So, I am mounting 37" GY MTR/Ks on Slabs. Ordered the tires from one vendor, but 4 came from one warehouse and 1 from another. First 4 were manufactured last year and mounted up great. The last one was manufactured in early 2012. It was a total bit#h to get the outer bead over the wheel lip. I'm talking two people, four screwdrivers, a hammer, and about 30 minutes of frustration. Finally got it on. Hammered around the bead several times and it looked even, just as the others.

However, now that the ring is on and torqued, I notice it doesn't sit as close the the rim as the others. The other rings are nearly touching (or maybe are touching, can't tell) the rim. The last one has about an 1/8"-1/4" gap.

Question 1: is the ring supposed to be touching the rim, or does it not matter?

Question 2: could it just be that the mold was modified in 2013 and that the 2012 tire just fits slightly different? Or, do I have a problem?