# Removing split rim wheels



## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I've got 4 truck tires on split rims. No one wants them so I'm going to take the tires off the rims and recycle the metal.

How do you remove the ring? I thought I could just hit it with a heavy iron bar right at the joint. Then once it starts to pop up use big screw drivers to pry it out and over the hub.

My second idea was to fill the tire with oxygen and propane. Seal the hole after inserting some fuse and light'er up.


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## crispin (Jun 30, 2010)

The first way sounds much better than the second


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## Wis Bang 2 (Jan 12, 2010)

Messing w/ pressurized split rims has been known to remove a leg, just above the armpit!

Tire repair guys start w/ a sledge hammer striking the sidewall until the bead is separated form the rim on both sides. The tire hammer has one face flattened and drawn out perpendicular to the handle to spread the force along the bead. They usually pour a lubricant around where the rim and bead meet before hammering.

You may be able to drive onto the tire and pop the bead loose...

Once the bead is free of the rim, then you can work the one end of the ring out and up with a lever. Usually one end has a notch for the tire iron. You will need a pry bar as most screwdrivers will just bend. Pry your way around until the whole split ring is free..

You may need to stand the tire and hammer the rest of the rim free.

Know any tire repair guys? They can dismount them quickly where a novice is gonna spend a whole day...it is brutal physical work unless you do it every day. Paying a tire service would cost more than you are going to get for scrap.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

These tires have sat in the garage for 20 years and I'll cut the stems to make double sure there is no pressure in them. I've heard a lot of stories about them and met a guy in his early 30's who was permanently crippled by one.

I've watched the tire guy repair them but was a long time ago. If I still had the truck I would just mount them and drive around a while.

I've got a splitting mall that should work for breaking the bead loose and a heavy iron bar for getting the rings off.


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## fixer1958 (Dec 12, 2005)

You have to break the beads down first, knock the ring loose and pry it off. There should be a knotch to get it started.
The hardest part is breaking the beads down.
Use dishsoap or something like PB Blaster soaked in around the bead.

You must want the tires awful bad or you could burn the off.

I've done a few hundred. I have seen few rings fly off but they were in a cage and still dangerous.
It will still scare the living crap out of you when it blows.


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

http://www.4wdonline.com/Wheels/Split.html

It's a pretty good walkthrough.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Sounds like fun! Thanks.

I'll try the soap.

Mainly I just want to see the steel recycled. I save $10 at the landfill by having only 4 tires but we'll see how much that comes to per hour.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

fishhead said:


> Sounds like fun! Thanks.
> 
> I'll try the soap.
> 
> Mainly I just want to see the steel recycled. I save $10 at the landfill by having only 4 tires but we'll see how much that comes to per hour.


If you are going to trash the tires anyway why not cut the tires off?


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

fishhead said:


> I save $10 at the landfill by having only 4 tires but we'll see how much that comes to per hour.


If you are going to send the tires to the landfill, why not just burn them off the wheels? Are you in a location where you can't burn the tires?


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

I wouldn't consider burning the tires no matter where I lived.

I've thought of getting the sawzall out but I would think a 12 ply rated tire would be so full of wire that it wouldn't cut very well.

Tonight as I was hunting grouse I came up with the idea of just cutting the ring in half. I could cut a hole in the tire just enough to let the blade move and cut the ring. Then it should fall apart.


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## rustychevy (Dec 31, 2009)

I use a handyman jack under a vehicle to push the tire away from the locking ring. Sometimes they can really be stuck. Once the tire is away from the ring you can knock it loose and a prybar will pry it right off. If you have a skid steer or tractor with a loader they make great bead breakers.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

You could just cut the sidewalls all the way around. There shouldn't be much in the way of cords on the side.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

What's holding the tire to the rim? Glue? That must be some tough stuff.


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## foxtrapper (Dec 23, 2003)

If you've got a little 4.5" side angle grinder, it'll make short work of cutting the tire off the rim, and slicing the split ring. If you don't have one, it's a good excuse to go buy one. They are darn handy tools to have around.


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## oneokie (Aug 14, 2009)

fishhead said:


> What's holding the tire to the rim? Glue? That must be some tough stuff.


20+ years worth of corrosion.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

50 years of rust between the flap and the rim, is a lot of work as well

I need a new tire on the old 6x6 military truck I have and the old tire blew,

I took it off, used the tractor loader with the forks on it, to get by the rim and use like a bead breaker, I used a manual bead breaker, (bead cheata), and could not move it much,

finally I took a utility knife and cut about 6" out of the tire from bead to bead, and then along the bead, and there was pocket to cut the wires in the bead area, and it was slightly below the ring, took the 4" grinder, with a cut off wheel and was able to cut the beads off, and was finally able to peal the tire off the rim, still needed to work on the flap, wanted to save it if possible, was able to break the rust bond with it with a flat iron, 

then was able to slip the ring down and take off clean up and put the new tire on, 

but a lot of work just for salvage use, 

(I know your not wanting to remount, but if you were, but use a tire cage or a log chain the the tire, wrap a chain around the tire and thought the rim, a number of time is case the ring slips when re inflating it, before it seats
or mount on a duel with the ring on the inside so if it blows it will not get you).

regardless use a self locking valve stem inflater with a long hose on it for your safety, 

if your dealing with the old widow maker split rims, (Firestone RH-5Â°) instead of the locking ring rims, one is probably best to replace them,

old fords used them and Chevy's did in the 40's and 50's (Firestone RH-5Â°)
http://www.fatfenderedtrucks.com/widowmaker.html

















pictures from http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1000282-f500-questions.html


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Most of the tires my renters left me have separated from the rims by themselves but they were lying out in the rain and snow plus 80+ summers and -30 winters.


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## Wis Bang 2 (Jan 12, 2010)

The old style split rims were outlawed on commercial vehicles in the early 70's. I worked in a truck shop summers during college and in 1972 the other 'college kid' and I replaced the 8 drive tires on the 45 trade in tractors. 

The companies tire service [Super Tire] sent two flatbeds of 'run offs', tires that could not be retreaded or sectioned again. They also took this time to get rid of all the split rims. Every tire was only inflated to around 20 psig to keep them locked.

Those split rims were so worn that we would slide them on the inside and take two 8# sledge hammers held at arms length and tap them the rest of the way onto the hub spokes. We would mount a split ring rim on the outside and tighten the lugs b/4 inflating the tires using a clip on chuck. We would use the ball valve at the wall to turn the air on...

The things I did to pay for college!


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

It looks like I may not get to experience the joys of fighting tires off split rims. I just got a hit on my Craigslist ad from a farmer who wants them for his trailer.


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## mikellmikell (Nov 9, 2005)

bonfire on a dark and foggy night


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

The guy showed up and said something about how he would rather pay $300 for tires that matched even before he looked at them. They don't match so he just drove 100 miles for nothing.

So it looks like I'm going to get some experience after all.


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