EUC in 12 Days for M35A3 at Sparta

[glcaines]

That matches what the tire guy told me when he helped change the spare. He said they were only legal for use in the U.S., Canada and Australia.

 

[glcaines]

I just found out that my A3 is either a 1998 or 1999, most likely a 1998. GL advertised it as a 1993 as they do for most A3s. Both rear axles are date stamped January 1998. The front axle is date stamped October 1997. The winch hydraulics are stamped October 1997. Several other stickers on engine components are date stamped 1997 and 1998. I'm having it titled as a 1998 since I have been unable to find anything with a 1999 date. The A3 has the older style hood with the rivets as opposed to the newer fiberglass hood. I think I heard somewhere that they started using the fiberglass hoods in 1999, but who knows.

 

[goodguyzy]

where is the date code on the mich. 14.5x20R tires? just curious how old they are.

 

[glcaines]

The date code branded on the tires is in a format that I couldn't read. However, the spare I moounted had a paper sticker attached to the tread from Michelin that had a date of 05/88 on it.

 

[mktopside]

I just found out that my A3 is either a 1998 or 1999, most likely a 1998. GL advertised it as a 1993 as they do for most A3s. Both rear axles are date stamped January 1998. The front axle is date stamped October 1997. The winch hydraulics are stamped October 1997. Several other stickers on engine components are date stamped 1997 and 1998. I'm having it titled as a 1998 since I have been unable to find anything with a 1999 date. The A3 has the older style hood with the rivets as opposed to the newer fiberglass hood. I think I heard somewhere that they started using the fiberglass hoods in 1999, but who knows.

Mine is a 1995 per CARNAC, but I have it titled as an 83. Well, the guy I bought it from titled it as an 83. ::


On a side note, I emailed CM automotive about reprogramming the CTIS controller for a higher psi on the highway. I got a really nice email back saying that "as a gesture of goodwill" if I sent them my controller they would do it for free as long as I paid for shipping. I thought that was really cool of them.

I don't know how hard it is for them to do it, nor do I know if this is a service they would be willing to offer for a few bucks.

What pressure do you think I should have it reset to? I'm thinking 53psi.

 

[glcaines]

Mine is a 1995 per CARNAC, but I have it titled as an 83. Well, the guy I bought it from titled it as an 83. ::


On a side note, I emailed CM automotive about reprogramming the CTIS controller for a higher psi on the highway. I got a really nice email back saying that "as a gesture of goodwill" if I sent them my controller they would do it for free as long as I paid for shipping. I thought that was really cool of them.

I don't know how hard it is for them to do it, nor do I know if this is a service they would be willing to offer for a few bucks.

What pressure do you think I should have it reset to? I'm thinking 53psi.

You can correct the year on your title with the state. It normally isn't that difficult. I would recommend doing it. I think 53 is a good target on the CTIS. The wheels are rated at a max of 60 psi and any higher you are getting fairly close to the limit on the wheels.

 

[mktopside]

I have no desire to correct the date on the title. There are advantages to leaving it where it is; and factually "Some guy on the internet told me it was a '95", when there is no official build date on the truck or in public record, could cause just as many problems as leaving it where it is. At least as an '83 I can get antique tags for it if I ever want to.


Back on topic. I think 53psi is good, that way even when hot they will stay under 60psi.

 

[466Navastar]

probably all these military tires should be suspect - after all they can be quite old ....they sit outside and the UV from the sun degrades the rubber and especially Michelins - known by anyone who knows tires to "check" ....basically crack on the sidewalls after just a year or two. Ive had many car tires that Ive watched crack and even some light truck tires with 90% tread that Ive tossed because of the cracks .....and Michelin wouldnt warranty them ---so I never bought Michelins again.

 

[glcaines]

probably all these military tires should be suspect - after all they can be quite old ....they sit outside and the UV from the sun degrades the rubber and especially Michelins - known by anyone who knows tires to "check" ....basically crack on the sidewalls after just a year or two. Ive had many car tires that Ive watched crack and even some light truck tires with 90% tread that Ive tossed because of the cracks .....and Michelin wouldnt warranty them ---so I never bought Michelins again.

I agree, I've had a couple sets of Michelin tires on cars in the past that experienced severe cracking on the sidewalls and I had to replace them with a lot of tread left. However, the Michelin X 14.5X20R radials on my A3 show zero signs of cracking or deterioration from the outside, including the one that blew out. I think the degrading was internal and not obvioous.

 

[glcaines]

the only thing that I disagree with you about is the A2 is easier to start than my A3 in the cold. If its 25 or below, i must use ether to start the A3. My A2 does not have ether and starts OK.

I should have qualified that statement. After picking up the A3 and having the original start, the coldest I have started it was 23 degrees and it had been cold for over 24 hours. It started right up without ether after turning over about five times. It ran very rough for a few minutes, but did start. I agree that the A2 with the multifuel engine is normally a very easy engine to start due to the high compression. I seldom need to use ether on the A2 and then only in the low teens and usually only one shot is required.

I now have more experience with the A3 vs the A2. The A2 is way easier to start than the A3. The A3 always starts reliably in the cold, but only after grinding over many revolutions and with ether. When warm, it starts instantly. My A2 seldom needs ether and is very easy to start, even in the cold.

 

[Senarmontite]

On a side note, I emailed CM automotive about reprogramming the CTIS controller for a higher psi on the highway. I got a really nice email back saying that "as a gesture of goodwill" if I sent them my controller they would do it for free as long as I paid for shipping. I thought that was really cool of them.

QUOTE]

Reading your story just makes me thank god even more that nothing happened on my trip back from Sparta recently. Glad you made it out, knowing the weight of these trucks.
Quick question about your CTIS unit , when you turn your ignition on did the screen on your unit blackout the letters sometimes? My does it on occasion so i was thinking of giving CM auomotive a call. Anyway mine was all preset to the PSI the manual states and im gonna leave it cause its that much quicker letting out the air when offroading.

 

[Bighurt]

Glad you made it home ok, I'm doing the nearly the same trip in reverse here in a few weeks.

I plan to have a fire extinguisher...

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've always been told to accelerate in the event of a blow out to gain control then deccelerate to stop the vehicle.

Thanks for sharing your story, always helpful for others to here the good and the bad of recovery.

 

[glcaines]

On a side note, I emailed CM automotive about reprogramming the CTIS controller for a higher psi on the highway. I got a really nice email back saying that "as a gesture of goodwill" if I sent them my controller they would do it for free as long as I paid for shipping. I thought that was really cool of them.

QUOTE]

Reading your story just makes me thank god even more that nothing happened on my trip back from Sparta recently. Glad you made it out, knowing the weight of these trucks.
Quick question about your CTIS unit , when you turn your ignition on did the screen on your unit blackout the letters sometimes? My does it on occasion so i was thinking of giving CM auomotive a call. Anyway mine was all preset to the PSI the manual states and im gonna leave it cause its that much quicker letting out the air when offroading.

I haven't had my CTIS turned on much since I left Sparta for the recovery, and not at all since arriving home, so I have limited experience with it. However, I have not seen the blackout you mentioned. It sounds to me like you have something wrong.

 

[glcaines]

Glad you made it home ok, I'm doing the nearly the same trip in reverse here in a few weeks.

I plan to have a fire extinguisher...

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've always been told to accelerate in the event of a blow out to gain control then deccelerate to stop the vehicle.

Thanks for sharing your story, always helpful for others to here the good and the bad of recovery.

I haven't heard that, but in some ways that makes sense. In my case I was only going 45 and the A3 decelerated very quickly once the tire blew. I just hung on and steered.

 

[mktopside]

On a side note, I emailed CM automotive about reprogramming the CTIS controller for a higher psi on the highway. I got a really nice email back saying that "as a gesture of goodwill" if I sent them my controller they would do it for free as long as I paid for shipping. I thought that was really cool of them.

QUOTE]

Reading your story just makes me thank god even more that nothing happened on my trip back from Sparta recently. Glad you made it out, knowing the weight of these trucks.
Quick question about your CTIS unit , when you turn your ignition on did the screen on your unit blackout the letters sometimes? My does it on occasion so i was thinking of giving CM auomotive a call. Anyway mine was all preset to the PSI the manual states and im gonna leave it cause its that much quicker letting out the air when offroading.

No, mine doesn't do anything weird.

One thing to remember about the CTIS, is that it airs down about 100X quicker than it can air back up. I replaced the tire on the truck and got it mounted back up last night, I decided to play around with the CTIS and aired them down to "mud sand snow" to see how long it took to air back up. Took about 30 seconds to air down. To air back up, I became impatient after 45 minutes and used the hand throttle to up the rpms to give it more air. It's easier to use the glad hand.

At this point, my faith in the utility of the CTIS isn't all that great. I'm glad mine works, and I like the fact that it keeps the tires aired up. Other than that, it's too slow to have that much use off road.

 

[wikallen]

Correct me if I'm wrong but I've always been told to accelerate in the event of a blow out to gain control then deccelerate to stop the vehicle.

.

You are correct. If you have a blowout, push the accelerator to gain control and keep it straight. After you have control, slowly let off the accelerator.

 

[goodguyzy]

my controller doesn't do that, but my CTIS doesn't work and im going to disconnect it soon/later

 

[Pooch1128]

We have an A2 and A3 that we use for brush fires and I agree the A2 is easier to start then the A3. On the A3 we removed all of the CTIS and put regular valve stems on all tires and mantain 55 psi in all.

 

[Senarmontite]

No, mine doesn't do anything weird.

One thing to remember about the CTIS, is that it airs down about 100X quicker than it can air back up. I replaced the tire on the truck and got it mounted back up last night, I decided to play around with the CTIS and aired them down to "mud sand snow" to see how long it took to air back up. Took about 30 seconds to air down. To air back up, I became impatient after 45 minutes and used the hand throttle to up the rpms to give it more air. It's easier to use the glad hand.

At this point, my faith in the utility of the CTIS isn't all that great. I'm glad mine works, and I like the fact that it keeps the tires aired up. Other than that, it's too slow to have that much use off road.

Thats sounds exactly like mine. I just get on a main road when its pumping and keep driving, which seems to pump em up quicker. As far as the CTIS unit I probably have a faulty screen or its on its last legs.

 

[mktopside]

Thats sounds exactly like mine. I just get on a main road when its pumping and keep driving, which seems to pump em up quicker. As far as the CTIS unit I probably have a faulty screen or its on its last legs.

Well, Jorge from CM is a nice guy and is helpful. Go on their site and shoot him an email he might be able to tell you if your unit is going bad or if it's just a display issue. I appreciate the engineering that went into the CTIS system, it's very well designed; I just think it gets a bad rap because none of us really know how to work on it or properly troubleshoot it.