Posted by Chris Davis - UT on Sunday, August 27, 2006 at 10:59AM :
In Reply to: Tire inflation on split rims posted by Robert N. on Sunday, August 27, 2006 at 10:24AM :
There is always some risk associated with the spit ring. If the ring looks like it is still well seated and you didn’t drive on the flat (like it went flat over two weeks sitting in the garage) then you will probably be fine… I’d still use a remote air chuck in this situation.
Safest option would be to remove the wheel/tire and take it to someplace that has a cage. If that option isn’t available, and you have any doubt about the ring being seated correctly, you could remove the wheel, wrap the ring/wheel in hefty chain and again use the remote air chuck.
I think the competing points of view in the previous thread can be boiled down to:
A) Split rings can separate and kill you. If there is ANY way you can have a professional change the tire, then it is well worth the money to do so.
B) Split rings were made to allow field replacement of the tire. Thousands of 18 year old GIs have changed them in the field without a cage, and (in the vast majority of cases) without loss of life or limb. It CAN be done, and probably isn’t a bad bit of knowledge to have if you’ve got your rig off road a lot.
Unless you have too… I’d stick with option A.
Chris Davis
Centerville, UT
(Who has changed tires on a few split rims using the chain/remote chuck method, but feels much safer with the WWII bolt-together combat rim.)