All About Split Rims, Explained! Ep. 11

***MULTI-PIECE WHEELS CAN KILL YOU EVEN IF YOU FOLLOW PROPER PROCEDURES.***

***Please do not service multi-piece wheels yourself!***
***Please read and understand the OSHA documents included below if you own multi-piece wheels!***

Thank you to Dad for voluntarily cutting the wheel apart!

Sources:

Military images: United States National Archives and Records Administration

Historical material on this video is presented solely for historical research and educational purposes only.

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[bruceguidosh]

34 years of being a road mechanic for trucks, I've removed more RH5 rims than I care to admit! 3/4 of removed rims came from old farm/construction trucks, and many times, I refused to put them back on because of areas of the rim eroded from rust! I was taught by an old tire man who started tire work in the late 40s, and inspection of the entire mating surface was IMPORTANT!

[arthurjennings]

Fifty years ago, I had a tire repair business. I worked on these rims and HATED them. I did not have a safety cage, but to inflate them I would set up in the middle of the parking lot, block up the wheel so that the split rim would hang down with the weight of the tire on it to insure it remained seated while I inflated it. I used a locking chuck to inflate the tire. Laying the tire flat was safer than setting it upright in a safety cage.

[Wayoutthere]

It's great you took the effort of showing us a cut-away of the dangerous type, well done!

[gregorygolden]

Years ago I use to bust tires at a truck stop in a small town in Montana. Our Boss was always on us to use the "cage" when airing up these deadly wheels. One day I was busting down a tire and the boss came out and told us someone had been killed at another truck stop because he didn't use the cage and didn't get it together properly. Maaan, we hated them Rims. Thank the good LORD they did away with them suckers.

[ChevyConQueso]

I almost forgot. Pro tip: get a 5 or 10 gallon pony tank for the ugga dugga. Run your 3/8" hose to that, and then run a larger hose from the pony tank to the impact. It'll act as a battery of sorts and deliver more air initially. It won't work for long pulls but it's way better performance for the first couple seconds. It's also useful for smaller guns that are far away from the compressor.

[smasher.]

My grandfather owned a garage/tire shop, my dad worked in it, and i did tires and oil in my late teens. My grandfather saw a split rim kill a man, and my father was standing right next to a man airing one up, when it took the mans arm clean off. By the time i was doing tires, it was rare to see those old split rims.

[roostercogburn]

Changed tires on split rims for years, in the Army. They worked good for us. Good training and paying attention to detail helps! Plus, not trusting them, using a tire cage or at least a log-chain rapped around it, when airing up and staying clear of it!

[helidude]

I have some experience with split rim wheels.

This information has taught me something that I was unaware of.
Considering I’m around people that have and like antique trucks, I find this to be lifesaving information.

Thank You for making a cutaway of your wheel.

[maxlown]

Finally, someone who doesnt call a split ring a split rim. Good job on an accurately informative video.

[artszabo]

I am 72 years old and have changed a few big truck tires this video was very informative. I did not know that there were that many different styles. Thank you.
Art from Ohio

[dustyroads]

As a kid back in the 70s my dad had a truck repair shop. So I grew up with these wheel styles. He always made me put a chain through the holes in the rims at 2 points across from each other no matter what. One day the chains worked and I’m still here. Thanks dad.

[carlstephens]

In 73 I started working at a semi dealership. I have changed many of those tires with mainly split rings, we had a very large sheet of 1inch steel that with a fork lift put it on the rim laying flat on the steel covered floor. And yes I went for many rides as even all new stuff would blow.

[josephbritton]

I’ve changed quite a few split ring wheels where I work at. Never dealt with a widow maker. My 67 yearold coworker told me all about the differences but this video enlightened me a lot. Thank you!

[theoldbigmoose]

You did a nice job cutting the widow maker wheel and painting the two sections. Thank you for the tips. Very professionally done!

[Napamachinist]

Regarding the impact with a small hose, if you use short blasts of the trigger it helps out, because the small hose isn't supplying the gun with air as fast as it uses it

[sammylacks]

I was a sawfiler in a sawmill and when I first started I worked in the mill running an edger. One morning while working, everything normal sounding and thats a blend of all machinery in concert when suddenly an extremely loud boom that I felt more than heard then the floor and whole mill shook. We used Raygo Waggoner L 90 forklifts at the time to reach under a Simi trailer load of logs, lift the entire amount then back away and put in mill or place on yard. As the operator was turning to place logs forward toward mill the ring that holds tire on rim blew off, shot away towards mill, impacting partially against the ground. This caused it to fly up where it hit a 4 inch I beam bending it, tearing it loose from overhead beam it supported, then striking a permanent ladder ruining it.
The tire that blew ring was over 7 feet tall almost 3 feet wide. Its hard to imagine the force and wave that we felt inside then see damage. That accident could have been deadly but thankfully only slight structure damage.

[nutandboltguy]

I knew someone who was a victim of a split ring wheel gone wrong. He worked part time at a small independent gas station with garage. He was killed while changing a tire and cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Yes, it made his wife a widow and also had a 3 or 4 yr old kid. I’m sure they didn’t get anything from his employer. He was in the MS-ANG so he probably had life insurance.

[swmovan]

My father worked at a 24hr gas station(truck stop) back in the 60s, and early 70s. He changed, and repaired, many split rim(& other) truck tires. I do remember one time he was injured badly enough to have to go to the hospital. But luckily not too serious. He always used the cage, but accidents still happen.

[johnwade]

I’ve ran and repaired all kinds mentioned. I had a 60 dodge dump truck that had been a Kentucky state highway truck in it’s youth. I also worked for an oil company for 22 years and changed nearly all the tires that were changed because others would find other things to do when it came time to change tires! Imagine that! So I’m sure I’ve done up in the 500 range maybe more, who knows! But I’m worn out and retired and I’ve learned the tricks.Thank God I don’t ever have to touch another one unless I want to.

[cactiguide]

I couldn’t really pay much attention to the wheel information. I was too distracted by all those old truck pictures. Man I love those designs.