1950's REO brand SWB 6by ?'s

[Mack Attack]

I don't have much exp. With the early gas powered rigs. So figured I would ask you guys his questions to make sure I am giving good/correct info-advice. My great nephew received what used to be a REO brand tractor with 331 I-6 gas engine for his birthday. He woyld like to restore it as best he can.

The municipality that bought it from Uncle Sam put a utility bed on it and singled the rear wheels.
He wants to go back to DRW from the SRW it is now.

I believe to go back to DRW - Duel Rear Wheel all he has to do is flip the rear hubs and turn the wheel studs around ? IIRC ?

He likes the cruising speed it has once DRW'd can he continue to run the 11.00's ?
I thought it might be a snug fit but given the truck will be driven and NOT loaded it might be ok ?

Also engine oil, He was going use a high zinc formula 20w-50 or SAE-60.
I thought the 20w-50 would ok though 10w-40 might be better ?

Fuel so far he is running etho free premium fuel with lead sub. Is that ok ?
That's about all I can think of he wanted to know.

Thanks
M/A

 

[NDT]

If the truck is SRW with 11.00's it most likely came that way from Reo. If you do a hub flip you will be the only person in the world flipping in that direction . Lots of folks run dual 11.00's on deuces.
The 331 called for OE30 which is straight 30 weight oil originally. I would run 10W-40 but never 50 or 60 Wt.

I appreciate your use of the term "6 by". That is the only term I ever knew before this web site corrupted me to use the term "deuce".

 

[Mack Attack]

Its my great nephews project,

Yea I hear you on the DRW thing. I told him 6 tires way cheaper than 10 tires. But its his truck so if he wants 10 that's what he will get then. Its his money

I'm the crazy old guy looking for the Mack 52a1 project
M/A

 

[jatonka]

You can run 10 of the 11.00 20s on the reo. I do it on a tanker and never have any trouble. I have a lot of parts for the gasser Reos if you need them. John T

 

[Mack Attack]

I will be in touch if he needs parts thanks for your help.
M/A

 

[Barrman]

I am also running 10 11.00-20 tires on my 1952 REO Gasser.

I will have to go look at my data plate on the dash, but I think any octane gasoline down to 75 or so will work. Anything you run without ethanol is a great idea. Don't worry about the octane basically.

With the stock 5 speed non overdrive in it, I can run 60-65 mph down the highway. However, the fuel gauge moves pretty fast at that speed. 48-52 is where mine is happiest. I get all the way up to 5 mpg at that speed.

 

[Mack Attack]

Awesome he will be most pleased that he can run his 11.00s dueled up. As for fuel mileage ? Ha ! We don't care about MPG's those are for people afraid of being cool

M/A

 

[hndrsonj]

Let's see a pic..

 

[scottgs]

...I appreciate your use of the term "6 by". That is the only term I ever knew before this web site corrupted me to use the term "deuce".

I appreciate it too. That's the term my father taught me since I was a boy, and I like hearing it. He was a WWII vet, a vehicle mechanic in the Army, and he loved the MV's until he passed last year.

 

[Mack Attack]

Ok the truck is his so to post photos I had to get permission. I got a bit confused, Its actually a SRW M44 he wants to convert to a DRW tractor my mistake guys.

My apologies
M/A

 

[clinto]

FYI, the "early Deuce" forum is for the 1950's GMC trucks, with the 6 cylinder gas engine and automatic transmission.

The early Reo (M44, G742) style deuces still belong in just the regular deuce forum.

 

[Westech]

That truck has been sitting along I94 for YEARS!! Glad you picked her up.

 

[Mack Attack]

FYI, the "early Deuce" forum is for the 1950's GMC trucks, with the 6 cylinder gas engine and automatic transmission.

The early Reo (M44, G742) style deuces still belong in just the regular deuce forum.

Than update your forum descriptions, According to how they are labled this is where this truck belongs. The other "deuce" forum says "Post Vietnam-desert storm" -m sorry just following instructions my mistake

M/A

 

[Mack Attack]

That truck has been sitting along I94 for YEARS!! Glad you picked her up.

Its actually my GREAT NEPHEWS truck his wife bought to give to him for his birthday.
The bed is going to get removed and replaced with a 5th wheel as its getting turned into a DRW tractor truck.

From what I saw in the mil-spec vehicle truck book the REO brand M275 is this same truck with duel rear wheels, It shows it pictured with the small tank on each side instead of the large left side tank and in that picture it showed the REO tractor with duel winches 1 in bumper and 1 behind cab of truck.

So HE wants to recreate the truck that's in my book of mil-spec rigs. HE found a person to make him new data plates edited to "M275 w/w" so he is all kinds of excited about the project.

M/A

 

[sigo]

Great birthday gift, sounds like your nephew has a cool wife. I haven't seen many with that bed. Looks solid too. I don't know if its "rare", but it'd be a shame to scrap it.

 

[hippiedude]

Thats a good looking truck ............ Good luck with the tractor mod ....... it will look good ............ ... Tim

 

[Mack Attack]

I don't believe scrapping the bed is part of the plan, I think he wanted to try and swap it for some parts the truck needs.

List of parts needed:
4x 6lug wheels with 11.00 tires.
All the windows.
2x fuel tanks.

That is currently I know of right now
M/A

 

[NDT]

The bed is military, looks like a V17A-MTQ telephone maintenance truck.

A long wheelbase tractor is a M48, not a M275.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Are you sure its a 211? The rims on it make it look like a 135. You will need 8 different rims to dual the rear(I think). The 135 rims have a back space design to them.

 

[Mack Attack]

The bed is military, looks like a V17A-MTQ telephone maintenance truck.

A long wheelbase tractor is a M48, not a M275.

Your right, I keep forgetting there were 2x 2.5T truck tractors. I will have to let him know his new plates need to say "M48 w/w"

Sorry I don't really deal with the lil'6bys much, On the farm we only had 5T 6by's.
M/A