I am looking for six new DUKW tires with the transverse military
tread; can you fellas make recommendations on a reputable
retailer. Would anyone be able to comment on a larger, similar
tire that will fit the DUKW wheel well.
Thanks in advance.
Joe Lombardi
Manchester, MA
----------
> From: MAB5%GSV_BLD%SJR_RGN_FRE1@go50.comp.pge.com
> To: mil-veh@skylee.com
> Subject: [MV] military tires
> Date: Friday, May 30, 1997 1:27 PM
>
> I am brand new to military vehicle stuff, having just recently
> purchased my first ever military vehicle, a 1944 DUKW. I've joined the
MVPA,
> got their package in the mail last night. I'm learning as fast as I can
> folks, but I'm still scared to death I'm going to discard some
irreplaceable
> thing as I fix, repair, and resurrect this beast.
>
> The beast came with 3 extra tires when I bought it. Apparently the
previous
> owner picked them up from someplace thinking he would find another 3
somewhere
> else. He never found anymore, so these 3 just laid on the ground outside
for
> years. I didn't really pay any attention to them, other than noting
their
> size 11.00 X 18 and loaded them up and hauled them home. I just assumed
they
> were Gamma Goat tires.
>
> As I cleaned up stuff and took stock of what I had and what I didn't
have, I
> looked closer at the extra tires. The tread looks deep, I estimate
80-90%?
> Each tire is made by a different vendor: Goodrich, Goodyear, Continental,
and
> they are all 10 ply. 10 ply? I thought Gamma Goat tires were 6 ply? Do
I
> have original DUKW tires?
>
> Someone said there are dates of manufacture on military tires. I can't
find
> any on these, anybody know where to look?
>
> Unfortunately, each tire has small cracks showing on the sidewalls.
These
> vary in length and width, some are as long as 3 inches. I assume these
will
> get bigger should I ever decide to mount and inflate these tires on a
rim, not
> to mention running it down the freeway on a hot summer day or deflating
the
> tires to climb out of the water on a sandy beach. My first reaction is
these
> tires will not survive long the way I intend to operate the vehicle, so I
> should look for near new, no crack, Gamma Goat tires. Does this make
sense?
>
> If it does, then I have no use for the 3 extra tires I have. If these
were
> normal tires I would just take them down to the local tire place and say
> "Here, scrap these" or whatever they do with old tires. I'm hesitant to
do
> this with these tires until I check with you folks first. Would they
possibly
> be of some use/value to someone with a static display DUKW and was
concerned
> with a restoration to the nth degree? If so, let me know before I
dispose of
> them.
>
> Thanks for all your help so far. By the way, I'm ready to purchase tires
for
> this beast. Depending on the answers to this message, I'll need either 4
more
> 10 ply tires or 7 Gamma Goat tires. What do the tour companies use on
the
> Duck Tour vehicles? Military surplus Gamma Goat tires, new Gamma Goat
tires
> (produced within the last 5 years) or something else? Any suggestions?
>
> Mike Bennett 1944 DUKW
> PG&E
> MAB5@pge.com
> (209) 434-9343
> Fresno, California, USA
>
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