I broke a split rim latch. What now coach?

[Mopar_man]

So I was pulling the tire off with my hands and some tire irons. and this happened.

Is there any repair for this? Yes I was using a rim splitter but that was off the rim when it happened. I think the edge of the split must have hit it.

[speedytinc]

Machine up another pivot rivet & weld it in on the inside.

[John kuehn]

Use a carriage bolt that will fit fairly tight in the rim hole. Place the oval shaped carriage bolt
In the rim with the oval shaped head inside the rim.
Then put the latch tab over the bolt with just enough of the bolt (about 1/4” ) length and braze a washer on the short end of the bolt. You will need to cut off the excess length before you do the job but leave just enough for the latch to go over.
You may need grind down the OD of the washer a bit also.

I repaired a latch on a rim like yours this way years ago and it made a nice repair. Others may have another way to fix it.

[Wayne Sheldon]

A common problem after ninety years and corrosion.
There are several ways to approach this.
One could do this the really right way? Clean the rim up real nice and make sure it is all clean, solid, and straight and round. The using a lathe, carefully make a new step rivet to hold the cam/lever snugly in place, with the additional length needed to hammer down and lock it in place.
Or, one could clean it up and assemble it. Then from the back (under tire) side, weld or braze the rivet into place. For this, I prefer brazing because welding (either arc or gas) melts and distorts the original steel rim while the braze is plenty strong and leaves the original metal intact so that it could in the future be ground down and re-riveted.

Another option, and this I freely admit I have done! Provided the rim is in decent condition, and fairly straight? Toss the cam/lever into a drawer, and assemble the tire and rim without it. This type of so-called "split rim" will NOT explode and remove your face! A little extra caution while airing up the tire is wise. Just make sure the split ends stay lined up as the pressure increases. Once aired up, 25 psi times nearly two hundred square inches means that there is literally a couple tons of pressure pushing those ends together!
Years ago, I wanted to convince myself that this was reasonably safe. I knew the type of rim couldn't separate throwing shrapnel with deadly force. So with about 20 psi in the tire, I tried to force the split ends to separate, using pry bars and hammers! I went all the way up to a heavy sledge hammer and could not make the rim come apart.
As a spare tire? It can't really hurt anything. If mounted on a wheel? It can't really come apart even after the tire blows out and there is no pressure left pushing the ends together because the wheel is holding it together!

So, fix it right? Or fix it good. Or just run with it! Your choice.

[Mark Gregush]

Were you not using a rim-jack to compress the rim?

[jiminbartow]

Early in 2022, while installing new Goodyear flaps, tubes and tires on my split rims, I broke all four latches while turning the latch to release the rims. Turns out after 52 years (I had last installed new tires in 1970) the latches were badly rusted.

All 4 latches were repaired using the following procedure:
1. Using a larger tap, re-tap the hole.
2. Bolt on the latch (I used stainless steel bolts to prevent rust in the future). Make the bolt tight, but not so tight that the latch cannot turn using a hammer and punch.
3. Using an angle grinder, grind off the excess threads on the interior side of the rim leaving about 1/16” protruding in order to brad it flat.
4. Spot weld or brad the threaded end to prevent from loosening. As you can see in my last picture, I left the threaded end about 1/16” long and beat (braded) the end down using a ball pien hammer.
5. Lastly, grind down the majority of the hex head (Optional. The rim will go onto the spoked rim without grinding down the head). Jim Patrick

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[Mopar_man]

Mark I was using the correct spreader and was able to do 4 tires with it. This would be a spare. The spreader was not on the tire at the time. The tire was so old (It was put on in 1974) that it was as hard a plastic. So I was cutting it off with a hacksaw. While I was doing this the side of the split hit the latch and must have broken it.

[Mopar_man]

Wayne, i like your idea of just leaving it alone. I never thought of the pressure in the tire holding it together. If I mount it on the wheel that would hold it together even more so.

[jiminbartow]

It would be better to repair the latch so the rim can be secured to prevent the rim slipping out of round if going over a rough railroad crossing or pothole. Ford would not have required there to be a latch if there was no chance the split rim could shift out of round under certain circumstances. The repair I detailed is very simple and effective and only takes a few minutes. Jim Patrick

[RVA23T]

If you need one let me know. I think I have one or 2 rims like yours in the garage.

[Wayne Sheldon]

I prefer to repair them if I have all the pieces, and once even made the missing pieces to fix it properly.
However, I have run several cars for many miles with latches missing. Since I mostly play with earlier stuff, my use of 21 inch wheels and tires was usually temporary until I got around to restoring correct earlier wheels.
If I had a late model T with 21 inch wheels? And rims missing the latches? I would run them that way.

[Mopar_man]

Thanks Richard. I have some in the attic of my garage. I have to look and see what kind of condition they are in. This would just be for the spare so If I had to use it I hope it wouldn't be for long.

[John kuehn]

What type of latch set up do the reproduction 21” rims use. Seems like there some different types that were used for the rims.

[Jerry VanOoteghem]

Wayne, i like your idea of just leaving it alone. I never thought of the pressure in the tire holding it together. If I mount it on the wheel that would hold it together even more so.

Not a good idea. Fix it right or replace it.

[Scott_Conger]

Robert

this is why lathes were invented. Use this as an excuse to your wife as to why you need to buy your neighbor's South Bend 9" lathe for $600.

Clean the hole in the rim with ospho...nice and clean.
Make a new rivet...3 minutes ($200/minute)
Peen into place with lots of small pecks with a ball-peen hammer so as to lay over the metal and not smoosh the part of the rivet that allows the latch to pivot
Done

Just as well that it came off now, and you have all the pieces...it was just a matter of time before it failed.

[RajoRacer]

Best remedy is to repair it as close to the original design as possible. I've both repaired and mounted my share of split rims but I ALWAYS air up the tire to full pressure after I've bolted it back up to the wheel !

[Mopar_man]

Well I was able to fix it! I used a barrage blot cut to size then a washer on the other side. I had a metal bucking board and a ball peen hammer. The latch came out a little loose but when I put the rim together it tightened up so I could use a punch and hammer to slide it in place.

[John kuehn]

Hey there! That’s a good fix! Washers and bolts out of your junk box of pieces and parts I’ll bet.

[Mopar_man]

Every good garage has a bucket of blots.