I've used the chains idea for years. Safety cages just sit around taking up valuable space if you only occasionally need them.
A friend had a two split rim come loose and he was a long time healing, and he was lucky to not have been killed.
I've changed or repaired tires on my 1941 International I-9 tractor with a Hughes Keenan "Roustabout" boom crane. It came with 10:00-24 tube type duals. Try finding replacement tires for those! I found a pair of 11:00-24 good used tires and with new tires and flaps and shipping it almost cost me a thousand bucks and was lucky to get them. The two inner tires are still 10:00s, and they may be original tires? They were old when I got the crane in the 80s.
It may be the last "Roustabout" crane on an I-9 in existence, I've been unable to locate anyone else with one. It's still a pretty handy machine, but sure could use some power steering.