installing lock rings

[K8096]

What's the best way to install lock rings on 20" buffalo wire wheels?

[1937hd45]

I'm guessing the wheel is freshly painted and the lock ring has been replated. Get a heavy shipping blanket movers use to protect furnature and lay that on the garage floor. Cut some plywood squares 12x12 to use as spacers between the back side of the wheel and the floor, you want to be able to push the tire as close to the floor without hitting it. I like to have the gap in the lock ring line up with the same part of the rin and tire on all four wheels, looks neater to have them all match, but that is me, you don't have to do it that way. Start on end of the ring in the grove and just roll it in place, you don't need any tools, just roll it in. Take the core out of the valve stem and USE CAUTION inflating it the first time, be sure the ring and tire are properly seated.

[D Binger]

Bob,

Great directions. You didn't even make it confusing.

Dan

[Rick Hoover]

I agree Bob, that's the kind of answers we like to see! So, when you are down here for Hershey, stop over as I have 6 that will need done by that time.

[Johan Boltendal]

I agree completely, also mask the rim with two or three layers of dug tape or other to prevent scratching.

Allow me to make a remark, did you have your chromed rings heat treated?

I learned the hard way, all 4 broke on my Cad, after chroming, because the chroming process makes the metal brittle,the heat treatment process corrects this, the rings have their original structure back.

Johan

[K8096]

Well, I got one lock ring installed. The wheels are painted, as are the lock rings, but this is not a "show car" so I will just touch up the scratches with a brush. My next question is: I reused original lock rings. After being taken on & off several times over the history of the car, I think they are slightly oblong. For about 75 - 80% of the rim, the lock ring fits snug like it should. The other 20% of it sits maybe 1/16th of an inch away from the rim when you look at it straight on. I tried hammering edge of the lock rimg to fit tighter, but the slight gap won't go away. I even filled the tire with 35 pounds of air, then let all the air out again & I still couldn't get it any snugger. Do you think it's all right to leave it this way? I've seen other cars at shows where there were slight gaps between the lock ring & the wheel & I've never seen a lock ring fly off a rim while a car is driving or sitting, it's only when you fill the tire with air. What do you guys think?

[1937hd45]

There is know way of knowing if it is the lock ring or rim that is out without some fancy measuring tools.

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Is there a lip on the rim sidewall that keeps the locking ring in place once the tire is inflated?

( I do have some history with 20" truck tires and rims from the 1930's through the 1950s - most of these lock-ring rims don't fully "lock" until the tire is "Aired-up" and the outward force of the tire against the rim sidewalls forces everything into "lock". The old books suggest using a lock-on air-chuck and laying the wheel lock-ring side down on the floor and getting away from it until the desired pressure is achieved. Also, cages or wrapping chain around the tire/wheel were methods used to contain the rings in case something let fly during inflation....)

The olde time methods also suggested tapping around the ring with a mallet (or hammer) while the tire was being inflated to help seat the rings...

But, I defer to the Buffalo wire-wheel buffs...

Please be careful... I would not put much more than 20 lbs of air on that wheel untill you're certain that things are secure...

Good luck !