Are Canadian demountable rims interchangeable with other wheels?

[signsup]

Picked up four loose wooden spoke wheels and four demountable 21" split rims, two of which are the flat strap and window latch type assembly and two are Canadian split rings and rod insert type locking assembly.
I mounted up two of the "typical" rims and mounted them on the two front wheels with no more than the usual persuasion. But, after mounting up my first Canadian rim, I'm having a very difficult time getting the rim on the wheel and then lining up the four lug mounting bolts.

So, the question is...are the Canadian style rims interchangeable with all wooden spoke demountable wheels? Or do they need Canadian wheels to go with Canadian rims? And, if so, how do I tell the difference in the wheel?

I'm probably just out of round on the rims after mounting tire, tube and flap, but wanted to check here before I broke out a bigger hammer.

I'll hang up and listen.

[Kerry]

I bought a new split rim from Langs several years ago and fitted with no problems on my Canadian wheel.

[Humblej]

USA 21" rims and Canadian 21" rims are interchangeable.

[signsup]

OK, thank you both. Time to get a bigger hammer. Harbor Freight has some nice bright orange ones.

[Humblej]

Rims should just slip on the wheel, if you need a hammer something is wrong, need a bigger hammer something is really wrong...you should not need any hammer to install the rim. Out of round rim is the likely problem.

[speedytinc]

Bite the bullet!
remove the tire & straighten the rim & remount.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Another possibility? Chevrolet and Star, along with a few other automakers, used very similar fixed lug rims and 21 inch wheels. A lot of them had the valve stem in the wrong location, and wheels and/or rims have been drilled to make them work on a Ford wheel. Sometimes they do not fit the Ford wheel very well.

That said, most likely it is as has been said, a rim that needs to be "straightened". These type extruded steel rims are fairly soft. They bend easily, and fortunately, aren't difficult to straighten.

The way I do them, is to get a large enough piece of cardboard, and by whatever readily available means (large enough compass, very round oil drum or other very round object of appropriate size) I draw very round concentric circles for inside and outside the rim. Laying the rim carefully in the circles quickly shows which areas are too curved, or too straight.
Use small scraps of wood to fit between the rim edges (where the tire's bead sits) to avoid crushing the sides (care to guess how I found that out???).
Unless there is an actually stretched area that needs to be shrunk back, no heat is needed!
The metal is soft, be gentle, and work it slowly. I use the tongue of my car trailer to wedge the rim and pry against. But there are many things that could work just as well. Just brute physical force to work each small area whichever way it needs to go.
Most model T rims can be shaped up just fine in under thirty minutes once you get the hang of it. Larger non model T car rims usually require heat (much tougher rolled steel), but still can often be done in under thirty minutes.

When a rim is properly straight, you should by hand be able to put the two ends together, and they should sit straight and even with each other.

Also, in the for whatever it is worth department? Years ago, I had two rims with the Canadian style holes in them for that fancy lever tool to work them. That style rim and the tool were available in the US. Whether mine were actual Canadian, or US after-market I never found out. But they slid onto my USA wheels with ease.

[signsup]

I was being a little cheeky with the big hammer comments. I just wanted to make sure before i dismounted the tire, tube and flap again and mess with the rim that I would eventually get there. I did get my rim split to line up prior to mounting the tire but that does not mean that some flats and over curved areas occured and just ended up at the right place. So, I'll do the carboard and compass template and get as close as I could.
I presumed that the rim metal was softer than the wheel metal and that getting a rim started, I could use some pressure to get the rest of the rim on and use the wheel as a template to get the rim back into round. Also presume that if I can get the four bolts and nuts to tighten to the rim , I would be rolling round.
So, to the workshop...but I still like those bright orange plastic hammers for attitude adjusting.