below with the rivets and raised band.

My wheels are stamped on the outside and say 8.25x20 are the max size.

[CarolinaHD]

Another option is to find a pair of split ring rims off a 1980s c50. They will look identical to our rims on the front axle but the ring is split. Cant find any good pictures to show the difference.

[Det57]

Originally Posted by CarolinaHD

Another option is to find a pair of split ring rims off a 1980s c50. They will look identical to our rims on the front axle but the ring is split. Cant find any good pictures to show the difference.

So the "Split Ring" wheel is much safer than the one you pictured with the rivets??? The 80's split ring will take the 900R20 ?

Ill check mine for the rivets tomorrow....

[CarolinaHD]

It's more safe forsure but not near as safe as modern tubeless wheels. There were different width wheels so you will have to check yours to be certain. My wheels are 6.50" wide. Here is the osha guide to dealing different types of split rims, lock rings, 3 piece wheels, and pictures detailing the differences.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...fGEiIxCvMuaVFG

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by Det57

So the "Split Ring" wheel is much safer than the one you pictured with the rivets??? The 80's split ring will take the 900R20 ?

Ill check mine for the rivets tomorrow....

They come apart from the back or hollow side. There is a starter notch which should be lined up with the valve stem IF the last person who had them apart knew what he was doing. You probably can't see the notch until they are deflated and the beads separated from the wheel on both sides.

There is a very slight egg shape where the two pieces fit together which allows one piece to be forced over the other piece when the tire is deflated and beads broken loose. Sometimes you have to stand on the tire to push it down to get everything loose enough. You get the smaller half pried up on one side and cocked at an angle to the big half and then use a small/medium sledge to tap it more or less sideways to pop off. Assembly is the reverse, but you "tap" the inside of the ring piece to get it to pop over the main part of the wheel. You can NOT pry the two pieces up/down to get apart/together; it has to be at an angle and go sideways.

I changed all my own tires on my 1965 c/50 back in the 1980s. I bought used tires from a school bus contractor and since I was hauling logs on gravel roads I had a lot of flats over a typical season. I never had any problem with them but it is a sweaty job. The trick to airing them up safely is to making sure the two pieces are loose on each other after popping the ring piece onto the rest of the wheel. That means it is all the way over the little ridge that holds it together. You should be able to turn the ring on the wheel after it is installed, and that is when you line up the notch with the valve stem so you can find it easily the next time.

Best practice is to use a lock-on air chuck and stay back when airing up, but I never had one come apart unintentionally.

Of course you still have to know the general practice of putting a truck tire/tube/flap on and off a dismantled rim. It's pretty simple but can be frustrating if you don't know how to go about it.

[Bimus]

I marked in red where the one peace ring goes over the rim when mounting and dismounting . I used this type was on my 51 Chevrolet 3/4 ton .

The red wheel is a split wheel the one to avoid .

[1976gmc20]

Originally Posted by Bimus

I marked in red where the one peace ring goes over the rim when mounting and dismounting . I used this type was on my 51 Chevrolet 3/4 ton .

The red wheel is a split wheel the one to avoid .

The red wheel is similar to the ones I had except they were 20" 10 hole.

Like I said above, I never had any trouble with them. There was another logger who had a 69 c/50 self loader truck with the same type wheels and he showed me how to do them. We were all so poor that we could never afford to pay somebody to change tires for us.

[Bimus]

I worked at a service station in high school when one of the real split wheel would come in we would fix the flat or change the tire and only air it up when it was back on the steering axle or on the inside of the rear axle then drive the truck around the block and then swap out tires on the rear axle so if one did come apart the flying part would hit the frame . One night I mounted 4 new car tires and when every one was gone the cords separated on one of them and it blow in the shop .

[Det57]

Originally Posted by CarolinaHD

Unless they were changed out by a previous owner those are widowmakers. The ring is solid, as you said, it's a part of the wheel so it cant be a split ring rim. Post a pic of the inside of the wheel and you can forsure tell. Itll look like the pics below with the rivets and raised band.

My wheels are stamped on the outside and say 8.25x20 are the max size.

Finally got around to taking pictures of my front wheels from the inside. Not the best, but I did not see any rivets as indicated, and I do NOT have a split ring on the front..... Now I'm really confused. I've been on the search for a different wheel but no luck. Are these pictures the widow maker wheels even without the rivets???

[Bimus]

It looks to me you don't have a split rim your wheel looks to have the lock ring on the outside and not in the center of the wheel