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

prob. a smimple question..air is out of tire....now how do you remove the split rim from the rim..you know..it has tht notch...

thanks

did they have a special tool back then

push it down (notch and push and peel it off?

Dear Sanford:

The original method was to use two bars and a hammer. One had a groove in it to catch the cut out and then push against the rim so that the second bar could be used to work the snap ring off of the rim. The same way as a tire machine using the hammer to move the ring along.

You will need to make these. The work off bar will work best if polished. Extra bars will come in handy as well.

Now care needs to be exercised because aggressive use of those bars can crack the rim lip. Use of tire assembly lubricant will also help.

Finally, when you put wheels together do not inflate them facing the snap ring because it can fly off and kill you. George Jepson owned a Shell station and saw an arm blown off. I adjusted the air in a set of snap ring tires and used safety straps to prevent my being blown up. Five mintues after I took the straps off a snap ring flew across the building and smashed a parked car. (The lock bolt broke).

Inflate the wheels with the snap ring facing the wall or floor using a rubber valve stem extension. (available from NAPA). Inflate the wheels in steps of 15-20psi, deflating the tires at least once to seat the tube. Now let the tire sit for an hour or two before removing the extension. Next lay out a blanket and let each wheel fall on the snap ring side. Then let them sit for at least a day.

Hope this helps and remember: another term for snap rings and lock bolts is - widow makers.

Excellent advice.

Split rims and demountable rime are nothing to take lightly.

A mechanic I knew was decapitated when he was inflating a large truck tire and didn't have it in a safety cage.

Dated video, but still as relevant as ever.

youtube.com/watch?v=xnyh78wjZ1o

A video of tube tire assembly with demountable rims.

youtube.com/watch?v=VRjoyCLPk7I

A few things in the video that could be improved on:

Using a safety cage during inflation.

Not beating on the rim and ring.

Not wearing sandals.

Wearing safety glasses.

A little talc on the tube prior to insertion into the tire.

Partial inflation, then deflation, then full inflation to get wrinkles out of the tube.

When I was overseas a tire blew off a standard 15" rim and nearly took a fellas head off (It blew up after leaving the cage). It did this because the rim was damaged. Thus, tires on old safety rims should be secured to the vehicle or to a tire machine during inflation. What happens when a safety rim blows is the whole assembly goes airborne.

These dangers can be avoided by using the rubber valve stem extension which keeps your head away from tires when adding air. A cage can be improvised by sliding the wheel under a car or between two stationary objects such as a desk and a wall.

Now I have known people who told me "I would rather see you injured than my car damaged". Unfortunately laws are written to protect people like that by people like that.