I'm one of those kooks that like originality....sometimes to a fault. I figured I should get my splits mounted as I had completed the project early in year but never mounted them on truck. Since the truck is pretty original and came with splits when new, I wanted a set to add to its originality and as an option to run for awhile extending the life of the extinct 33 16.5 BF Goodrich tires on turbines.
I found these 4 splits from a 76 for free on CL. The guy getting rid of them was as happy to see them go as I was to get them. They had been stored indoors since the 80s so minimal rust under the rings. I removed the rings before taking them to shop to have the old stiff 10 ply bias tires dismounted thinking that would help. Took to a shop that does big truck and farm equipment tires and the old guy who has seen it all looked at them and just shook his head saying they didn't want to do it..... but if I insisted it would at a minimum of $50 ea for dismount. I said no thanks I'll do it myself. I used the backhoe outrigger to hold wheel stable while using the bucket teeth (and loads of WD40) to break the beads on both sides. Unbelievable how tight they were, almost like grown into one with the rim (old guy was a wise man). Anyway, persistence prevailed. 3 of the tubes and all 4 rim liners were still very nice. They appeared original and were heavy duty made in Canada and anything I would buy to replace probably would not be as good so I reused originals except for the one tube. I matched the original undisturbed factory silver paint left on the back side of rims then had them sand blasted and epoxy primed for $100.
I resisted the "originality urge" to install original-type bias deep lug tires and opted to go non-original for boring all-season radials as the priority was a smooth quiet ride. Mastercraft 235 85R 16 Courser AXT2 Load range E. I had 4 highboys decades ago but never ran one with radials and was anxious to see if they could calm the famous chuck-wagon highboy ride. Mounting the tires on rims was very labor intensive to align tube stem and then get the rings on without pinching a tube. Getting the tire compressed enough to get the ring seated was the main difficulty. A lot of profanity involved but again, persistence prevailed. It had me wondering why I put myself through this abuse. So anyway, the test drive after install was like driving a TOTALLY different truck. Huge difference. Soooo much smoother, quieter, and better handling so at least the sacrifice in losing macho appearance has its benefits.

 

Cool to see someone still running split rims. I still have them on my 71 C20 which I hope to put on the road next year. My Dad was a school bus contractor since the 1950's and I can remember him when I was a kid changing them in the driveway with the old slide hammer style bead breaker. He never had and issue with them. If you walk into a tire shop with them today they all run as if you dropped a rattle snake in their lap. I do have a set of late model Ford van 8 lug wheels for it though.

 

agreed, nothing wrong with two-piece wheels if they are in good shape.
Not sure how you're going to use the truck, but using tubes in a tubeless tire created more heat that normal...just an FYI...I haven't worked in a tire shop for almost 40 years, but I know they used to make radial tubes...not sure if the tubes you reused were for radial or bias ply tires...

 

looks good. if you want the ultimate in originality that's the way to go.

 

What was the last year Ford used split rims??
I have a 1976 F-250 Custom 4-wd, would or could it have come with split rims?

 

I bought a 1976 F-250 brand new. It came with 7.50-16 D 8pr tube-type m/s tires on split rims. Not sure of the last year Ford used them.

 

Thank you. Then that's what I am going to find for my 1976 F-250 I just bought a few days ago.



The above tires are what I ordered for it in 7.50-16.

 

My first 77 highboy purchased in 1979 with 15k miles had split rims. I think the end of the "highboy" ended use of split rims on F-250s. Do not recall back in the day nor recall ever seeing a late 77 F-250 with split rims. My brother bought a brand new 78 f-250 and it had white 16.5 tubeless rims. Even by 1980/81 in-stock tire choices were getting limited for the splits and tire shop workers would run and hide when I'd pull in and they'd see the split rims. I swapped the splits for my brothers 16.5 steel whities when he got new 16.5 chrome spokes and big tires.

If you get a Marti report for your 76 and it says it had 7.50 x 16 tires then it had to be split rims as that was the only 16" wheel that was offered. see example below

 

Thank you Mark, I'll be getting a Marti report for sure.

 

My '76 highboy came with 8.75 x 16.5 10 ply tires according to the MR. I assume they were not split rim since they weren't in the late 70's.

As I remember it when these were new all 16" tires had split rims . I have a '79 cab chassis that came with 16" split rims. I don't know when Ford stopped using them but I'm guessing around 1980.

 

My 79 came with splitz i still have the factory spare Firestone .