-
Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!
Reconditioning M135 Wheels
- Thread starter Shrapnel
- Start date
rustystud
Well-known member
- 9,071
- 2,388
- 113
- Location
- Woodinville, Washington
Looking good !
DavidWymore
Well-known member
- 1,598
- 164
- 63
- Location
- El Centro, CA
I know I'm late but I'd recommend satin or semi gloss black.
- 3,173
- 3,095
- 113
- Location
- NORTH (Canada)
Just be careful...they are starting to look too good for something that goes onto a military vehicle! You may have to take a rattle can and do some overspray on the tires so people can go "Oh, yes, that IS military original!"
I got my tubes, flaps, and wheels slid into the tires tonight. I'm waiting on paint to dry for the lock-rings, so no air in them yet.
I used a rubber-safe grease to get everything together. Made it REALLY easy, seems like it should be impossible for me to have pinched a tube with how easy everything slid around. The grease washes off with water only so cleanup was a breeze, as well. Sharecropper suggested I use grease instead of powder and it seems like the right move for me. (I purchased the tires from him)
Do lock-rings install easiest with levers or a dead-blow hammer? I don't want to beat them to death as 5 of the 6 are brand new. Getting the old ones off was easy enough, but I've never seated them before. (First timer, here). I'll be using a handless air chuck I'm rigging to a 50' hose and will use a chain for safety. Plan is to air them up to about 45psi, let all the air out, then air them up again (probably to a lower PSI until I get them on the truck). Any issues with my plan?
I used a rubber-safe grease to get everything together. Made it REALLY easy, seems like it should be impossible for me to have pinched a tube with how easy everything slid around. The grease washes off with water only so cleanup was a breeze, as well. Sharecropper suggested I use grease instead of powder and it seems like the right move for me. (I purchased the tires from him)
Do lock-rings install easiest with levers or a dead-blow hammer? I don't want to beat them to death as 5 of the 6 are brand new. Getting the old ones off was easy enough, but I've never seated them before. (First timer, here). I'll be using a handless air chuck I'm rigging to a 50' hose and will use a chain for safety. Plan is to air them up to about 45psi, let all the air out, then air them up again (probably to a lower PSI until I get them on the truck). Any issues with my plan?
rustystud
Well-known member
- 9,071
- 2,388
- 113
- Location
- Woodinville, Washington
Normally you would use a hammer to seat the ring, but since you went to all that trouble to paint them all nice and pretty maybe a little prying might be in order.
As far as seating the bead and ring goes, as long as the ring is down and tight in the groove it will not matter if you air it up to the max and leave it there or not. On the first air-up I would bring them all up to max pressure though. That way you know for sure that the ring is seated. The inner tubes though might like it if you air them up and then let out all the air and let them "shift" into place. That is why I only use "powder" on my inner tubes. The powder stays on and allows the inner tubes to move. Also when it comes time to replace them (the inner tubes) they come out so much easier then if you did not use powder. Over time the inner tubes almost meld into the tire and it is so very difficult to pull them out. You can definitely tell the ones that used powder and those that did not !
topo
Active member
- 897
- 219
- 43
- Location
- farmington NM
Once the lock ring has been started you can use your heel to push or stomp them on . its the easiest part of the whole job. Thank you for posting the pictures .
Stomping is what I did. Tried the hammer, wasn’t going well, then just jumped up and started kicking.
All the lock rings are on now. Have 50 psi in my first tire at the moment. Will probably spend my evening tomorrow airing up the rest. At least 1 more picture to go!
All the lock rings are on now. Have 50 psi in my first tire at the moment. Will probably spend my evening tomorrow airing up the rest. At least 1 more picture to go!
Well, the first wheel held 94 psi without blowing anything up. Max sidewall pressure says 105, so I called it close enough.
I’m airing back down to a lower pressure and it will be ready to go on the truck. Only 5 more to go!
I’m airing back down to a lower pressure and it will be ready to go on the truck. Only 5 more to go!
Be very careful airing up those lock ring wheels. You really should do that in a safety cage. Some people use chain as a restraint in case the ring blows off. Many people have been injured or killed dealing with multi piece wheels. If the wheels are in good shape the risk is low but there is some risk.
Eddie
Eddie
I'm using a locking air chuck attached to a 50' hose. I'm nowhere near the tire while airing up. I also have two chains around the wheel to keep the lock ring in the event of an explosion. I'm going very slow, as I've only done 2 tires so far. As much as I want this done it's not worth dying over!
Once set ay max pressure and then backed off again, should I be able to consider the rings "SET" and "SAFE"? They will kind of be pointing at my face when I'm installing the wheels on the truck.
- 3,173
- 3,095
- 113
- Location
- NORTH (Canada)
Here is some good, concise advice on the matter.
http://www.bcforestsafe.org/files/Split Rim Safety July 17.pdf
They recommend, for REMOVING wheel assemblies, to deflate first, then loosen lug nuts. Makes sense, because you do not know for sure if the tire has been abused at low air pressure, causing seating issues.
To your question: Once a freshly mounted tire has been fully inflated (with safety precautions) on a split ring rim, the guide has no issues with it being mounted. They advise against hammering on the ring while the tire is fully or partially inflated. The rationale seems to be that, once the tire is inflated and the properly installed ring has not popped off during inflating, the air pressure keeps it securely seated and the ring is now safe. Otherwise, truck tires would be ticking time bombs where a ring could blow off at any minute. That would certainly reduce the fun one can have with our trucks quite considerably.
http://www.bcforestsafe.org/files/Split Rim Safety July 17.pdf
They recommend, for REMOVING wheel assemblies, to deflate first, then loosen lug nuts. Makes sense, because you do not know for sure if the tire has been abused at low air pressure, causing seating issues.
To your question: Once a freshly mounted tire has been fully inflated (with safety precautions) on a split ring rim, the guide has no issues with it being mounted. They advise against hammering on the ring while the tire is fully or partially inflated. The rationale seems to be that, once the tire is inflated and the properly installed ring has not popped off during inflating, the air pressure keeps it securely seated and the ring is now safe. Otherwise, truck tires would be ticking time bombs where a ring could blow off at any minute. That would certainly reduce the fun one can have with our trucks quite considerably.
Last edited:
rustystud
Well-known member
- 9,071
- 2,388
- 113
- Location
- Woodinville, Washington
Those are some nice looking tires !
gimpyrobb
dumpsterlandingfromorbit!
- 27,785
- 747
- 113
- Location
- Cincy Ohio
The tires will seat on the bead at about 25-30psi. Once the bead is seated, the lock ring will not come off.
Yes, they are! I got them for less than I could find 11.00R20 NDT's for. Problem is I only have the 6, so need to source a spare or two to ease my road-trip anxiety. The tires were never ran. It looks like the date code on these is 2014, so not brand new but never ran and stored indoors. I hope they last a long time...