Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Question for the forum: Do split rim wheels, once mounted and inflated, pose any significant handling risks? My '28 5-26 is the first car I've owned personally with split rims (disk type in my case), and I've heard a lot of horror stories.

The forum history has a lot of good information about the necessary precautions when mounting tires and inflating for the first time (e.g., use a cage, stem extension, etc.), but what about handling after that? Should I stand to the side when topping of the air? How paranoid should I be when removing a wheel? To date, I've used a stem extension or long lug wrench to keep my bits well clear of the lock ring, and then gingerly layed the wheel on its face.

I suspect I'm being ridiculous, as presumably they must be predisposed to stay together once seated? If they were really as sensitive as my paranoia has made them out to be, the lock rings would fly off every time the car hit a bump, which clearly doesn't happen. I'm interested in your opinions.

Thanks!

We've never had any problems with ours once it's been mounted. I've been on many tours since 1960 with cars of that age, and not once have I witnessed or heard of a situation where the lock ring busted loose. We've even had a lock ring that was cracked, and it didn't seem to pose any problems before we had it replaced.

Just adding to what West said, given a wheel and ring in good condition you should not expect any problems when properly installed. 50 years touring with old cars, never saw or heard of a failure.