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Hi, I am changing the spare on the ’27; I removed the old (rotten) tire without a rim jack, but now I am going back together. I have a rim jack and have the rim collapsed with about 3 inches of overlap at the ends. I am not certain how much further I should compress the rim. Should it be compressed enough that the tire does not have to be levered onto the rim? First time, etc.
Hi Randy, I think you will be able to ‘feed’ the rim into the tire with about that much overlap of the rim’s ends.
You might have to do some slight levering of the tire bead into the rim, but it won’t be much.
What I do is to put the part of the rim on the outside of the overlap into the tire’s inside diameter, then start working the rim onto the tire’s beads using either the palms of your hands and body-weight, or use a rubber mallet on the rim. Sometimes using the rubber mallet on the tire works better..
In order to see how close you are to having the rim fit into the tire, measure from the inside of the rim that is on the outside of the overlap, to the outer lip of the rim on the opposite side. Add 1/8″ for the steel rim’s thickness.
With a 22″ tire/wheel, the outer diameter of the rim when it is not being pulled together by a rim-jack is about 23-1/4″ or maybe a bit more.. Compare your measurements to the tire opening and you should be able to decide if the rim can be pursuaded to go inside the tire’s inner diameter.
Just be careful, and make sure the rim-jack is securely hooked on the rim.. when it is shrinking the rim, it is like a coiled spring, or an explosive waiting for an ‘excuse’ to let go.. Please be careful, The goal is to have the same number of fingers at the end of the job as you started with.. 
Greg Long
Thanks, Greg. I did get it together exactly as you suggested: with a very little levering. You are right about the potentially “explosive” nature of the rim jack.
I am not a risk-taker, and especially for the first time I measure several times before I cut.
Hi Randy, I’m happy to read that my instructions made sense and you were successful getting the rim and tire together safely.
Greg Long
Hi Randy
Thanks, Jak. In my opinion my jack would work better if it gripped both sides of the rim: it seemed prone to slip out of place at each critical moment. Nevertheless I was able to get the rim together by jacking it as far back in place as I could without the jack slipping out of place, then by using a large screw driver and a couple bumps with a hammer I snapped the rim back in place. The rim had a heavy Cotter pin in the latch; I wonder if this is the correct lock for the rim but it seemed sufficient at least.
The new tire is pressured up and I plan to use the new tire on the right-front, taking that tire to the spare and rotating the other three.
Randy,
If you liberally apply TIRE BEAD LUBE to the BEAD of the TIRE (both sides), then expanding the steel rim into place with a Y shaped tire jack is easy.
If you don’t have or can’t find TIRE BEAD LUBE then a mixture of dish soap with water will work.
Get yourself some Motorcycle Tire Irons and NEVER USE a screwdriver near a tube tire, as you will be VERY UNHAPPY when you inadvertently nick the tube, finish the installation of the rim and then find that the tube has a hole.
Also, use plenty of TIRE TALC or Baby Powder on the inside of the tire before installing the tube.
This will make the tube slide around easily and keep it from kinking when it inflates.
Then partially inflate the tire, bounce it a few times, deflated it and re-inflate.
The Tire Jack will be quite stable if you use the Tire Bead Lube, as that mixture promotes the tire bead sliding on the steel rim.
Positioning it correctly is important.
Without the tire bead lube, you can get to a point where the tire will not move on the steel rim and you will need to do what you did, use a screwdriver for the final inch to engage the rim lock. (remember nicking the tube, oops! DRAT!).
With the Tire Bead Lube, the jack will easily expand the rim to the point where it just “CLICKS” into place.
Believe me that I had a HUGE learning curve on this matter (installed six new tires and tubes, not including screw-ups when I nicked a tube).
Now, I can change a tube on a Series 80 rim in about 45-minutes, which I think is pretty quick.
Also, the rim locking system that you describe is correct for the Series 80 rim (a “U” shaped channel with a slit in it on one end of the rim, and a flat stud with a hole for a cotter pin on the other end of the rim).
I trust that this is helpful.
Peter
If you want to start a “good” controversy just suggest that baby
powder is an equal to tire talc. Talc was dropped from baby powder
due to its bad effects on infants from breathing it. Corn starch
replaced it. There are other properties in baby powder that promote
minor friction and an oil, part of the scent, that may deteriorate
rubber. Of course, some claim extensive use of baby powder without
problems. So, we probably need the proper gov’t. agency to properly
set our minds at rest.
Tony,
Point taken and thanks for the obscure but useful information.
Tire Talc is the material to use and it is readily available.
I guess that it is best to keep the Baby Powder on babies’ bums.
Hell, now I need to figure out which of my SIX tires have the Baby Powder and which have the later procured Tire Talc.
Rat Burgers!
Peter
I agree that talc should be used rather than baby powder except in urgent circumstances…
For re-seating (closing) the rim, I prefer to use a bottle jack with two short pieces of 4 x 4 lumber rather than reversing the rim tool.
Of course, opinions are like belly buttons….
Rim tools
There were many different ones, some better than others. Out of the 5 that I have, only one really suits the 1929 19″split rim. A couple of the others are at best, finger biters at worst potential death traps. Just bad designs. Minor design variations to avoid patent infringement no doubt.