18 inch Trailer rims Blitz Semi Pontoon Trailer

[Ganmain Tony]

Originally Posted by jack neville

I have 11.00 x 18 inch tyres coming in from America for my Marmon Herrington right now. They are used Gamma Goat tyres said to be 97%. They should land in a few weeks. If they are as good as promised I will consider bringing in a bigger order depending on demand in Australia

I might be interested in some Jack. If its not too rude to ask, how much were they?

[Brett Nicholls]

Hi Jack and Tony,
Thanks for the reply. I'd be interested as this would make one part of the tyre/rim combo easily solved. Now I just need to find correct rims .
Apparently theese rims where "a dime a dozen" during the war years so someone had the bright idea of using the surplus on trailers. Its now some what frustrating as they are rare! . Oh well the search continues.....
Thanks again.
Regards,

[motto (RIP)]

I'm pretty sure that the four wheeled Wiles Cooker was on 18" wheels and that they were bolted together like a Blitz type but I have an idea they were not two complete halves, the outer half having a large opening and not being held by the wheel nuts. I don't know how many studs they were.
If the six stud pattern on your trailer was the same as GMC CCKW which would be too much to hope for things get a lot easier. This stud pattern was common to DUKW(18"), White M3A1(20"),Studebaker US6(20"),Chev 4x4 1 1/2 Ton 'Yankee Joe'(20") and was carried over to the post war M series trucks a lot of which were on 9.00x20.
David

[Brett Nicholls]

Hi Lionel and David,
The Gamma Goat sure looks to be an interesting vehicle but I wonder if beacuse of its articulated design if it's a mechanically complicated machine?.
I don't know of anyone who has a Wiles cooker so as to examine the rims. The originals were what you could term a 1 1/2 split. One rim (the inner) is complete and has the stud holes where as the other only has the holes for the outer studs and has no rim center. The bolt pattern is six stud and very similar to the GM vehicles but not the same unfortunately. As you can see in the picture mine are pretty well rotted out!
Regards,
Brett Nicholls.

[Lionelgee]

Originally Posted by Brett Nicholls

Hi Lionel and David,
The Gamma Goat sure looks to be an interesting vehicle but I wonder if beacuse of its articulated design if it's a mechanically complicated machine?.
I don't know of anyone who has a Wiles cooker so as to examine the rims. The originals were what you could term a 1 1/2 split. One rim (the inner) is complete and has the stud holes where as the other only has the holes for the outer studs and has no rim center. The bolt pattern is six stud and very similar to the GM vehicles but not the same unfortunately. As you can see in the picture mine are pretty well rotted out!
Regards,
Brett Nicholls.

G'day Brett,

No worries about my posting the picture - Jack Neville put the post up about how he is shipping in the Gamma Goat tyres. Also Bob Carriere mentioned about the goat in his post too


Until Jack & Bob put their posts up I did not know that such a thing as the Gamma Goat existed.

A couple of the links I put up do mention how the Goat spent a lot of time in the workshop, however the article says that when they were working they were hard to beat.

Apart from the trailer do you have any WWII type vehicle to pull it with - more photographs would be great!

Kind Regards
Lionel

[motto (RIP)]

Wow! That is sure one sad looking wheel. Has Clevo been visiting your place?
Austral Wheelworks in Melbourne if they are still going could easily replace wheel centers, I've had them do some for me.
I don't know about complicated but the Gamma Goat was certainly peculiar. As I understand it the vehicle didn't carry a spare wheel but instead carried a 'truss' that was used to hold up the crippled corner and run on five wheels with the offending wheel removed. Odd indeed.
David

[Grant Bowker]

The Gamma goats also had the reputation for being hard on the driver's ears. Imagine a screaming Detroit Diesel 2-stroke only a few feet behind your head for hours on end without ear protection (because that's just the way it was back in the "good old days"). It's true the engines weren't the largest of the series but they all screamed at anything over idle power.

[Lynn Eades]

Originally Posted by Grant Bowker

The Gamma goats also had the reputation for being hard on the driver's ears. Imagine a screaming Detroit Diesel 2-stroke only a few feet behind your head for hours on end without ear protection (because that's just the way it was back in the "good old days"). It's true the engines weren't the largest of the series but they all screamed at anything over idle power.

Yes Grant, but it is a lovely sound at a distance......Or is it my mechanics ears?

[Euan McDonald]

Hi Brett,
I think I may be onto some 18" wheels but haven't seen them yet. I have a set on my pontoon trailer so they would be surplus to my requirements. I will keep you posted.