HEMMT Wheel Mounting / Outter Ring Sealing

[mudguppy]

All,

I'm posting on the 5T+ side since there might be more experience with these HEMMT wheels than on the Deuce-mod side, but dunno.

Anyway, one of the tires on my deuce has been a little low and I neglected to top 'er back off. Well, the other day I came home and it was flat. So when I jacked 'er up to apply air I find that the outter ring has come loose off of the o-ring on the outside of the wheel. I'm guessing that the air pressure got low enough that the sidewalls pulled the outter ring off and broke the seal.

These are the older HEMMT wheels, not the current bolt-together style. With the tire low on air (and still mounted on the truck), I can't get the outter ring tight enough against the o-ring to seal and hold air. That and my standard air compressor just isn't moving enough air to blow it on, keeping ahead of the escaping leak.

My thought is to dismount the tire and lay it over a bucket - I was hoping that this would put enough weight on the outer ring to seat against the o-ring and re-seal.

In the first pic below, you can see what 'normal/sealed' looks like. In the second, what I have now - you can tell that the outter ring is pulled inward and the locking ring is out of its groove slightly.

Am I anywhere near the right track? Anyone have any other tips for this style wheel?

Thanks.

 

[eldgenb]

All,

I'm posting on the 5T+ side since there might be more experience with these HEMMT wheels than on the Deuce-mod side, but dunno.

Anyway, one of the tires on my deuce has been a little low and I neglected to top 'er back off. Well, the other day I came home and it was flat. So when I jacked 'er up to apply air I find that the outter ring has come loose off of the o-ring on the outside of the wheel. I'm guessing that the air pressure got low enough that the sidewalls pulled the outter ring off and broke the seal.

These are the older HEMMT wheels, not the current bolt-together style. With the tire low on air (and still mounted on the truck), I can't get the outter ring tight enough against the o-ring to seal and hold air. That and my standard air compressor just isn't moving enough air to blow it on, keeping ahead of the escaping leak.

My thought is to dismount the tire and lay it over a bucket - I was hoping that this would put enough weight on the outer ring to seat against the o-ring and re-seal.

In the first pic below, you can see what 'normal/sealed' looks like. In the second, what I have now - you can tell that the outter ring is pulled inward and the locking ring is out of its groove slightly.

Am I anywhere near the right track? Anyone have any other tips for this style wheel?

Thanks.

I work with these wheels all the time, I find that even with a small compressor they seal best when upright, off the truck and you can wiggle the rim with air going in till it seats, as long as your bead is clean it should fill, if its not holding air you need to replace the oring. Make very sure the groove the oring sits in is clean and run some grease over the oring to assist in sealing. I don't always explain myself the best on a keyboard, if you need more help feel free to call.

 

[eldgenb]

also hit it with soapy water when you are done to ensure the oring has sealed, very nice wheels, heavy as heck but I build and sell these all the time!

 

[mudguppy]

I got it done yesterday. I pulled it off and layed it outside-up over a bucket. I cleaned the o-ring well and applied a liberal amount of grease around it. I couldn't get enough pressure on the outter ring again, so I layed it inside-up over a stump (bucket was destroyed at this point). She seated right up.

I think I still have a very small leak; I'm going to go hit it with soapy water again this morning. Regardless, I put this wheel on the rear just in case - I don't want to have problems with this guy driving down the road as a front tire.

Wasn't too bad, just heavy lifting. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[ryan77]

Have you tried tire slime on the O rings yet!!!