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Iowa | We bought an older lowboy to use around the farm and it has 8.25-15 tube type/split lock ring wheels on cast spoke hubs. I've heard all the horror stories that go along with multi-piece rims. What is the common mistake servicing these wheels? I'm assuming the greatest danger is at inflation and the ring isn't seated correctly. So after the tire is fully inflated and the ring is seated like it should be-Is the greatest risk over for the most part? Easy answer would be to convert to 17" but the trailer has 8 near new tires on it. I need to get a cage as I change all our own truck tires now but have never been around these. Thanks |
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Northeast Louisiana | I still have those tires on my lowboy. I take mine to local station cause they have cages for them. Not worth it for me at my shop. During the 6 years on my lowboy, maybe had three flats hauling dozer. So, in my situation, I am gonna still run it as long local tire station fix them.
Yes, I rather have the newer style but gonna continue use old ones. The guys at the local station are well trained on old rims. As long they are safe with it, I am good. |
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SE Nebraska | They can blow after inflation in a cage as well. Use a cage to fill and look it over good before you take it out of the cage.
Visually inspect all parts for cracks when it is apart and if it does not look good don't use it! |
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Idaho | Wire wheel or brush all mating surfaces and inspect. One or two 3/8 or better chains tightly wrapped can serve as a cage. Or mount the tire on the trailer with the ring in and inflate, having the trailer serve as the cage. Not like your doing it everyday and hopefully won't need to till the tires are worn out. They are dangerous when they malfunction but not near as dangerous as the fools and thieves in Washington DC. The DC crowd also explodes with much greater frequency and should all be replaced and put in cages. OOPS but not real sorry. |
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SC Kansas | I've worked on them without having a ring blow ever. I would just make darn sure the lock ring was seated and clip a chuck on and stay back, if one was suspicious looking I would wrap a chain around the tire through the budd holes in two places. I've never considered myself lucky but never had a close call on a lock ring style wheel. |
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North Carolina | Not but one place around here will even change a tire with lock rings anymore. They charge $40 a truck tire labor. I have a Cat forklift with lock ring rims and I run them turned in because I don't trust them. It's a pain because it makes the tires stick out wider than the frame. I don't know of an alternative. |
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| Crazy fella at the co-op used to put the tire against the cage and he would get in it.
No one every told him any better. |
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Central Illinois | I had a funeral a few years ago for a guy that was working on a large rim in a rail yard. He worked for a tire service, but something went wrong and it blew. He had no chance. Very sad, be careful!
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Ns/Tr co. Ks | I always love the economics of safety. As long as a guy can get somebody else to do the life threatening work cheap enough, it's OK to put them in harm's way |
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Statesville, NC | I think the idea is the tire service has the training, tools, and experience to do the job safely. It doesn't make sense to do it yourself if you don't know what you are doing or don't have the correct tools. If the tire service doesn't want to do the job, they can say no, and a lot of them do. |
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Northeastern Pa. | About 25 years ago a Local pulp mill had a summer hire work on one and the ring blew off and killed her. Another local garage was changing one and it blew off and went through the sealing. |
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Northeast Louisiana | Now that's funny, I don't care who you are. I can so picture that. |
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| can"t get them fixed here will be the same if you have a flat on the road away from the home land if you fix your own all it takes is one time |
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central, minnesota | my dads advice to me always was have someone else do it. i just get rid of them, but if the tires a on the rims and their good i would run them
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Faunsdale, AL | Lock ring rims are not all the same.
Some of the old CAT wheels are a 3 piece with a flange ring and then a split locking ring. Flange is retained on the rim by the locking ring which has a cut in it so it acts like a big snap ring. As the flange ring pushes out, it compresses the locking ring into the groove in the rim. Once it is inflated, the locking ring is trapped between flange and rim. I always clean up all the surfaces with tire spoon and wire brush before installing the tire and o-ring. Then I clamp the locking ring in place with vise grips so I don't have to be worrying with it while trying to get the tire to inflate. As soon as the tire moves the flange ring out to trap the lock ring, I stop inflating and rap the lock ring and flange ring to make sure it is seated and secure. Then I inflate to full pressure. I clip the chuck on and get out of the way as well as having everyone else out of the way as well.
The worst ones are the rims that are actually split into two halves. We've got some 8.25 x 20's on a 2 ton Chevrolet truck that are that type. Don't trust them at all. It appears the the only thing keeping them together is the removable half can be sprung into an oval to get them apart and is supposed to spring back to round when reassembled.
Had some wagon rims that had a lock ring/flange that was one piece. The idea seems to be that the ring is a circle on the outside, but a little bit of an oval if you look at the inside of it where it grips the rim. It can be pried on and off of the rim and is supposed to spring back and securely grip the rim (on 2 sides at best). Tire does not compress the locking ring into the rim groove as it is inflated. It just pushes straight against the lock ring! Had one of those come off and go flying one day while inflating it after a tube repair. I had it pointing out into the yard and ring went about 15-20 yards in a big hurry! Took that one and cut it up with torch to make sure it would never get someone. |
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Iowa | Thanks everyone for the replys and a few laughs. Farmhelper, sorry to hear about your friend. If/when I need to tear into them, I'll proceed with a lot of caution. I may keep my eye open for some 17.5 tires/rims after I use the trailer for a while and see how much I like it. |
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Warburg, AB | Do - scrap them damn things
Don't - use the damn things
I'm a cheap bugger, and I mean cheap - I save stuff that other people toss, yet I don't hoard. It sometimes bothers my wife. Love her enough that I know she'd spit on me in the box if she found out I knowingly used something that would kill me, because I'm cheap enough I do my own tire work when I can. Others may disagree, but this is one situation where new tires and rims are easily justifiable to me.
Bruce |
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NW KS/ SC ID | 8.25-15 is about the easiest tube type truck/ trailer tire to play with. we run them on a combine trailer and a equipment trailer. dad changed one in wyoming with a small prybar, and only had a 1/2 inch drive set and bottle jack to raise the trailer.
We are allways on the lookout for the 3 piece rim, like described above, a small snap ring, and a solid flange. IIRC Firestone made these wheels. they are actually rather safe. the other style works good too, but we prefer to only air them up partially, then mount them to the trailer and finish them off. we have about half and half 2 piece and 3 piece. IMO the 3 piece concept is very safe and makes tube type wheels quite bearable.
IMO the biggest issue is not taking the time to properly clean all rust and dirt out of the rim before putting it back together, chunks of crap is asking for it to come apart. we are pretty meticulous when it comes to rim prep and mounting prep, so we do not have issues with snap ring rims ever, except when the tube gets pinched on occasion. :)
I would run them as long as they are in good shape.
Edited by GM Guy 2/9/2014 02:02
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Southern Alberta | Biggest problem is not cleaning old rim and lock and just putting air to the tire to seat the lock.
You want to fully clean all parts of rim.
Then only put a little bit of air in the tire and tap around the lock ring with a hammer. Ring should slide out. If not may need a tiny bit more air.
DONT finish inflating until the lock ring is FULLY seated.
All accidents I have heard of involved reinstalling the dirty rusty old parts and just putting the air to it.
Before you put the tire on the rim take the time to fit the parts do you know how they should look when properly done.
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Do's and Don'ts of Split Lock Ring Rims
