spoke nipple question
 

I have a pair of nice double wall Araya wheels off an 81 Pro-Miyata with a spoke problem. The metal o-rings that seal the gaps left between the nipple and the holes in the rim are unseated on several spokes. The rings look like they just press in place, but I can't seem to get them back in.

Is there a way to reinstall these without completely removing the spoke nipples? If not, could I remove all of them and cut them off with bolt cutters? The only purpose I see that they could serve is to either reinforce the rim holes (obviously can't remove them) or to keep water out.

Thanks in advance

Your rim is toast when the eyelets start coming apart like that. Your spokes will pull through eventually.

+1 It's time to rebuild the wheel

Those aren't o-ring seals of any kind. They're structural eyelets riveted to the rim. The nipple head is now resting in an oversized hole with nothing to spread the load. The rim is well on the way to the end. Soon cracks will appear then the nipples will pull through.