Help with 7.00X17 tires, Budd wheels, '39 3/4 ton followed me home

[GB SISSON]

Originally Posted by jim galli

Afternoon of discovery and so far, a fail. I cut the old tire off so all I have is the 2 beads left. Flap and tube are gone. Tire sans 2 beads is gone. Shoved the top bead from the old tire down so I've got lots of room to 'see' at the ring area. The ring has 2 half moon areas where I can see that it would slide on. But there are no notches to get a pry bar under to try to get it flipped over the bead so you can start to work it around. The pry bars just slip off. Can't get under the ring to get a good bite. Need a codger that's done a thousand of these in the 1940's and 50's to show me how it's done I guess.

Saw the writing on the wall and bit the bullet and ordered new tires. Tornel traction 10 ply's. All 4. Ranch truck, it's supposed to look gnarly. Didn't like the looks of the hi-way tread.

Spending money, always the easy part. Need to figure out how to wrestle them apart and back together.

I have probably changed out 30 or 40 of these 17s and never seen one without the notch... Also keep in mind there are two different widths in these rims and we are never supposed to swap out the rings as they are slightly different. I have about equal amount of each type. Without looking I think the ones with 4 slots are the wide ones and soild disc are the narrow ones. I only run the 7.50s but wouldn't put them on the narrower rims.