Wes,
My Grandfather was a blacksmith and I watched him build and put the steel rims on many of those old wagon wheels. The steel came in straight strips that he had to heat and bend after he had built the wheel from he hub out. Once the steel was curved to the correct size, it was heated again and forced over the wooden wheel and then doused in water to both shrink the steel wheel making it stay on and stop the wood from burning. But at least the steel rim could be replaced of an individual spoke. From the looks of this tire/wheel combination if anything happens you have to replace both at $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Ron
