Removing tyres (tires) on a 1924 wood spoke wheel

[Guest occrj]

Hi all,

As you can tell, I'm new to '20s Dodges. I need to change all five 24" tyres and tubes. I've been reading around a fair bit on the subject, including the factory handbook which only mentions tyre irons and not catching the tubes with them. The book makes no mention of rim spreader tools.

This evening I removed a couple of the rims (with tyres), could someone confirm please that:

1. I need a rim spreader in order to get the tyres and tubes off, or a tool improvised using a bottle jack + blocks of wood cut to size etc? I've seen a few threads online about achieving this, although not specifically on Dodges of this age.

2. How are the two ends of the split rim joined together? ie do I need a special tool to free them up, or do they just slot together and separate cleanly once the spreader is in use???

Thanks in advance

Richard.

[TonyAus]

A rim spreader is not essential but can make the task easier. Remove the rim from the wheel and deflate the tyre. Insert the point of a large screwdriver or similar under the pointed lock plate at the split in the rim and lift so the rim overlaps. This will allow the tyre to be levered off, remembering that the the bead has an inextensible wire inside. Proceed to remove the tire by lifting the bead with two irons side by side. Belt one iron around the bead with a rubber mallet while holding the other in place with your foot. When the bead is free on one side turn the tyre over and repeat the process. All this can take between five minutes and one hour and should expand your vocabulary.

After you have the replaced the tyre the rim lock plates should be levered back into position by the forementioned screwdriver or similar.

[stakeside]

A rim spreader is not essential but can make the task easier. Remove the rim from the wheel and deflate the tyre. Insert the point of a large screwdriver or similar under the pointed lock plate at the split in the rim and lift so the rim overlaps. This will allow the tyre to be levered off, remembering that the the bead has an inextensible wire inside. Proceed to remove the tire by lifting the bead with two irons side by side. Belt one iron around the bead with a rubber mallet while holding the other in place with your foot. When the bead is free on one side turn the tyre over and repeat the process. All this can take between five minutes and one hour and should expand your vocabulary.

After you have the replaced the tyre the rim lock plates should be levered back into position by the forementioned screwdriver or similar.

I have been attempting to replace my 5.25X21 tires on my 29 DB truck and the rim spreader is very helpfull. I was fortunate to get one at Universal Tire.

The only problem I had was damage to the tubes. Three of the four tires went flat in a few days. Lucas tire informed me when I called them that I should installed a rubber liners between the rim and the tube. Also I was told to use talcum power to allow the tube to seat itself. It appears the joint where the rim collapses can move enough to cause the tube to fail.The damage to the tube appears to line up with the joint.

I will install the liner and keep you posted.

I remember a tread on this site complaining about the tubes being sold were of poor quality. I assume they used the liner.

[Pete K.]

Richard, I can tell Tony has done this before, probably many times. What he says is all good! I just want to underscore the point of using any kind of tire iron carefully as to protect the bead if you plan to ever use the old tires again. Believe it or not, when I was a bit younger, I would spray a film of water & dish soap solution around the "uncoupled" rim and bead after I deflated the tire to be removed, as Tony states, then I would only use a tire iron on the first bead side, flip the whole thing over and while standing on the TIRE, grab the rim where it has the split with my hands only, and while pulling it out of the tire using a compressed spiral action with the metal rim. It will come right out! I later got hold of one of those three-arm crank type rim spreaders which can be helpful, but not really necessary. The soapy solution helps big-time.

[Guest 1930]

I have been attempting to replace my 5.25X21 tires on my 29 DB truck and the rim spreader is very helpfull. I was fortunate to get one at Universal Tire.

The only problem I had was damage to the tubes. Three of the four tires went flat in a few days. Lucas tire informed me when I called them that I should installed a rubber liners between the rim and the tube. Also I was told to use talcum power to allow the tube to seat itself. It appears the joint where the rim collapses can move enough to cause the tube to fail.The damage to the tube appears to line up with the joint.

I will install the liner and keep you posted.

I remember a tread on this site complaining about the tubes being sold were of poor quality. I assume they used the liner.

Originally they used a woven cloth material of some sort for a liner, can post photo if there is any interest

[R.White]

A rim spreader is not essential but can make the task easier. Remove the rim from the wheel and deflate the tyre. Insert the point of a large screwdriver or similar under the pointed lock plate at the split in the rim and lift so the rim overlaps. This will allow the tyre to be levered off, remembering that the the bead has an inextensible wire inside. Proceed to remove the tire by lifting the bead with two irons side by side. Belt one iron around the bead with a rubber mallet while holding the other in place with your foot. When the bead is free on one side turn the tyre over and repeat the process. All this can take between five minutes and one hour and should expand your vocabulary.

After you have the replaced the tyre the rim lock plates should be levered back into position by the forementioned screwdriver or similar.

I have long since given up trying to change tyres myself. You don't always know that you have pinched a tube untill you are on the road and then wish you had handed it over to a professional in the first place. I am probably biased because I used to work in a tyre centre. Then again you need to be careful who you go to - they are not all the same!

Ray.

[gundog99]

The problem using a three-arm crank type rim spreaders is the paint on the rim can be damaged, putting a piece of old rubber tube between the arm and the rim stops this.

[Guest occrj]

Thanks for the info all, I'll have a crack at that shortly (I wouldn't imagine any local tyre fitters would know what to do with these rims!). Annoyingly one of the dome-headed bolts that holds the rim on snapped while I was removing the front o/s wheel, needless to say no-one here stocks 7/16 square-neck carriage bolts of the right length :-/

RJ

[R.White]

Hi Richard, the old chap I know over here is an independent (the big chains are worse than useless). If you want, I can have a word with him? I don't think there is much about wheels and tyres that he doesn't know. He's not cheap, though.

What length carriage bolt do you need? What thread is it you need?

Ray

[Guest occrj]

I'll let you know Ray, I've got an indy looking into it for me now. They're 7/16" on the square neck, say 3" long from the base of the domed head to the end of the thread. If my contact can't find anything I'll drop you a line.

thanks, R

[stakeside]

Here is USA we have ACE Hardware and they have 7/16" course thread carriage bolts and shoulder nuts. They are 1/4" longer and have a larger nut size.

[Pete K.]

Rich, I see those rim bolts and lugs on E-Bay every so often.