Ordered some new skins for the 24 and looking at the job ahead I decided I needed a good way to spread the split rims after removing the old tires. I wanted it to be safe and simple so this is what I came up with. Material; 2 pcs 1/2" black pipe, 2.5" and 4.5" long; 1-11" X 5/8" threaded rod; 3-5/8" nuts; 2- 1/4 X 1 1/4 bolts w/nuts. I cut two slots approx 3/8" wide in ends of plack pipe and drilled a 1/4" hole through as shown. The 1/4" bolts are to just keep the pipe ends in place. The two adjacent 5/8" nuts are jammed together to keep them from moving on rod. Works very well.
Years ago I had a factory rim spreader but in the ensuing years it has grown legs and walked off so when I bought 4 new tires a couple of years ago I made this, it springs the rim in and holds it for tire removal and then spreads it back like yours does. Just an 8" turnbuckle with a 1/2" bolt welded in one eye and the other eye heated and rebent as shown. Works great and don't think anyone is going to think this is an antique and pack it off!!
Gordon
Gordon, I was thinking along your design. I like it. I already had a rim contractor (three legged but I only use two) so that was not a requirement for me. One thing was I wanted it to be portable and fit in a tool box so didn't go the jack and wood block route.
Gary
While on the subject, tell me how these rims actually work. I have two original old rim spreaders, but I dont use split rims. I do have one old Hayes split rim though
Dykes manual
The split rim collapses so you can fit balloon tires that have rigid bead edges, unlike the clincher tires that can be spread over the 30" clincher rim, the 21" tires have to have the rim get smaller to put on or take off those tires.
Typical spreader tool of those days
Ford then made the wire wheel, with drop center, like modern wheels, you lever both beads over and down into the channel, and that allows the tire to go over the rim edge.
Thanks Dan - appreciate the images. I have one complete front wood spoke 21 inch wheel and tire. I guess my Dad must have bought it at an auction or something, because our cars both use the 30 inch tires. I'll have to set it up as a display with my rim spreaders!
Gary, I just wanted to say thanks for sharing. I built a spreader to your specs and it works great. I like that it will nicely in the tool box also. Thanks again, Bill V.
I had posted this on the old Forum but it was lost when the old Forum crashed.
Since there might be some new T’rs out there, I am posting this again. Maybe it will be of help to them. It sure made spreading the rim easy.
I wasn’t having much luck when using my rim spreader tool to spread the split rim to where I could lock the rim. I was afraid of distorting the rim with too much pressure.
Sawing the curved edged boards seen in my picture made it much easier.
Almost a snap.
Gene in Virginia Beach
I'm with Eugene on this. Real simple to make. I use a hydraulic bottle jack in my work.
Gene,
How did you collapse the rim to get the tire off?
Bill, Glad to be of help. One thing I had in mind was to design it for safe operation. Lots of force employed with these split rims. I wanted no way it could slip and cause injury. I've done enough of that to myself over the years so I'm a bit more careful in my elder years.
Gary
I've never worked on a 21 inch rim, but I've used a rim jack several times on the 23 inch back wheels on my TT. I never had any problems using the rim jack. I don't see why they would be a problem, but as I said, I haven't used one on a 21 inch rim. Am I missing something? I have three of them and I never paid more than $25.00 for one. Dave
Hal,
That was 8 years ago and I can’t really remember.
But it seems to me that once you have the tire “broken” away from the rim, everything was easy.
Gene in Virginia Beach
To collapse the rim use a turnbuckle with hooks at each end. Kind of like what Gordon shows in his picture. Got mine at a local hardware.
WOW,, you guys have some great ideas. I might have to steal one of them. I like the first one myself as it looks like I can keep it in my tool box in the trunk.
I guess all of them would.
Just did a tire change a couple of days ago. Here's how I spread my rim.
It worked just fine, and was a tool I already had in the car. Of course I had my hydraulic jack for lifting the car here at home. On the road I guess the jack would already be in service.
You have what appears to be a "Canadian" split rim there. The two small holes on the side are for a rather odd type of retractor/spreader device and the tell-tale "flat" of the rim lugs. Although, it appears that yours has some type of overlap procurement for a lock which I have only seen the hinge & pin type lock on Canadian split rims. Interesting rim.
The one thing I do not understand about split rims is why did they put the valve stem so close to the split? When you collapse the rim you have to push the stem in to prevent damaging it. It would have been a better idea to move the stem further away.
Stephen
Agreed Stephen - can make "timing" the valve stem rather difficult !
Funny you mention the valve / lug positions. I am rebuilding a couple of rims at the moment and during the night (when the brain keeps working after the body goes to sleep) came to the conclusion that it is the only way that you can install the rim on the felloe. I was looking to change mine so that the valve balanced the fixing lug by being on opposite sides of the wheel but as the fixing lug and the valve both have to be the lifted over the felloe before the rest of the rim can be located they have to be close together.
Gavin
The Chevy split rims are a bit different, so they have to have one lug open like a U to be able to attach it to the wheel. They can be modified for use on a Ford wheel with a new valve stem hole.
Chevy rim closest to the camera. The valve stem hole looks just as close to the split, though..