Anyone Ever Try Working With 9.00x20's?

Bryce Frazier

Well-known Member
I bought a nice little Chevy dump truck the other day, and it came with a set of drivers to replace the bad bad bad bad ones that are on it.

After a brief glance at the wheels, I believe they are 1 piece wheels? I've worked with split rims before, and I'm not afraid of taking them apart, but I get them broken down, new tire on and ready to go, then take them to the tire shop in town, and they only charge me a few bucks to snap the ring in, and air it up in a cage.

These being solid rims, I will have to pry the tire over the rim I suppose? This seems rather challenging! :p

Anyone messed with them before, any tricks? Or just save my pennys and take them to town? Thanks!
 
Sounds like you are working with tubeless wheels. Don't recall ever seeing a 20" tubeless. Tubeless equivalent to 20" tube type are 22.5. Examine things closer
 
That sounds like modern tubeless rims.
Easy to work with if you have the spoons.
You just need to get one side of the tire bead down into the rim valley while you pry the other side over the rim.

Also; You do know there is a difference in "split rims" and "lock ring rims"
From your post it looks like you use the two terms interchangeably.
 
Morris Seed Rite (drills) came with 7.50x20 6 ply implement tires that were not too bad to pry onto a one piece rim. But I had one that somebody had replaced with a ten ply truck tire so obviously it can be done.
 
They could be the 'widow maker' type wheel.They date from the 60s and 70s.Obsolet for many years.They are a two piece wheel joined in the middle. hard to tell if still aired up.Do not use a 'rattle gun' on them if aired up. Simply the vibration can cause them to blow.Even if mounted for a long time They are a bomb waiting to happen. The name applys here. Do NOT attemt to mount your self. take to a profession TRUCK tire shop. however,a lot of shops now refuse to work on widow makers. Those that do require the truck to be present as well.Post a pic of he wheels if you can.Steve.
 
What does the valve stem look like? If it?s the big metal ones you probably have true split rims. These are the ones that come apart and kill people. Pictured is a split rim. Sound like you know what a lock ring looks likes. Second picture shows how small the lip is on the rims. Good luck and be careful!
a268826.jpg

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Shaun; That is what I am thinking also.
Especially now that he said they have tubes.

I bet he thinks they are solid rims because he can not see a snap ring when in fact they come apart at the center.
If this is true his best advise is to throw the whole rim away and put the new tires on new rims.
 
Double check those rims again, I think you may have split rims, That is where the rims split and come apart. They are also known as widow makers. Some tire shops won't even touch them. There should be 2 bumps where a narrow part of the tire wrench fits into to start to get the rim apart. bud
 
Yep,those are the dreaded 'widow makers'.My '68 hevy C50 grain truck had em. After several years,I have finally found enough of the 'good' split rims to completely get rid of all my widowmakers.I advise you to do the same. Don't want Casey to be a widow before you are even married.
 
The previous owner was relieved to get rid of those rims.
Safer replacements are available, but might cost you more than your truck was purchased for. Years ago, I personally saw one of those fly apart as I was driving the truck.
Truck was not mine, but my employer.
 
Bryce. Drive the truck to the closest TRUCK tire shop and have THEM do it.Do NOT attempt your self.I cannot stress that enough!Or find some replacement wheels. Time to visit some salvage yards
 
I won't air them up myself, but if i find better wheels, I need to get a couple of my current tires off of these wheels. I should be able to handle getting them off right? I already have them deflated.
 
Bryce, My previous employer used this tire tool on his truck rims. Local tire shop guy uses the same tool. I found out it's best to have the tire warmed up so its more flexible. I mounted a cold 22.5 this winter while the heater was blowing on the other one. So much easier with the warmed up tire and I mounted the tire with only tire spoons. Like others have said get rid of the split rims.
a268831.jpg
 
(quoted from post at 08:00:09 05/27/18) I won't air them up myself, but if i find better wheels, I need to get a couple of my current tires off of these wheels. I should be able to handle getting them off right? I already have them deflated.
Please don't use those wheels even if you have to put off using the truck for a while. These guys are right , they are split rim, very dangerous! I live in Oklahoma and the truck salvages here are full of split ring wheels , not nearly as dangerous. From your picks you have a 10 hole hub pilot wheel. You can measure the center hole and find some 22.5 tubeless wheels to fit but then you gotta get different tires. The truck tire shops around here refuse to work the old style.
 
(quoted from post at 08:00:09 05/27/18) I won't air them up myself, but if i find better wheels, I need to get a couple of my current tires off of these wheels. I should be able to handle getting them off right? I already have them deflated.
Please don't use those wheels even if you have to put off using the truck for a while. These guys are right , they are split rim, very dangerous! I live in Oklahoma and the truck salvages here are full of split ring wheels , not nearly as dangerous. From your picks you have a 10 hole hub pilot wheel. You can measure the center hole and find some 22.5 tubeless wheels to fit but then you gotta get different tires. The truck tire shops around here refuse to work the old style.
 
If tey are deflated they are safe.Once dismounted,reassemble the wheel and weld the halves to gether.. Or take a torch and cut a chunk out of them(or even in half) so they cannot be used.
 
Knew I never saw a tubeless 20". As others have stated: those old style split rims ARE VERY DANGEROUS!! I am thinking I heard they are illegal to use now. At any rate, do not do them yourself. Only those experienced with them can do them safely. Using them can be done but takes skill
 
(quoted from post at 06:36:39 05/27/18) I bought a nice little Chevy dump truck the other day, and it came with a set of drivers to replace the bad bad bad bad ones that are on it.

After a brief glance at the wheels, I believe they are 1 piece wheels? I've worked with split rims before, and I'm not afraid of taking them apart, but I get them broken down, new tire on and ready to go, then take them to the tire shop in town, and they only charge me a few bucks to snap the ring in, and air it up in a cage.

These being solid rims, I will have to pry the tire over the rim I suppose? This seems rather challenging! :p A small tip that will help with breaking those down is pour diesel around the bead (both sides). Don't be stingy with the diesel. The pics that John sent show how they rust inside and that sticks to the tube and liner. Let them soak over night. Then using a tire hammer or a sledge beat down on the bead edge and try to collapse the to halves slightly. Then you can drive a tire bar into the slot and pry the halves apart. Not a fun chore if they have been on there awhile. Good luck!

Anyone messed with them before, any tricks? Or just save my pennys and take them to town? Thanks!
:D :D :D :D
 
(quoted from post at 06:36:39 05/27/18) I bought a nice little Chevy dump truck the other day, and it came with a set of drivers to replace the bad bad bad bad ones that are on it.

After a brief glance at the wheels, I believe they are 1 piece wheels? I've worked with split rims before, and I'm not afraid of taking them apart, but I get them broken down, new tire on and ready to go, then take them to the tire shop in town, and they only charge me a few bucks to snap the ring in, and air it up in a cage.

These being solid rims, I will have to pry the tire over the rim I suppose? This seems rather challenging! :p A small tip that will help with breaking those down is pour diesel around the bead (both sides). Don't be stingy with the diesel. The pics that John sent show how they rust inside and that sticks to the tube and liner. Let them soak over night. Then using a tire hammer or a sledge beat down on the bead edge and try to collapse the to halves slightly. Then you can drive a tire bar into the slot and pry the halves apart. Not a fun chore if they have been on there awhile. Good luck!

Anyone messed with them before, any tricks? Or just save my pennys and take them to town? Thanks!
:D :D :D :D
 
(quoted from post at 06:36:39 05/27/18) I bought a nice little Chevy dump truck the other day, and it came with a set of drivers to replace the bad bad bad bad ones that are on it.

After a brief glance at the wheels, I believe they are 1 piece wheels? I've worked with split rims before, and I'm not afraid of taking them apart, but I get them broken down, new tire on and ready to go, then take them to the tire shop in town, and they only charge me a few bucks to snap the ring in, and air it up in a cage.

These being solid rims, I will have to pry the tire over the rim I suppose? This seems rather challenging! :p A small tip that will help with breaking those down is pour diesel around the bead (both sides). Don't be stingy with the diesel. The pics that John sent show how they rust inside and that sticks to the tube and liner. Let them soak over night. Then using a tire hammer or a sledge beat down on the bead edge and try to collapse the to halves slightly. Then you can drive a tire bar into the slot and pry the halves apart. Not a fun chore if they have been on there awhile. Good luck!

Anyone messed with them before, any tricks? Or just save my pennys and take them to town? Thanks!
:D :D :D :D
 
I've seen first hand what a split rim will do.
My uncle had a tire shop and one of the guys was mounting one of these. He even put 2- 1/4" chains around it thankfully he was not leaning over it when it let loose. It did catch his forehead good for 8 stitches and destroyed a fluorescent light fixture 12' overhead. This was in the days before tire cages were the norm. I heard a lot of horror stories being around the tire biz. Between these and split rings I will never use them again.
AFIAC there are 2 uses for them:
Camp fire ring or make weight for the scrap pile but cut em up so nobody digs them out.
Please listen to what the rest of the guys are saying and get single piece rims and a couple spoon bars it can save a lot of grief.
 
(quoted from post at 11:13:42 05/27/18) Bryce, My previous employer used this tire tool on his truck rims. Local tire shop guy uses the same tool. I found out it's best to have the tire warmed up so its more flexible. I mounted a cold 22.5 this winter while the heater was blowing on the other one. So much easier with the warmed up tire and I mounted the tire with only tire spoons. Like others have said get rid of the split rims.
a268831.jpg
By the way I've used this tool they are awesome can change tires quickly. Had struggle with 19.5's but great for the bigger ones.
 
They are dangerous if they have been worn from running low on air or corroded by time or chemicals. You have to break the tire down first so it falls away from the takeoff ring. There are cutouts that are opposite each other on the takeoff ring that allow the ring to come off at an angle with a baby sledge and tire tools. They will only come through that "gate". I had one blow on a rolling fertilizer truck we had, never did find the ring but I could feel the shockwave in the cab when it left. They dont call them widowmakers for nothing though, so take that in mind with the knowledge you just got. Those 22.5 are a breeze compared to working the rims you have. Play safe 1936 cartoon. Google it. I think its 3D.
 
If it were me and they would fit, I would go shopping for some used 22.5 tires on rims.
Very common size now days.
A 10.00x22.5 should be same height as your 9.00x20's.
But the rim bolt pattern and hub diameter might be a problem.
 
Bryce, those spit -rim- wheels like you have are called widow makers, and good tire shops no longer work on them, insurance co will not cover work on them. They come apart like unscrewing an Oreo cookie in the middle. You can't see if they are put together right or not.

Split -ring- wheels with the ring(s) on the edge of the rim are perfectly fine and safe today.

Others have mentioned good metric size tubeless rims that will bolt right up, need different tires of course.

To stay with the 9-20 you have, there are many many military rims out there with the same bolt batter, and are a split ring. In like new shape.

The trouble is folks sell them for the tires, and never mention the bolt pattern or might even scrap the rim for iron when selling the tires off.

So you have to do a little scouting.

I know, that isw hat I went trough several years ago.

Anyhow, you have several good options available.

I would not mess with those widow maker style rims. They are scrap iron.. When I knew what I had and was looking for rims, two different shops mentioned issues they had years ago with them; on talked about cracked rafter in the roof where one hit, another place talked about someone badly hurt in another shop they knew of, and the one that bounced off the wall at their shop....

Only the bottom left is the bad type, all the others are good designs.

Paul
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WheelsNowinc.com has brand new wheels that will fit the old chevy and gmc stuff. They have 10 lug, 8.75 bolt circle diameter, hub piloted wheels and also 6 lug, 8.75 bolt circle diameter, stud piloted wheels. They difference is that the rim part is 22.5 drop center tubeless but then you are open to a huge number of tire sizes and availability of decent used tires. They're not priced any worse than a custom car wheel and even so are still way cheaper than a major accident or a funeral.

There's an old brochure from back in the day floating around that web that shows step by step how to break down several wheel types, including the dreaded RH-5's. Google "rh5 wheels".
 

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