I think a tech article explaining the dangers of these wheels, with links to the personal reports of wheel failure on this site would be great.

Next, in the same article, I would go group by group and list all the alternate wheels, some thing like:

48 to early 51 F-3:
17.5 inch option, part numbers ####### and #####, original from YYYY trucks

Late 51 to 52 F-3:
F-2 16 inch wheels and all the above options

etc.



I would personally love to have that information all in one place to reference. I probably would save a copy on my computer and print out a copy to reference when driving my truck.

I also recognize the amount of information you would have to put together and the amount of time this would take. If you are willing to do this, I will be glad to help, I just don't know how I could help...

 

I am new around here and do like all the advice given here so I hope not to step on any toes. It is easier to make friends with honey than vinegar. I have had many years servicing multi piece rims and as my experience has shown all tires especially the ones for medium and heavy duty trucks are all dangerous and I mean equally. In the Navy Seabees we had many Korean War and Vietnam War era vehicles with the 20" RH5's we didn't call them widowmakers we called them suicide rims. But it was from reputation only, we never had a problem with them but we also had very strict guidelines when servicing them. My first post military job was working for a farm machinery service company and yes old Ford pickups with RH5's were considered farm machinery. When I first started working there I was blown away on how they would service these rims, they had no clue on dismounting or mounting procedures it is only luck no one had been killed. I taught them the Navy way on how to service them correctly and after they learned the proper way to handle these rims they also were amazed no employees had died. I worked there for 8 years before I started driving trucks but during that time I have seen 2 piece rims put together with the 3 piece rims lock ring and flange and 3 piece rims put together with 2 piece rim's single lock ring. I have seen mechanics attempt to air up 16.5 tires on 16" rims, I've seen attempts made by some to mount 16" tires on 16.5 rims. I myself was airing up a 24.5 radial in a cage and it blew the sidewall out with only about 50psi and ruptured my eardrum. Really like the articles that Joe posted it all comes down pretty much about knowledge, material condition and saftey procedures. Very few of all the multi piece rims in terms of percentages have come apart going down the road but the ones that have I would about guarentee were caused by improper service and lack of understanding of the multi piece rims and I mean all of them not just the RH5. I understand it is scary thinking about that dually with the RH5 on the outside position on the rear but really no more scary then that 20" Dayton split ring on the steer of that old school bus next to you and the kids at the stop light. I feel like if you replaced your 60 year old RH5s with 50 year old tubeless rims you still need to educate youself on those as well, sure they are a whole bunch easier to work with but just every bit as dangerous. I have the 17" RH5s on my truck and have put new tires on them myself. But I think if I did not know how to properly care for them it would not be worth the risk I've seen too many tire servicemen claim they know how to mount and dismount them but really have no clue, not too many older tire men around anymore that serviced hundreds of these tube type rims in a week. I guess what I am trying to say if you are not competent to service your multi piece rims yourself without cutting corners see if Stu can hook you up with some safer rims, I would hate to see ya disenegrate that 10 leaf leafspring or worse injure or kill someone or yourself. Sorry for such a long post.
Stan

 

When I was a kid I worked construction for a company with a lot of dump trucks. On rainy days a few of us would work in the shop repairing tires. I saw a split tire rim fly off a wheel and stuck in the roof about 24 feet up. We went on the roof and it was sticking out of the roof. That is a powerful explosion. These things are not safe and should be off all trucks. I wonder what an insurance company would say if they knew you put new tires on these rims when it is illegal to do so??

 

Don't think they're illegal. At least not federally. Have heard it said that some states have outlawed the RH-5°. Seems this discussion always gets back to the lawyers, insurance companies, and courts. The 1970s recall effort failed, and OSHA was lobbied to only require added training for installers. Today it's the collector community that faces the greatest degree of exposure risk. Stu

 

When I bought the F3 in Illinois it still had original tires and wheels. Two different tire stores told me They were illegal for them to put tires on and OSHA also had rules against them that is the only reason I thought they were outlawed. No matter what they are still vary dangerous

 

That'd be a new piece of info I hadn't heard. Especially here in Illinois. In all my quizzing of shops I've found two independent shops in small towns run by the elderly owner that would still work on them. Stu