Are these widow makers or are they the lock ring? Thanks Guys!!!!

 

The rear is a WM. The front one looks to be a lock ring. Is that a ring seam in the outer portion, at about the 7 o'clock area?

 

Your second pic looks like a lockring to me: Here's an example of each.... notice the extra band around the outside to indicate it as a lockring, besides the split on the outermost band. 2nd pic is WM, and only one outer band.

 

I thought the fronts were lock ring but are the rears WM's for sure?

 

For sure. At least the one pictured is. Stu

 

Hey Stu, last week, I was talking to a guy who owns an old coal truck garage that's been around as long as I can remember. He said there are numerous circular dents in the very tall (at least 30 feet) ceiling of that building.

 

Ok... I have a question regarding this topic.
Why did they make widowmakers anyways (especially if it is capable of killing others ?) ? That sounds dangerous...

 

Odds are good there were some casualties connected to that ceiling. Hopefully no fatalities.

When they came on the market in the late 1940s they were called "advanced design" wheels. An unfortunate label. I can only speculate, but life in general was more dangerous back then. For instance, Doc lives in a mining region where safety measures back then were terrible. Black Lung/pneumoconiosis was an accepted risk associated with the occupation, auto safety rules in general were lax, and Ralph Nader wasn't on the case yet. Plus, now 60 years of rust, metal fatigue, and road hazards have had their way with the bad design. Stu

 

So is it safe to remove the wheel from the axle ? At what point in the tire removal process are the wheels dangerous. It might be deadly to be wrenching on those lug nuts with an impact wrench ? Also how safe are the fronts. Is it safe to remove the lug nuts on those also. I hear how dangerous these wheels are and do recall the metal cages in the repair shops. But I will need to remove the rear duallies and fronts from the f350 and it these wheels look to be the same.

 

From what I understand the lock ring wheels are pretty safe.. the older guys on here know for sure tho.

 

I'm definitely no expert on this, but when it comes to removal and/or installation of WM's, you have to do what you have to do and just realize the risk involved. One strategy is to wrap one or two chains around both halves of the rim and the tire during removal or installation. They can be deadly anytime, but they're especially deadly during tire inflation. As far as the danger of ones mounted on the front vs. the back, their both dangerous, but the rear outside dually is the one that could do the most damage to bystanders in my opinion because it would blow out. The front tires would blow in toward the engine compartment. Either way, it's gonna ruin your day and possibly any other motorists or pedestrians around the truck. This particular WM made me a nervous wreck while I was taking it off my truck.

Edit: Somebody earlier asked something to the effect of why didn't they stop making these things if they knew they were dangerous. Think back 50 or 60 years. The country (and the world) was a different place. There was no national media, watchdog groups, and more importantly--a lawer standing on every street corner. If Walter Cronkite didn't mention it on the only black and white television set in the neighborhood, it didn't happen as far as 99% of the country was concerned. Somebody could get his head taken off by one of these rims, and the next town over MIGHT hear about it. Nowadays, CNN knows about things like this before the next of kin....

 

let the air out of the tire before you do anything. no pressure no big bang.

 

Lock ring wheels are safer. Once together the general wisdom is that they are safe, but they too need to be aired in a cage.

Rod said it first, but widow makers are safe too if there's no air in the tires. First thing to do is stand to one side and pull the core out of the valve. Then the air gun can have its way with it. I'd sure not want to have my face in the line of fire of the rear outer dual when it's under pressure.

Widow makers began a path to being recalled in 1972 under pressure from Ralph Nader and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The effort advanced through the years, but in 1980 OSHA changed direction and killed the effort. Instead they mandated added training for service techs. Reach your own conclusions, but politics might have played a role.

Then there's this lock ring wheel I pulled of the wreck of a wrecker I hauled home a few weeks ago. No air pressure problems here! Stu

 

I was the one that asked why they even made widowmakers. It is nice to know that I was indirectly referenced in this post. Thanks, Doc.

 

Meaning....?