Tire inflation safety chamber

[vjquan]

Hey guys, saw this on craigslist and was wondering what it's for. I've never seen or heard of one, where might this be used?

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/tls/757313362.html

 

[spencerian]

It's probably for the 3 piece rims of days gone by.
It replaced the tire cages.

 

[kartracer55]

It's probably for the 3 piece rims of days gone by.
It replaced the tire cages.

+1

Split rims are dangerous to air up, especially if they are rusty so the ring doesnt seat completely. I have been warned about them, neither shop I work for will deal with them because of the danger. If you look at some older road service vans for large trucks, you may see big outward dents in the walls of the van from when something has let go.

 

[Fedwrench]

Tire cages are alive and well mandated by OSHA for inflating large truck tires. Now days it's not the multi piece rims that will kill you but, the zipper tear in a large tire's sidewall as it explodes as you inflate the tire seating the bead. Not a pretty sight at all.

 

[ephotrod]

Split Rims aka Widow makers are some dangerous rims. I have seen one hit the side of a metal building and tear a hole it in. Mind you the rim was on the other side of this 10000 sq. ft. building. This rim was off a dump truck from the seventies.
Josh

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Tyre cages are alive and rattling. Over here it's illegal to inflate a large commercial tyre without using a cage, i've seen two-piece and split rims break loose being inflated and theyshift if they're not in a cage.

Company i used to work for, at their main depot in one of the ceilings there was a round patch that'd been fixed, turned out years ago a guy was inflating a 295/65R22.5 on a split rim and it was laying flat, not in a cage. He was standing over it as it was inflating, one side of the top bead seated and knocked the ring off, it cut him in half and went through the ceiling.

i've seen a 385/65R22.5 SuperSingle blowout when being inflated, that was pretty scary. it was in a cage but the guy inflating it got "belt whip" from the steel belts as they came loose from the tyre carcass.

Yeah, we do call them Widow Makers in the trade.

 

[clueless]

tire cages are the norm in any shop that does tires.truck tires is a must.this one is possible for split rims,would make it hard to seat the beads with the cheetah inside it.the norm is tube type.open to roll the tire in and bars on the sides .

 

[planenutok]

Most aircraft wheels are of the split wheel type. Cages are a necessity in an aviation tire shop. Most jet aircraft tires run well over 100 psi sometimes close to 200psi. Easily enough to kill multiple people if one lets go.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Interesting, a while back i was running a tyre shop and looked at a job fitting aeroplane tyres out in Heathrow. Paid well, i guess that was to cover the possible danger of the job.

 

[ToolGlutton]

Guys,

Do not service those split rims no matter how much they pay you. A relative of mine was killed when he was inflating a wheel with split rims. The thing could pop out suddenly.

+1

Split rims are dangerous to air up, especially if they are rusty so the ring doesnt seat completely. I have been warned about them, neither shop I work for will deal with them because of the danger. If you look at some older road service vans for large trucks, you may see big outward dents in the walls of the van from when something has let go.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Hence using the cage. I've seen splits come come apart in the cages, they make a lot of noise and people jump, but you'd have to be doing something mad to get injured if you're using a cage.

I've seen car/light commercial tyres fly when the beads seat, but they won't really hurt you unless you're doing something stupid.

 

[snorky18]

I'm either too young (mid 20s) or just never been exposed to the terms, but I've never heard the terms split rim, 3 piece rim, etc.

But to me, having rims more than one piece sounds like a bad idea

The only split rim I can think of is the one off of my car when the dumptruck in front of me in urban traffic lost a rock about the size of a basketball, and I couldn't stop or change lanes to avoid it. Slowed down and hit it going about 20MPH, and knocked a hole in the middle of it the size of my fist. Tire blew off the rim, but was OK and got reused. Rim obviously had to be replaced. And I learned a $50 lesson about keeping a big enough following distance.

 

[jimvannoy]

I worked at a truck stop back in HS in the late 70's. I was outside and heard a big boom and glass crashing down. A guy in the shop was airing up a split rim tire and the ring went bam. Hit him in the head on it's way to the ceiling of the shop. He was lucky it only glanced off his forehead. He had a big knot and headache for days. There was a nice round impression in the ceiling of the shop and broken light fixtures hanging down. A few more inches and it would have taken his head off.

 

[a390st]

I worked at a place that had an old half-clamshell flip-over style of cage for one of the tire machines. One tough guy was doing a split rim and was told to drop the cage over the tire. He laughed and said he wasn't a...girl part. BLAM!!! One piece let go, blew through the ceiling and left an impression on the metal roof. The hole was patched rather than the sheet being replaced so that people would remember to use the cage. The patch says, "use cage on split wheels". I'll never forget that.

 

[Underdog]

That with some plate steel welded to the holes would make a great secure tool or job box

 

[fourfeathers]

I have never seen a tire cage used. Never.

You are right about aviaion tires being high pressure. Navy Seahawks took Nitrogen to around 200 PSI.

My Dad's Uncle had a tractor tire come apart on him, and it re-arranged his looks.
In the Navy, we were taught to inflate and check pressure from the front or rear of the tire, never the side.

 

[nissan_crawler]

We use tire cages at work. The tires go up to 220 p.s.i. We had a truck with split rims on the farm. We had a semi tarp so heavy two guys couldn't lift it (had to use the skid steer) that we put over them when inflating. I've seen that 4-500 pound tarp go 6' in the air.

I sold some 16.5" tires to a guy that worked at the local elevator. We were in the elevator drinking coffee when we here *BBBOOOOOOMMMMM* coming from their shop across the street. We run over and when we get in, the guy is sitting on the tire machine shaking.

The ***** tried putting 16.5" tires on 16" wheels, which apparently works....until 50 p.s.i. The wheel didn't go so far, but the tire dented out the tin roof, and was 20' up in the rafters.

 

[foul_ball]

Sincerely, I'm glad everyone is sharing their horror stories so I can learn about this stuff the easy way. Thanks!

 

[Kevin54]

I'm either too young (mid 20s) or just never been exposed to the terms, but I've never heard the terms split rim, 3 piece rim, etc.

Just about the only split rims you see anymore are on farm trucks. None on the road. One reason you don't see too many is for one they are not the easiest to change. They get rusty, so you have to make sure they are real clean, you have to pry to get them apart, then you have to beat the retaining ring back in with a hammer. If the ring is damaged it may or may not seat properly. They are just an all around PIA. Here is one site that shows split rims http://www.4wdonline.com/Wheels/Split.html

 

[eschoendorff]

Okay... so someone help me out here...

If split rims are such a dangerous PITA, why are they even used anymore? Seems like Ralph Nader shoulda had a field day with these years ago....

 

[64merc]

Just about the only split rims you see anymore are on farm trucks. None on the road. One reason you don't see too many is for one they are not the easiest to change. They get rusty, so you have to make sure they are real clean, you have to pry to get them apart, then you have to beat the retaining ring back in with a hammer. If the ring is damaged it may or may not seat properly. They are just an all around PIA. Here is one site that shows split rims http://www.4wdonline.com/Wheels/Split.html

Thank you, I really didn't know what you guys were talking about. So, what is the most dangerous part, the tire, the rim, or the ring?

BTW, seeing a split rim kinda reminds me of putting the retaining spring thingy back on a round head ratchet. I really hate those things.

 

[Coach James]

60 Minutes did a story years ago on split rims on semis and how dangerous they were. Tales about how the rims came apart while tires were being inflated, rims coming apart driving down the road or sitting in traffic etc.

Coach

 

[nissan_crawler]

Okay... so someone help me out here...

If split rims are such a dangerous PITA, why are they even used anymore? Seems like Ralph Nader shoulda had a field day with these years ago....

It cost about $8,000 to switch our truck over.

 

[Major Ramifications]

So, why were split rims ever used in the first place? Is it because the big tires are too difficult to seat on a regular one-piece rim?