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M35A3 Rims on a M35A2???

Barneyszoo

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I've been running 395s on A3 rims on my bobber for about 5 years. I have the beed locks in them and have no probs. Truck will do 70mph at about 2300 rpm. I put new O-rings in when i mounted them and have not lost 1 lb of air pressure since.
 

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Ford Mechanic

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Edenton, NC
I've been running 395s on A3 rims on my bobber for about 5 years. I have the beed locks in them and have no probs. Truck will do 70mph at about 2300 rpm. I put new O-rings in when i mounted them and have not lost 1 lb of air pressure since.

That looks good! Were they cheaper than buying the combat wheels and new center sections? And did it set the tires out from under the front fenders any?
 

welldigger

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Depends on what you pay for a3 wheels. I paid 200 a wheel for mine. But you commonly see them going for 300 or more. But the great thing about a3 wheels is they fit with no mods obviously. Now if you bought tires already mounted on hemtt wheels for example then it would be cheaper to get centers made.
 

Mikes540

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peru il
I put A3 on my m35a2 did not flip hubs I chamferd my wheels and used michelin 15.5/80r tires with beadlocks 24 new front lug nuts .tires are under the bed has the look of m923a2 looks and drives great good luck
 

Lex_Ordo

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Long Island, NY
Okay, well my M35A2 has had the hubs already flipped by the military unit that had charge of the truck before it went out to Liquidity Services. It has 11.00 x 20 Firestone tires, on single A2 split ring rimmed wheels. It also has the speedo adapter on the transfer case to accommodate for the larger tire diameter.
I was interested in picking up the newer A3 combat rimmed wheels, since they make it a whole **** of a lot easier to change out tires without the sledge hammer and chain or cage to keep the split ring from flying away and taking off a limb.

Has anyone successfully mounted 11.00 x 20 tube-type radial tires on the A3 wheels and not lost air with a weak bead lock? If so can you post pics of how the truck looks with those tires and A3 Wheels. I don't care if they are the NDC or Michelin or Firestones like I have.

The A3 wheels are really a product improvement for the deuce, but those large wheel & tire combinations are crap! Bouncy and a lot of surface contact. I much rather prefer the thinner 11.00 tires for turning and less of a bouncy ride, but on the A3 wheels for ease of maintenance.

Any help at all would be most appreciative.
 

welldigger

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Okay, well my M35A2 has had the hubs already flipped by the military unit that had charge of the truck before it went out to Liquidity Services. It has 11.00 x 20 Firestone tires, on single A2 split ring rimmed wheels. It also has the speedo adapter on the transfer case to accommodate for the larger tire diameter.
I was interested in picking up the newer A3 combat rimmed wheels, since they make it a whole **** of a lot easier to change out tires without the sledge hammer and chain or cage to keep the split ring from flying away and taking off a limb.

Has anyone successfully mounted 11.00 x 20 tube-type radial tires on the A3 wheels and not lost air with a weak bead lock? If so can you post pics of how the truck looks with those tires and A3 Wheels. I don't care if they are the NDC or Michelin or Firestones like I have.

The A3 wheels are really a product improvement for the deuce, but those large wheel & tire combinations are crap! Bouncy and a lot of surface contact. I much rather prefer the thinner 11.00 tires for turning and less of a bouncy ride, but on the A3 wheels for ease of maintenance.

Any help at all would be most appreciative.
A3 wheels are 11 inches wide. That's way to wide for an 11.00-20 of any make.
 

brianp454

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Portland, OR
FYI the 365\80R20's are the metric equivalent of the 14.5's used on the A3's (same height as the 11x20's). I run them singled and like them better than the 395's as they allow for chains to fit.
 

Lex_Ordo

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Location
Long Island, NY
Thanks for the replies. What is the smallest tire that can be used? And still give me the same speedo ratio used with the 11.00s?
If I do decide to invest in this, I have two issues:
First, I have to buy 7 new tires.
Second I need to make certain that the spare isn't too wide so as to not interfere with my pioneer rack. On the A3 Trucks, the Pioneer Tool Rack is removed during the Extended Service Re-build to accommodate the larger/ fatter 14.5 tire.

I prefer to keep the Pioneer Rack, and employ the smallest tire that I can, and still get the benefit of using the "Deuce Specific" A3 Combat Rimmed Wheels, and hopefully keep the speedo relatively accurate to the 11.00 rating.

Lastly is the price of each tire. Could get expensive very quick!
 

welldigger

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Benton LA
Thanks for the replies. What is the smallest tire that can be used? And still give me the same speedo ratio used with the 11.00s?
If I do decide to invest in this, I have two issues:
First, I have to buy 7 new tires.
Second I need to make certain that the spare isn't too wide so as to not interfere with my pioneer rack. On the A3 Trucks, the Pioneer Tool Rack is removed during the Extended Service Re-build to accommodate the larger/ fatter 14.5 tire.

I prefer to keep the Pioneer Rack, and employ the smallest tire that I can, and still get the benefit of using the "Deuce Specific" A3 Combat Rimmed Wheels, and hopefully keep the speedo relatively accurate to the 11.00 rating.

Lastly is the price of each tire. Could get expensive very quick!
365/80/20 or 14.5-20 are about the same diameter as 11.00-20's. In fact you could keep an 11.00-20 on an a2 wheel for the spare.

The problem with those tires is they tend to be pretty expensive due to their low volume in surplus.

I'm a big fan of the 395s but that's just me. They will fit in the spare tire location with some modification. It will throw your speedo off.

If you can find them the Canadian deuce wheels (I forget what it's actually called) are a 2 piece wheel like the a3 wheel but they are only 7 or 8" wide. Perfect for an 11.00-20.
 

tobyS

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IN
I know it's an old thread but I see lots of good information here. Do you (posters) still have the same opinions.

I have a nice set of A3 wheels and tires that would work on an M35A2 for steer tires that I may put in the classified. They would be great with the 11.00 rear duals.

Does using the 14.5 tire and A3 wheel on an A2 require a change in the camber to near flat or the same as the A3? Or do you add in a tapered block?
 
Last edited:

davidb56

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Location
Bonners Ferry Idaho
I just put A3 rims with 14.5 michelins on the front to line up the tires better for mud and snow. I drove them for about 50 miles on paved roads and mud roads. I like them.
 

brianp454

Member
572
11
18
Location
Portland, OR
You'll be fine, don't over analyze things

365/80/20 or 14.5-20 are about the same diameter as 11.00-20's. In fact you could keep an 11.00-20 on an a2 wheel for the spare.
The problem with those tires is they tend to be pretty expensive due to their low volume in surplus.

I'm a big fan of the 395s but that's just me. They will fit in the spare tire location with some modification. It will throw your speedo off.

If you can find them the Canadian deuce wheels (I forget what it's actually called) are a 2 piece wheel like the a3 wheel but they are only 7 or 8" wide. Perfect for an 11.00-20.
 

tobyS

Well-known member
4,820
815
113
Location
IN
You'll be fine, don't over analyze things
This is an older thread but welldigger made a good point about the rim width. The A3 rim being 11" is too wide for the 11.00 tire. His recommendation on the 395 is what I like to see before I spend a small fortune for tires, even though I only need 5.
 

Dru27

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Denver CO
I have an m109a3 i am looking to change out the 9x20s to 395s with new rims. anyone got any suggestions on a place thats not gonna charge me an arm and a leg for these? Also what are you talking about when you say need new centers when referring to the wheel?
 
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