Staghound Tires/Rim

[rob love]

I'm replacing the tires on the museum's Staghound today. In the past, someone stuck a set of Michelin radials on it, and while they don't look bad, I was able to pick up a set of the 14.00-20 non-directional bias ply tires off the surplus market in the US for a good price. Brand new, manufactured by Denman around 2008, they were just $135 each USD plus shipping, exchange etc. I also ordered in a set of 4 new tubes and flaps of the appropriate size. Just as well because when I tore the old tires down, I was finding everything from 22.5 tubes to much too narrow flaps. Two of the radials required topping up about once a year.

Anyway, I did find a crack on the bead area of one of the rims. It was right on the first inch of rim, so shouldn't effect the mounting of the tire, but for a clear conscience I would like to find another rim. Were these rims used on other military vehicles like 5 or 7 ton trucks of the era?

I'm attaching a couple photos showing the difference in the tires.

[tankbarrell]

The 155mm Howitzer M1 uses that rim but I think the Sorel built ones all used the later style with the locking ring.

[rob love]

Adrian

You are likely right.....the Sorel guns were built in the late 50s, so were built using the side locking ring rims which were in use at the time.

Canada used the side locking rings on the old M135 from the 1950s, and later the M35 (MLVW) from the 1980s. Around 2002, the DND decided these were dangerous, and replaced all the wheels and tires on the MLVWs as well as the 1.5 ton trailers, over to a rims similar to these bolt together rims from WW2. The big difference was that the new tires were tubeless, and depended on an O-ring in the rim to hold the air. The O-ring channels were very susceptible to corrosion, resulting in flat tire after flat tire. I have repaired dozens of these flat tires over the years, and never once found it was due to a nail or a tire issue....always that darn O-ring.

Anyway, now that I have wandered in my own thread, thanks for the lead. I may head down to the dustbowl later and see if we have anything similar floating around there. Perhaps the Mack NO is similar.

[tankbarrell]

So much for progress!

I think the Mack is a 24" rim.

[rob love]

I didn't even have to look at the tire size....they are offset because of the dual tire setup. I found a couple of 20s that came closer, but they were 6 hole, so for a 2-1/2 ton.

[David Dunlop]

Hi Rob.

Any chance of finding something out of BC in the form of ex Staghound forestry equipment languishing in junk yards?

David