M416 trailer: were there Magnesium wheels on the early ones??

[nealseale]

I have a 416 Serial number 160, date of manufacture 28—8-62.
The previous owner sold it on ebay and I noticed several comments after the sale saying the wheels were worth the price I paid for it because they are magnesium. well, I have no clue how to tell but they are not the same as regular m416 wheels, or off another vehicle,and are not metal as no magnet will stick to them. Yet I’ve never heard of this, Any one have an answer or a place to refer me as I have not had any luck so far.
Thanks for reading.
I’m new to this so I’m trying to post pictures.

 

[NDT]

Magnesium wheels came on early M151 Mutt 1/4 ton trucks. People that are restoring these vehicles desire these wheels as the Army started using steel wheels, and these got replaced. I personally don’t think 416s came with those wheels but I was not there in 1961.

 

[msgjd]

wow this is news to me .. Had driven and been around many M151's, A1's and A2's during my lengthy service .. Never saw no other than the typical round-hole steel rims on mutt-related stuff .. this is very interesting and making me want to re-visit old pics etc

 

[M813rc]

They could be Mighty Mite wheels, they are interchangeable bolt pattern and size wise. Mites had magnesium wheels for light weight.
The M416B1 was the specified trailer for the Mite, but I don't know enough about the history of them to say whether they always had magnesium wheels.

Cheers

 

[MAKOTO MATSUMIYA]

nealseale:
This picture is from a TM(1970), does the your M416 also have the BO stop light on the right side as shown in the picture?

 

[msgjd]

View attachment 955313
NDT:
This picture is from a TM(1970), does the your M416 also have the BO stop light on the right side as shown in the picture?

I have an M416 as well but i am pretty sure it has steel wheels but this post has me curious to double-check... Most trailers & wheeled vehicles still having the metal lamps had them replaced by the composite type in the 1980's , thus on older M416's the individual BO-stop lamp was removed but the bracket bolt holes for it would still be there.. My M416 has the composites thus no individual BO-stop lamp however in the army i recall every M416 and all other tactical trucks and trailers still having metal lamp housings had the individual BO-stop.. They had to.. I realize in the 1950's-early 60's that wheeled tactical items without directional signals had just one tail/brake/BO-tail lamp, and on the right was the BO-tail/stop lamp housing as was on tracked vehicles , however my experience since the mid-70's, the 1950's-early 60's wheeled vehicles in motorpools i was in had 2 metal tail/stop/bo-tail housings, plus the individual BO-stop .. By the 80's most if not all of those finally got the composite lamps .. This depended on unit, however. Some were late to ditch the metal housings

 

[MAKOTO MATSUMIYA]

I have an M416 as well but i am pretty sure it has steel wheels but this post has me curious to double-check... Most trailers & wheeled vehicles still having the metal lamps had them replaced by the composite type in the 1980's , thus on older M416's the individual BO-stop lamp was removed but the bracket bolt holes for it would still be there.. My M416 has the composites thus no individual BO-stop lamp however in the army i recall every M416 and all other tactical trucks and trailers still having metal lamp housings had the individual BO-stop.. They had to.. I realize in the 1950's-early 60's that wheeled tactical items without directional signals had just one tail/brake/BO-tail lamp, and on the right was the BO-tail/stop lamp housing as was on tracked vehicles , however my experience since the mid-70's, the 1950's-early 60's wheeled vehicles in motorpools i was in had 2 metal tail/stop/bo-tail housings, plus the individual BO-stop .. By the 80's most if not all of those finally got the composite lamps .. This depended on unit, however. Some were late to ditch the metal housings

TM9-2330-251-14(1970)


TM9-2330-251-14(1990)

msgjd:
Thank you very much for the valuable information.

The TM says magnesium wheels, but I have never seen the M416 trailers with magnesium wheels.
What I would like to know is when production of the M416 trailer began, and whether the early production models
had tail lights without turn signals like the WWII～M100 trailers.

 

[NDT]

Excellent research! Now we know!