10-stud 16" rims

[rob.c]

Does anybody know what kind of British vehicles in North Africa used split 16" rims for 10-stud hubs, mounting 10.50-16 diamond-pattern Goodyear sand tyres? Currently I only know about the LRDG Chevrolet WAs (according to an old Wheels & Tracks article, the only WAs with 10-stud hubs were those of the LRDG, the standard being 5) and the Canadian Chevrolet CC60L. Actually I'm interested in the latter, since the rims used on the WAs were quite different.

I was wondering whether the Maple Leaf Chevrolets like those found here http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?t=5769 could have used those, I know it cannot be any CMP since they only used 6-stud hubs (8cwts) or 8-stud (all the others). Also, all the Bedford, Morris etc. trucks I could check from wartime pictures used 8-stud hubs.

Attached below is a sample of the rim, from a modified CC60L in the Libyan Desert in Free French use.

[Kuno]

I have seen that the SDF had used 'Maple Leaf Chevrolets' and thought it could have been a wheel of such truck. But going to this thread:

http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...d.php?p=116426

I would say....rather not.

[rob.c]

Hello Kuno

I saw some Maple Leaf trucks elsewhere, that had the same "open spoke" wheels... but at the same time I saw some Canadian Chevrolets that had factory open spoked wheels but that in French use had 10-stud rims like that pictured in my previous post, so I asked all the same...

Can anybody confirm Canadian Chevrolet CC60L truck use outside of the Free French forces then? It seems they were the only one to use them in North Africa. The LRDG didn't use them AFAIK.

[cliff]

I looked through my Chev photos and found a mixture of 5 stud and 10 stud 18 inch military & 20 inch Civilian wheels amongst the 1941 YS model Chev used by Australia but none showing 16 inch 10 stud wheels.

[Tony Smith]

I can't recall which thread it may have been in (Indian Pattern Chevs??), but these pics were posted by Mike Kelly:


PS: Kuno and Rob, read the book and love it!

[Mike Kelly]

At the last Corowa I attended , three years back , a chap turned up with a very odd 1941/42 open cab chevy truck. It was fitted with 10 stud military 16" rims . I'd never seen rims like it before . People were commenting , saying its a Indian pattern truck ? I recall it also had 1939 model dash gauges fitted . I have a few pics of it somewhere .

Mike

[zemsi]

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

I have a few pics of it somewhere .

Hi Mike

I got some pics too It was at Corowa 2007, when we met for the MLU group pic. Think you're talking about this one, it's Barry's, Keefy knows him.

Greetings
Chris

[Mike Kelly]

Originally Posted by zemsi

Hi Mike

I got some pics too It was at Corowa 2007, when we met for the MLU group pic. Think you're talking about this one, it's Barry's, Keefy knows him.

Greetings
Chris

Hi Chris

Yes thats the one thanks .. those 16" rims are different to any other Chevy found here

It does appear to have been imported at some stage ..possibly by the AIF Could have been assembled in Bombay or Cairo . The owners would know more . It's a odd ball for sure.

[rob.c]

Originally Posted by Tony Smith

I can't recall which thread it may have been in (Indian Pattern Chevs??), but these pics were posted by Mike Kelly:


PS: Kuno and Rob, read the book and love it!

Thanks for the comment about the book

Those rims in your pic look like the (older?) type used by the LRDG Chevrolet WAs, which hadn't a "flat" disc like the one I posted and possibly had a different stud spacing, while still being 10-stud 16" rims.

Originally Posted by Mike Kelly

Hi Chris

Yes thats the one thanks .. those 16" rims are different to any other Chevy found here

It does appear to have been imported at some stage ..possibly by the AIF Could have been assembled in Bombay or Cairo . The owners would know more . It's a odd ball for sure.

These look like they're the same rims... those Chevrolets were used by who in North Africa? not the LRDG, I seem to remember...

[rob.c]

It seems to me that the SDF truck pictured in the MLU Forum post I referenced is a Chevrolet 1543X2



comparing it with this picture from http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12940 which I had overlooked.



It clearly has 10-stud rims which seem to correspond. So actually I should be able to answer my original question whether the SDF had trucks with 10-stud 16" rims...

Does anybody find mistakes in my identification of the truck or other considerations?

[Philippe Jeanneau]

Hello all,

Would anyone know the backspace of these special rims, as well as the country of manufacture and other use aside from the Indian, Australian and New Zealand Army contract trucks?

[Colin Alford]

Gents,

I am firmly convinced that these wheels (rims) were produced in Canada and they were fitted to some of the Chevrolet MCP production.

In the case of 1543X2 (CC60L) they were fitted to those designed for 10.50 x 16 tires prior to serial number 1154305001. Prior to serial 1154305001 there were also some 1543X2 fitted with conventional 32 x6 tires on commercial wheels. After serial 1154305001, all 1543X2 had 10.50 x 16 tires but they were now fitted to standard WD Pattern wheels with the wider 8 bolt pattern (different axles were fitted at the same time).

It appears that there are very few of these wheels remaining, with some still on desert wrecks, and a limited quantity in Australia on MCP Chevs with flat-face cowls and India Pattern bodies. One of these trucks is certainly a 1541X8, while the truck featured earlier in this thread “owned by Barry” appears to me to have a wheelbase shorter than 160”. If it is a 134 1/2” wheelbase with a flat-face cowl then it will be a 1531X8.

Attached are images of the 1543X2 Parts List with the relevant part numbers highlighted. I have also included 2 images from the General Motors of Canada, Album of Army Vehicles, which show the wheel in question on an early 1543X2, and a WD standard wheel as fitted to the 1533X2 (apparently they were in a rush to get the 1533X2 outside for some photos as the wheel only has two nuts holding it to the hub!)