Nothing says you’ve paid attention to detail in your functional military vehicle restoration than outfitting it with real combat rims for military vehicles.
Combat rims, which were standard on all but the first 20,000 Jeeps produced for WWII, were designed to allow the vehicle to drive a few extra miles on a flat tire and also make switching out the flat tire easier and faster.
How Are Combat Rims Mounted?
If you’ve ordered a set of combat rims for your restored military vehicle and wondering how to get the tire mounted, learn how in 5 easy steps!
- Assemble in the Valve Stem In the Tire Flap - Slip the valve stem into the hole on the tire flap until it pushes into place. If the hole in the tire flap is too small, use a Dremel tool to shave the hole a bit wider until it does. Put on the valve stem protector and screw it down until there are just a few millimeters of space between it and the tire.
- Insert The Tube - Slightly inflate the inner tube with a few pumps of the bike tire pump. Then dust it all over with some of the baby powder to make it slippery. Slide the lightly-inflated tube into the tire.
- Put In the Tire Flap - Put in the tire flap and align it so the valve stem hole on the military vehicle is in position with the stem on the inner tube. Put the stem through the hole in the flap, then put on the stem protector and screw it down to lock it in place. Tuck the flap into the tire all the way around, push all the air out of the tire, then pump the tube up 8 or 10 times so everything molds around the flap.
- Mount The Tire On The Rim - Remove the valve stem protector first and take apart the combat rim. Coat the bead of the tire on both sides with some dish soap mixed with water so it slides onto the rim during inflation. Put on one side of the rim and align it with the valve stem, then turn the wheel over and put on the second side, making sure the bolt holes on both sides of your restored military vehicle line up. Pull the valve through the hole in the rim and put the stem protector on again. Lastly, put on the bolts and tighten them in an equal cross pattern until each nut is at 75 foot-pounds.
- Inflate the Tire - With the rim bolted together, sit the tire upright, let out the air in the tube, then pump it up again with 20-30 pumps from the bike pump. The tire should eventually slide into place on the rim. Once it has, and the bead is sealed, you can use a compressor to fill the tire to 30 PSI.
As a final tip, take care not to scratch the rim as you align, insert, and tighten the bolts. Once it is all inflated and the bead has locked against the rim, the tire is ready to be mounted on your now fully functional military vehicle!