My M880 with Humvee tires

Hello all,

About five years ago, I snagged three humvee tires with 16.5" wheels out of the wrecking yard for $35.00. One is only good as a spare, but the other two have a decent amount of tread left. however, I never mounted them on the truck since I never came across another two for a good price and I figured that they would power out the 318 under the hood. As you may already know, I'm getting close to completing my BB 440 swap. recently I came across a set of four that a guy is willing to sell for $60.00. However, only one of the four has a decent amount of tread on it. So I'm seriously now considering putting some of these tires on. So this afternoon, I got the bug to see what my truck would look like with these tires on, so I swapped two of them on the passenger side. Check it out:


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here's a picture with the smaller "tires seeds" on the truck:
<img src="http://www.steelsoldiers.com/Forum/data/McGuyver/200410211174_M880%20resized.JPG" border="0">

a comparison of the two tire sizes side by side:
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Some pretty agressive tread:
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So what do you think? Should I do it? <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_big.gif" alt="Big Smile">

McGuyver, With your lift the clear the fenders nicley and look good on the truck. What comperssion is the engine? What sort of camshaft are you going to run? If you are going to use a stock passenger car grind or even a mild cam, with the 4.10 gears, the 440 should have enough torque for those big tires. You could try them on the back with the front drive shaft removed and see how it feels. How much if at all is turning radius affected? Is that the tow bracket kit I see on the front of your truck? George

Originally posted by dilvoy

McGuyver, With your lift the clear the fenders nicley and look good on the truck. What comperssion is the engine? What sort of camshaft are you going to run? If you are going to use a stock passenger car grind or even a mild cam, with the 4.10 gears, the 440 should have enough torque for those big tires. You could try them on the back with the front drive shaft removed and see how it feels. How much if at all is turning radius affected? Is that the tow bracket kit I see on the front of your truck? George

Click to expand...

Hello George,

I think if I recall correctly, the stock compression on the 440 is 8.2:1 pretty mild really. Camshaft will be just the stock passenger car cam that is in it, at least for now. Yes, the 4.10's will help a lot for handling those big tires. I'm not sure what you mean by turning radius being affected by the larger tires. Would you care to elaborate?
The tow brackets are on the truck, but I've added some D-shackles there, my extra little touch. <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_approve.gif" alt="Approve"> All I have are the brackets printed "M880 adapter". I've never seen the rest of the "kit". Do you know what it looks like? This has been a fun truck to own since I bought it in Fall '98. <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_thumzup.gif" alt="Thumb Up">

McGuyver,
What size are the Humvee tires?? Looks like you have enough room with your lift. Try'em out see what happens.
Dilvoy, what do you mean by the "tow bracket kit"?? I just assumed that all of the M880 series trucks had the tow hooks and shackles. My M882 has them both also. Larry.....

Hi Larry,

These are 36.0X12.50R16.5 Goodyear Wrangler R/T II tires with a load range "C" and the words "MILITARY OZ" molded into the sidewall. I figure that goodyear made them just for the military, specifically the humvee. I've heard that these were supposed to be bias ply tires, and that later Goodyear came out with a 37" tall design that was radial construction. However, I looked at these tires and I can't see the words "bias ply" printed anywhere on the sidewalls. Could these be radials as well?

I've never seen any of the M880's with D-shackles up front, I added those myself, kind of like the M1008 CUCV series trucks, but as far as I know, the M880's never had them on, just the hooks behind the tow bracket adapters.

McGuyver,
Did the Military have a tow bar that hooked up to the tow brackets?? If so, what did they tow them with, and why?? Larry......

36.0X12.50R16.5
The R designates Radial

Hi,McGuyver, I purchased off of E bay a tow bar kit for the M880 trucks. I don't have it handy right now or I'd give you a detailed description. From memory it was all flat stock arc welded together. There were part numbers stenciled on the parts and they also said left side... ect. there were the tow bar brackets and a pair of reinforcement plates plates. These were all painted a old style dark Marine Corps sort of color. They I have not mounted them but they look to attach near where yours are mounted or possible just outboard of the frame rails. What I ment by turming radious was how sharply do the wheels allow the truck to turn. Do the tires rub on the frame? In regard to the bias and radial question. I saw in a TM a comparison of expected mileage for a Humvee using Bias and radial tires so they must infact be bias and radial. If my memory is correct the radials gave a 30 or 40 mile longer range. George

Originally posted by Bob H

36.0X12.50R16.5
The R designates Radial

Click to expand...

Oops, you caught me. I put the "R" there out of habit. So I went out there and read exactly (more or less) what they read on the sidewalls:

36.0X12.50-16.5LT

No "R" in the listing as you pointed out. I'm still puzzled as to why they don't read "bias ply" somewhere on the tires. Oh well, I won't worry about it too much. I'll just make sure I keep the tire pressure up (as I understand it, proper tire inflation pressure is more critical to bias ply tires than radials.)

Larry:

Yes, this is my understanding of the adapter brackets, althought I've never seen them in use and I'm not personally aware of what vehicle they might have used to tow them with. Maybe a deuce? I'm not sure if Dilvoy is describing just the adapter brackets and mounting hardware that I have on my truck, or the tow bars (I presume) that is used to attach to the adapters to tow the vehicle. I'll try to get a picture of them and post them here so Dilvoy can tell us if this is what he means. <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_thumzup.gif" alt="Thumb Up">
Thanks all for all your repsponces here. It's always fun to see people reply to your thread. <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_big.gif" alt="Big Smile">

OK, the adapter kit consists of the adapters and the reinforcing plates and bolts. Once correctly installed, the light or medium towbar can be used to tow the truck. 9 time out of 10 the truck was towed with a medium wrecker as this was the vehicle that the towbar was issued to. I've towed just about every wheeled vehicle I've oowned with my deuce. On a side note I've also towed my former M1009 with the Dodge too. I have a set of M880 adapters that I plan on adding to my civilian crew cab just in case it takes a dump. Since it's to big for the car trailer. I could go fetch it with a deuce. I've nefere seen the shackles used on the M880 until MacGuyver did it. Looks neat! Personnaly, I've never liked the way that the gov't attached the M880 towhooks or the adapters myself. If I need to snatch anything with the Dodge, I use the pintle!

Well I guess i'll have to call myself a copy cat!! I put a set of Military shackles on the tow bar adapters like McGuyver did. I think it looks way cool.

Is there anybody on this site that was actually in the Army at the time the M880 series trucks were in use?? Was just curious what the troops opinion was of them.

Larry,
I was in but never used any of them. Several buddies in CA where I was stationed loved to use them and preferred them to the M1009's and M1028's we had. Does that help?

I talked to an Army Sergeant a few years ago who said that he preferred the M880's to the Humvees. He said the Humvees were way complex mechanically (over 100 parts in just the hubs? Maybe he was exagerating a little.)and always breaking down. He thought the M880's were much more reliable, and just as capable.

P.S. thanks for the compliment Larry. <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_thumzup.gif" alt="Thumb Up"> By the way, when I put the shackles on my truck, I found that the holes in the adapter brackets were a little bit big for the shackles, so I put some short lengths of steel tube in them in order to take up the extra gap. You may find it useful to try a similar approach.

Desert Rat,
That's nice to know that they were well thought of. I think that non turbo charged diesel hurt the M1009's and M1028's.

McGuyver,
I used actual Military shackles that have holes 1" in dia, the same size as the tow bar bracket holes. I bought 1" dia pins, slid them right through the shackles and brackets, pinned'em in place. Nice tight fit, no bushings required.

There is a guy that ownes a Military scrap yard in a area that I patrol. Just so happens that he is related to my supervisor, so we kinda have the run of the place. I bought those shackles for $1 a piece. There are tons of'em laying around. There are also several 6X6's, planes, APC's, and even an old Tank at this place. Just tons of good stuff laying around.

Wow! Sounds like you've got a S.S. playground there. <img src="emoticons/icon_smile_thumzup.gif" alt="Thumb Up"> I used surplus military shackles as well, I think they are a size used on the deuces. I don't remember what the pin diameter was, I just know that they were smaller than the bracket hole, therefore I used the steel tube as a bushing. In all honesty, I've never used them since I put them on. I have however used the pintle hitch many times. I'm very glad to have that,

Larry,
I guess I need to take a road trip to MO! Looks like about a six hour drive from here.... Weekend blitz!?! Is this gentleman open on the weekend? Just thought I'd ask.

Desert Rat,
I don't think he's open on the weekends. We went by there on a saturday afternoon and he wasn't at the yard. We had to call him at his house and ask if we could go in and look around. If ya need something I could see if he has it.
He mainly has 6x6 stuff.

Larry,
Ok, no problem.

McGuyver,
A guy in a local variety paper is advertising used HUMVEE tires for $35 and up. Sound about right for used Hummer tires??

That doesn't sound too bad. I know a military vehicle surplus place around here that sales them used for $75.00 a piece.