[raycow]

GMCBubba has it exactly right. The only thing that makes these rims dangerous is the person who is mounting tires on them.

There is no question that accidents, including fatal ones, did occur due to user ignorance or negligence. However, given that split rims were the norm for at least 40 years, I feel they have a rep they don't deserve. If they were truly that dangerous, they would have been abandoned much earlier.

The best reason for not using them today is that there is a growing number of shops which refuse to work on them (because the old guys who know how are dying off). If you can mount the tires yourself and know how to take proper precautions (like a barrier between you and the tire when inflating) these rims will work as well for you as they did for millions of owners in the past.

Ray