M37 Powerwagon Wheels

Mike Baker · #1 03-01-13, 07:03

Anyone out there with an M37 that still has the lock ring rims please ID yourself to me. I have an ex-US Army M101A1 with the same wheels but dry rotted tires, and I need to know what I can replace them with and where.

Thanks,

Mike

rob love · #2 03-01-13, 16:02

http://www.performanceplustire.com/p...zeShort=900-16

Above link is to performance plus tire, who offer free shipping in the US. If you can find a place near the border that accepts UPS deliveries, this is one option to get you fresh and original tires. They charge about $20 over the list price, but that is more than offset by their free shipping.

Towards the end of service, the DND started to provide us with commercial pattern tires for installation on the 3/4 tons. We even had Michelin radials near the very end. While the original tires had that "for 5° rims" on them, the later tires did not, and we had no problems with them. You should be able to use just about any commercial 16" tire, although you will have to come up with radial use valve on center inner tubes, and re-use the old flaps. Of course, you could likely get away with the regular inner tubes as well.

We have a set of the modern LSVW Michelin tires installed on the 3/4 ton M37 at the RCA museum here in Shilo. No problems with them, although they kind of give it that dune buggy look.

Of course, you must use extreme caution when inflating the split rim tires the first time, or anytime that the pressure has gone quite low. Those rings can fly off without notice during inflation, and will kill. You can wrap chains through the rim and around the tire, or inflate it underneath a vehicle, and use a remote filler hose/chuck.

Mike Baker · #3 03-01-13, 17:30

I had looked at both tires on that page, and grumbled at the price! And living on Vancouver Island means that getting across the border is almost as expensive as the shipping! I think I'll swallow my grumbles and buy the super-lugs - thanks!

rob love · #4 03-01-13, 18:36

We have had steady -25 here for the last few months. It has finally warmed up to negative single digits for highs the next few days. Sorry, but complaining about the isolation and extra expense of living on an Island, where average lows are still above freezing, do not resonate around here.

Kidding aside, you should be able to go to the local scrapyard and get a matching pair of 235-16 radials off a 1 ton and use them. Get something with a higher load rating like a E or an F.

Lang · #5 03-01-13, 21:38

Mike,

I am restoring a WC53 Carryall in Texas that has been retrofitted with M37 wheels and need a spare wheel. Do you know of any floating around?

Lang

Mike Baker · #6 03-01-13, 23:46

Rob, would you be upset if I said it was sunny and 8C here today? I went with the super lugs, simply because I want the trailer to keep the military look, and I want to be confident in the tires since I'm towing the trailer from here to Kingston in the summer. And believe it or not, my local tire guy managed to find two super lugs already in stock in Canada - in Winnipeg! And only $15 per tire to ship them here!

Lang - sorry no spares around here that I know of, but I'll keep my eyes open for you!

rob love · #7 04-01-13, 00:32

Mike
Not at all.....I would have expected at least that warm. We made it up to -4, but with a windchill that made it feel like -20. No big deal, we are used to it around here.

I would like to come back with some witty response to all this, such as comparing the price of something that is reasonable here but outrageous there, but I can't think of anything that would possibly justify living in this armpit of Canada. So I'll just give up. Wait: I GOT IT: we don't have that many forest fires in this part of the country. Also, we don't hug trees around here, we cut them up into 20" long pieces and heat our houses and workshops with the pieces for 5 months of the year.

Good to hear you found the tires at a reasonable price on this side of the border. I have seen a dealer from Montreal list the STA line of tires at about 4 times the price of the US.

Lang · #8 04-01-13, 00:56

Thanks Mike,

You might be interested to know it is a balmy +30 here today!
Lang

rob love · #9 04-01-13, 00:59

Did I mention that in our cold dry environment we don't get a lot of rust?

Lang · #10 04-01-13, 01:41

I would rather a little rust and be able to work comfortably outside 365 days a year than skulk inside burning logs for 5 months of the year.

If it gets below +10 I burst into tears - you Canadians are a tough bunch!

Lang

rob love · #11 04-01-13, 03:04

At plus ten we put on T shirts and go outside again. There may still be piles of snow hanging around the yard where it has been piled up over the winter.....I like to get the tractor and spread it out so it goes away. Not that it makes any difference. Usually winter comes back with a vengeance for one last blow. But we know that we will likely get a good 4 months of weather after that followed by another 2 months of iffy weather. Then it starts all over again.

Yes, I too would live with a little more rust and a little less arctic air.

Don't paint all the Canadians as tough.....you guys from Southern Ontario (and the BC coast) know who I am talking about.

Mike Baker · #12 04-01-13, 03:18

Hmm, many a time my career manager has softened the blow of a posting by saying "at least it's not Shilo." That said, my only experience of the place was to stop on the Trans-Canada and look at the water tower from a distance.

And as for Australia, I have to admit that I seriously considered moving to Melbourne after my first visit there. That is, until I went to the Melbourne museum and saw the spider display. We may have crappy weather here, but at least any animal that can kill you is generally loud enough to hear coming from a distance. I reconsidered again when we got to Brisbane and one of the local breweries gave us 48 cases of beer for free. How I do love our Commonwealth brethren!

rob love · #13 04-01-13, 03:43

I saw more than a few of the mechanics (usually Sr NCOs) who I worked with get posted from Shilo to Wainwright. Not sure if the Wainwright posting was to gradually re-integrate them back into the real world, or as further punishment as a result of some previous mis-deed towards the career managers. I also saw a few of them quit the service when the Wainwright posting came up. So perhaps there is a place worse than Shilo. Guess I'll never know, I am a lifer. The vehicle lineup out back is now too long to ever economically move, and the quonset hut/workshop would be hard to replace.Besides, I get free sand for sandblasting in the summer.

Mike Baker · #14 06-01-13, 16:42

Lang,

Just sent you an email regarding an M37 rim for sale on Craigslist....

Mike

Lang · #15 06-01-13, 21:41

Mike,

Great lead. I bought the wheel and it is on its way!

Thanks

Lang

Casey B · #16 08-01-13, 00:50

Yes Rob the only real dessert in Canada. No tree hugging here...now it's bike lanes! ^&%$#@^& Bikes!

maple_leaf_eh · #17 20-01-13, 00:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casey B

Yes Rob the only real dessert in Canada. No tree hugging here...now it's bike lanes! ^&%$#@^& Bikes!

You don't want dessert in the desert.

Only desert? There are several sand deserts in Saskatchewan, and almost all of the arctic is by definition a desert. And, to keep on topic, I drove an M37 three-quad in Alert in the late 1970's. Love that wide shift pattern!

Casey B · #18 21-01-13, 18:28

Okay okay so I don't use spell check...But there were no camels in Sask like there was in Manitoba? And dessert would be fine in a desert as long as it was cool and drinkable...?
Still no fricken bike lanes!

rob love · #19 21-01-13, 20:01

I have had dessert in the desert. One time I didn't like the dessert, so I left it there. I guess you could say I deserted my dessert in the desert.

Casey B · #20 21-01-13, 23:35

Funny Guy Rob! Hahahaha!