ARE YOUR WHEEL ATTACHING NUTS TIGHT

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RANGER
1st Sergeant
1st Sergeant
Posts: 6510
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 6:29 pm
Location: Nearest Motor Pool

ARE YOUR WHEEL ATTACHING NUTS TIGHT

Post by RANGER »

If the nuts have a rusty residue around them, it is a sign they are not tight. If the wheel is run with loose nuts the chamfered hole will be damaged and it will be difficult to keep the wheels tight. There are some who claim they do not trust those inner nuts normally used on the front of the CCKW as the inner nut will not seat properly and will nearly go thru the wheel hole. It this is the case on your front wheels, do not attempt to remedy the problem by using a single commercial hex nut with the smaller thread as some may suggest. The wheel is worn out and is the result of being driven with loose wheels. Discard the wheel, it is unsafe.

I take truck wheels seriously, as I was involved in gathering data for an NTSB study on Truck Wheel Failure years ago.
Last edited by RANGER on Thu Oct 26, 2006 1:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
US ARMY HONOR GRADUATE MECHANIC, Restorer of fine Jeeps, MV's, MVPA 40+yrs, DAV, Army Aircrew member, Donor to Military Museums & CAF, MV Hobby since 1945
Other Hobby- Army Air Force & Busting Big Ass Military Imposters-Good at it
Robbo

Post by Robbo »

Interesting observation - most of the Israeli Army GMC's had wheels repaired by small discs welded into the original holes and new wheel holes drilled and chamfered in the spaces between the original holes.

I wouldn't advocate this but they had very good engineers and straightening jigs etc.

The trucks were usually in very good mechanical condition but the bodywork was quite rough as befitting their long life in various conflicts. Many had patched bullet holes even in the fuel tanks!! A lot of the axle tubes were welded into the centre sections but as this was a US Army repair as well, it could have been done by anyone. Many had German repair tags (eg., rebuilt by Daimler Benz - Stuttgart) on the mechanical components which was quite ironic

Those old GMC's may qualify as the most battle-hardened trucks of all as the 1942 models may have seen service in the US before shipment to the UK for a couple of years before D-Day then through Europe and on to the conflicts in the Middle East. What (sad) stories they could tell.
RANGER
1st Sergeant
1st Sergeant
Posts: 6510
Joined: Sat Jul 01, 2006 6:29 pm
Location: Nearest Motor Pool

Post by RANGER »

I have a wheel that was on my SWB CCKW that was returned from the Danish Army, I discovered while sand blasting that an approximate 10" disc had been removed and replaced with a portion that had new new champhered holes. It was precisely done and hardly noticeable until it was sand blasted. It is now one of my several spares with new NDTs mounted on it. The repair is very professional and virtually unnoticeable as it was precisely done. There are no numbers, markings or dates on the new portion that would indicate that it was cut from another wheel. I would not hesitate to mount it on the CCKW if it ever needed a fresh wheel and tire.
Safety is a major concern as many CCKWs do not get PM that will result in discovering faulty components.
It is a good procedure to sandblast prime and paint the CCKW wheels before installing new tires. If this is not done, the wheel will continue to rust away where it cannot be seen.
US ARMY HONOR GRADUATE MECHANIC, Restorer of fine Jeeps, MV's, MVPA 40+yrs, DAV, Army Aircrew member, Donor to Military Museums & CAF, MV Hobby since 1945
Other Hobby- Army Air Force & Busting Big Ass Military Imposters-Good at it
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