Got it home, M818 pics

[rizzo]

I hear that the balancers work well

 

[oifvet]

Just right! That's about the way I'd like to land one. Was that one that you focused bidding on? Or were you suprised?

 

[TheBuggyman]

I hear that the balancers work well

Well, got off of the phone with Centramatic's tech line and they do not believe that any of their balancers will fit the military fronts with 20" wheels.

They make them to fit 19.5", 22.5" and 24.5" wheels. Problem is, the 19.5" are set up for disc brakes. They would fit in the wheel but not over the drum. BUT- I will be taking some measurements to see if they will work. Does anyone know what the size of the front five ton drums are?

I suppose the good news is that they will work on the rears since they just bolt between the wheels. They said to use the 22.5" for this.

They also said that they have an engineering student there that is writing his senoir thesis and determined that: balancing beads-5% effective, lead weights- 50% effective, Centramatic style balancers- 97% effective. Take it for what it is worth.

 

[TheBuggyman]

Just right! That's about the way I'd like to land one. Was that one that you focused bidding on? Or were you suprised?

Yeah, I focused on that particular one and paid about $300 more than my set maximum. I'm glad that the other bidder stopped because I was not going to bid any more!

 

[beaubeau]

Tires

Hey Buggyman. One more thing to do before dishing out some Dough. Take your wheel off which U think is out of Bal., and rotate it on the Hub 90%. This could help. Sometimes on big rigs it is not the tires, but the hub, or running gear. I am sure that the Govt does not buy top quality tires for Tactical trucks. U may want to check on Alignment also. U can do this with a simple tape measure. Measure across the front, mark the tire, , roll the truck ahead so the same spot U measured from is at the rear{180*, and measure again.
When I was running my Kenworth cross country. I had more trouble with Michlin tires, both on the tractor and the trailer. The best tires I ran and they road well. wore well and got more than 120000 on my steers, and my Tireman Gave them to me to try! They were Yokohamma. I got some ane one of my 3/4tons and they ride well, also!Good luck, Phil PS, Dont worry about the Weather cracks, I got an old Log truck with cracks so bad U can see through the tires!!!LOL , And I can still load the truck to about 18,000lbs, Stiil Rolls!!!

 

[Armada]

RE: Tires

Congrats on the new ride! Looks good!

 

[nhdiesel]

The Centramatics work great in a controlled environment, such as in a lab. But they have serious flaws on the street. The "balls" used for balance require that the wheel/tire combo spin with no outside forces acting on it. If you were running on the interstate down south with no bumps for miles at a time, they would work great. But hit a bump, and they try to adjust themselves and take a bit to adjust to the smooth road again. During acceleration, they lag behind, basically working like "spinners" the low rider crowd use. The same happens when stopping. The wheel has to stay at one constant speed with no bumps or other forces acting on it to stay balanced.

On the other hand, lead weights stay where you put them, regardless of speed, bumps, etc. Therefor, in the real world, lead weights will be effective much more then the centramatics.

Jim

I hear that the balancers work well

They also said that they have an engineering student there that is writing his senoir thesis and determined that: balancing beads-5% effective, lead weights- 50% effective, Centramatic style balancers- 97% effective. Take it for what it is worth.

 

[nhdiesel]

BEAUBEAU: I've read that Michelin considers those XLs non-directional.

Had a set on my Duce. But imho they look better all going the same way. An awesome truck forsure, congrats.
Did you have any goodies in your tool box? Had anyone taken any parts off your truck? Just wondering.

Those are directional, but the direction depends on the terrain. Look at the roght front tire- that is the direction you would want in mud or on hard terrain. In mud, it will self-clean (push the mud to the outside of the tire as it spins). The tire on the left front is what you would want for sand, so it cups the sand almost like paddles.

But you have to consider that the tires were put on by military personnel. Many have no idea how the tires should point. Some mount all directional tires the same way on wheels, so the front tire & inside duals run the same direction, and the outer duals run the other. The same tires on the other side of the truck will be just the opposite. The thinking here is that the tires are quicker to mount up without having to think about the direction. Your truck looks like they were just put on randomly.

Even if you mount them up the correct way (directional), you still have tons of options for rotating them for tire wear (not that many people actually do that on trucks). A tire mounted the way the right front tire is mounted can be rotated between the right front, right inside duals, and left outside duals.

Jim

 

[TheBuggyman]

The Centramatics work great in a controlled environment, such as in a lab. But they have serious flaws on the street. The "balls" used for balance require that the wheel/tire combo spin with no outside forces acting on it. If you were running on the interstate down south with no bumps for miles at a time, they would work great. But hit a bump, and they try to adjust themselves and take a bit to adjust to the smooth road again. During acceleration, they lag behind, basically working like "spinners" the low rider crowd use. The same happens when stopping. The wheel has to stay at one constant speed with no bumps or other forces acting on it to stay balanced.

On the other hand, lead weights stay where you put them, regardless of speed, bumps, etc. Therefor, in the real world, lead weights will be effective much more then the centramatics.

Jim

Have you used these Jim? I like to hear real world experiences before I buy. Thanks!

I hear that the balancers work well

They also said that they have an engineering student there that is writing his senoir thesis and determined that: balancing beads-5% effective, lead weights- 50% effective, Centramatic style balancers- 97% effective. Take it for what it is worth.

 

[TheBuggyman]

The Centramatics work great in a controlled environment, such as in a lab. But they have serious flaws on the street. The "balls" used for balance require that the wheel/tire combo spin with no outside forces acting on it. If you were running on the interstate down south with no bumps for miles at a time, they would work great. But hit a bump, and they try to adjust themselves and take a bit to adjust to the smooth road again. During acceleration, they lag behind, basically working like "spinners" the low rider crowd use. The same happens when stopping. The wheel has to stay at one constant speed with no bumps or other forces acting on it to stay balanced.

On the other hand, lead weights stay where you put them, regardless of speed, bumps, etc. Therefor, in the real world, lead weights will be effective much more then the centramatics.

Jim

I hear that the balancers work well

They also said that they have an engineering student there that is writing his senoir thesis and determined that: balancing beads-5% effective, lead weights- 50% effective, Centramatic style balancers- 97% effective. Take it for what it is worth.

I just spoke with the technical people at Centramatic and they said that the idea of the "balls" continuing to spin at a different rate than the wheel is ludicrous due to the fact that the "balls" are in a very thick fluid medium that allows for movement but not rapid movement. They did say that the balls would move a little bit if you locked up your brakes, but then wheel balance is not a concern.........

I said "what the hell" and ordered mine.......

Got a set of four for my Dodge, a set of four for the rear tandems and a set of two for the front of the M818. I do not know if the fronts will fit, but we'll see.......

 

[Pappa-G]

Not according to the manufacture.

 

[rhyne6262]

If you don't mind me asking how much did you give at GL for this truck. I am looking for one exactly like this one to pull my dirt screener!
Regards
Adam

 

[Armada]

Watch the auctions. That will give you a good idea on the going rate for an M818.