6066 (1960-1966) GMC Truck Club - Split rims worth $$ ?

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- - Split rims worth $$ ? (https://6066gmcclub.com/showthread.php?t=48522)

Re: Split rims worth $$ ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clyde (Post 55854)

Every truck tire retailer should have a safety cage. The mounting area on the rim should be cleaned properly and inspected for cracks along with the ring, then mount the ring on the rim with out the tire and make sure it seats correctly, then there should not be any problems. Just make sure and use a cage and an air inflator that clips on to the valve stem so it will inflate the tire unattended, this way if the ring comes off in the cage it will be knocked off and no one gets hurt. During the early 60's I worked in a Foreign car shop that was next door to a truck tire store, one of their employees got killed by a ring coming off, the tire was not in a cage.

You know how many sites claim that someone was killed when dismounting the tire? The lack of knowledge is astounding. *Any* tire still under pressure being dismounted could cause problems. It was -inflating- that the problems actually happened. Although most places have a cage, and split/locking ring wheels are still in popular use for big trucks, forklifts, and other equipment so I am not sure why they are only bad or dangerous for pickups... seems it is more like they are bad or dangerous for shop employees who don't pay attention.
If the lock ring is clean, and the groove it seats in is clean (or the bead is clean), and the lock ring is properly seated, these wheels are no better or worse than others. It takes a few minutes more, and you need to pay attention, but that seems to be all it takes. The plus side is you can do these yourself, if you have the tools (which are 2 types of pry bars basically) you could dismount, fix, remount/inflate and be on your way if broken down by the side of the road... and if you have a compressor and some arm strength that is.

Re: Split rims worth $$ ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by cbeeker (Post 59244)

Well what I thought were 16.5 rims for my 1964 GMC 1500, divide out to be 15" lock rims. Seems 3/4 ton would have come with larger rims but the original owner indicated theses were original with 1965 purchase of this truck new in Portland Oregon. Markings on the lock rims "USA Precision B5515TS. Does anyone know what this means?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

My 1961 1500 came with 15" rims. 17" were available and my '63 2500 had 18" wheels (try to find affordable tires for those).

Somewhere in my stuff I have a listing of all the different wheel sizes. Quite the variation for some. I think it would be funny to see a 15" set on a 1500 sitting next to 17" on a 1000 series.

Re: Split rims worth $$ ?

My 62 came with 15" 3 piece wheels. Most shops won't touch them, so I change the tires myself. Then I know they are done right.
Spare got lost over the years, had to settle for a standard style 15 for that purpose.

Re: Split rims worth $$ ?

Original lock ring wheels just look right, IMHO.

Re: Split rims worth $$ ?