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Doing a wheelie in a M-49 - A Recovery of a Deuce

3dAngus

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Chasing Dennis down a dirt road was like Bo chasing Luke. He seems to get a edge on the dirt, whether he is empty or carrying a 13,000 pound load.

When I heard RayK got another MV from GL, this one a M35A2 with winch, I offered to help out with the recovery. He helped me a bunch during the Ga. Rally and I am always glad to help out a fellow SSer, especially when he helps me. We had gone up earlier to fully check it out and it ran, but then stopped for inexplicable reasons. It did have a fuel leak on top of the engine, but I thought we fixed that, where the broken line to the flame thrower was capped off. Anyway, in going through the checkout, we discovered the brakes would not hold DOT 5 so we determined it to be a tow and quit.

Today, now with the EUC cleared and paid in full invoice in hand, we carried his pickup truck with trailer, air compressor, generator, and tools and make the recovery. He has his reliable M-49 and the heavy towbar purchased at the Rally ready to go. AFter changing out one tire, airing up the other, chaining up the two vehicles and tying down the steering wheel, we do a test run and all is well.

What was surprising was how much power these things have when pulling. For some reason, I just could not imagine a M-49 burning rubber on the go, but this M-49, well warmed up and on the other side of the INterstate, would pull and pull and it just could not pull fast enought, so the rear wheels would start to spin out. Dennis was obviously giving it the fuel, and the tires were full of tread, but tires would spin like a 70 Chevelle when he gave it the fuel and it was pulled back by the M35A2 in tow. I loved it! What power!

I left the camera in my truck as I used his as a chase vehicle and safety man, but here's some pictures after we got it safely back to his ranch.
It was a nice day for a recovery.
 

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F18hornetM

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Happy to see more old trucks going to good homes and not being cut up. Last year a local scrap yard near here cut up/crushed about a dozen of them [M35]. Good job on keeping another one alive.
 

doghead

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Up here, we call that "getting a wheel"(spinning out), a wheelie is when you lift the front tires off the ground while accelerating("popping a wheelie").

Great pics!
 

fuzzytoaster

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I'd like to see a video of those tires spinning. I did the same thing with two m35a2s and it didn't like those fishbowl curves nor going up hill.
 

3dAngus

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Spinning and hopping, and left some tread on the ground. All a good point DH, and I'm sure it varies by locality, even within a state. I got mine from Columbus, Ga. growing up in the 60s.
If you could spin or hop out a tire, and it left black rubber on the ground, it was a wheelie. I can see yours, but I never really grew up with cars that would lift up the front end. Those kinds of beasts were special builds not factory. If a factory one tried to do that, the rear end would usually drop to the ground first. Good point for discussion though.

What is a wheelie?
 

swbradley1

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Popping the front wheels off the ground southerner.

I did it once in my Dad's 1970 Chevy 3/4 ton and put a load of steel out the back. He wasn't happy.
 

doghead

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I hate WIKIs but check this out, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelie

On the right side there are two pics. One of a motorcycle and one of a pulling tractor.

That tractor(Supernatural) is owned by someone I know! I used to Official with that group.

haha, now I'm liking wikis more.
 
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BEASTMASTER

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of course the tires would spin, look at the angle of the towbar. you put the fuel to it and the towbar pulls the weight off the rears and you're definitely gonna get spinning tires.
 

glcaines

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Spinning and hopping, and left some tread on the ground. All a good point DH, and I'm sure it varies by locality, even within a state. I got mine from Columbus, Ga. growing up in the 60s.QUOTE]

I have to agree with DH on this one. I grew up in North Georgia and a wheelie is when the front wheels come off the ground.
 
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