• Steel Soldiers now has a few new forums, read more about it at: New Munitions Forums!

  • Microsoft MSN, Live, Hotmail, Outlook email users may not be receiving emails. We are working to resolve this issue. Please add support@steelsoldiers.com to your trusted contacts.

M1009 towing M101A2 trailer

porkysplace

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
9,604
1,488
113
Location
mid- michigan
Thank you for the info. It all sounds great but I would rather leave my M1009 Blazer stock not wanting to change over the pintle hook to a variable height hitch. I have one of those for my pickup truck so I can use the trailer for hauling wood etc.
The M1009 hitch is only rated to tow 1200 pounds , you might want to look how poorly they are designed and mounted.
[h=1]M1009 Towing Capacity[/h] [h=1][/h]
 

porkysplace

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
9,604
1,488
113
Location
mid- michigan
The stock hitch is on the M1009 is only rated to tow 1200 pounds . They have very weak mounting to the frame.
 

doghead

4 Star General /Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
26,246
1,177
113
Location
NY
Ok, now I merged your 2 threads and moved them to the trailer forum.

There should have been no discussion in the wanted ad.

Carry on
 

Recovry4x4

LLM/Member 785
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
34,012
1,808
113
Location
GA Mountains
Bolt pattern is 8 on 6 1/2. Center hole is the small GM hole. Almost every aftermarket rim has the larger center hole. 15" rims are an easy get.

If you really want to level your trailer, seek a lower profile tire for the existing rims. Something around a 205-70 maybe. Changing the angle the trailer sits at wont change tongue weight significantly at all.

If your Oh9 is squatting it likely needs new springs.
 

BKubu

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,754
1,146
113
Location
Gaithersburg, MD
It has been a while since I had an M1009, and even longer since I towed a trailer with it, but I don't recall the suspension settling any with an empty trailer hooked to it. If it did settle, it was just slightly. I agree with the other poster (quickfarms) that suggested your springs may be weak (shocks, too, maybe).
 

harryhr

Member
98
18
8
Location
Niagara Falls, New York
Well for starters, my unit in army never once used a 416 quarter ton trailer behind a M1009. They did not track at all in the path made by the M1009. Our Company did not have any M416 trailers anyway. They left when the M151A2 (MUTT) left (turned in to DRMO). We were issued M101's to be towed behind our M1008's which we only had two. So, our company commander designated our M1009's to tow the M101's. Im not using my M101A2 to towed by a civilian truck. I am a member of the MVPA and a member of a local affiliate club of the MVPA. We do authentic military static displays, parades, road convoys, etc. My M1009 is a 1985 model with 36,087 original miles on it. The truck is in very good shape. The springs and shocks are in great shape. All I wanted to do was level out the trailer to the M1009 because the trailer frame and tongue sits higher than the truck frame and pintle hook. That is the main reason I was looking for 15" wheels with the 8 hole lug pattern. Worse comes to worse, I will put larger height tires and a lift kit on my truck. Thank you to everyone for your imput and pros and cons. Much appreciated by me. Harry
 

m38inmaine

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,110
62
48
Location
Maine USA
I had the same issue with my M1009/trailer so I went the low profile tire route and stayed with the original rims. I braved the Maine cold at lunch time and hooked up to the trailer so you could see how level it is. It tows just fine, just don't go crazy with the weight in the trailer and you will be fine.
 

Attachments

Last edited:

harryhr

Member
98
18
8
Location
Niagara Falls, New York
Thank you for braving the cold and hooking up your trailer to your M1009. That's is exactly what I want to achieve. I see you went to the lower profile tire: LT245/75R16. This is what I will look for. Is your trailer equipped with the surge brake on the tongue. Hard to tell. That in its self is a heavy piece of metal. I'm only planning on carrying my field gear and camping gear in the trailer, so it won't be over weight for the lower profile tires. We get cold weather here in western NY (Niagara Falls) but lately it's been in the single digits and a couple degrees below zero. Harry
 

m38inmaine

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
2,110
62
48
Location
Maine USA
Yes, it has the surge brake, that's about all I carry in my trailer is camping gear. The M1009 has stock suspension, tires etc. Glad I could help, I thought a picture would be worth the effort so you could see my results. Also since you are new to the sight and might not know, if you click on the image it will enlarge it to get a closer up view.
 
Last edited:

harryhr

Member
98
18
8
Location
Niagara Falls, New York
Thank you again. Yes, you are correct. The picture says everything. I can only reflect back to when I was an active duty MP and was stationed at Campbell Barracks, Heidelberg, Germany. Our Company had to turn in all of our M151A2's along with the M416 trailers. In exchange we received Twenty M1009's and Two M1078 5/4 pickups along with 22 M101A2 trailers. I do remember a lot of the guys complained about the way the trailers squatted down on the Blazer's excpt for the two M1078's. The only good thing was we only used the trailers when went out on field exercises. We used the Blazers mainly for on and off Post patrol. We had remote ammo and fuel sites we had to patrol. The M1078's were admin vehicles (postal and supplies). A whole lot better than the open sided M151A2's. You could blast the heater but still froze your behind. Blazer was much much more comfortable. Thanks again for your help. Nice to know I can enlarge the pics. I could see the surge brake. Harry
 

harryhr

Member
98
18
8
Location
Niagara Falls, New York
Thank you everyone for your imput on tire, lug, and rim size. I went to a lower profile tire from Firestone that also had the same weight
/load rating as the tires that come with the trailer. Made a world of difference in in pulling trailer as the trailer sits at same level as the Blazer. No more sagging at the pintle hook.
 

Ozarks

New member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
13
3
3
Location
Arkansas
I had the same issue with my M1009/trailer so I went the low profile tire route and stayed with the original rims. I braved the Maine cold at lunch time and hooked up to the trailer so you could see how level it is. It tows just fine, just don't go crazy with the weight in the trailer and you will be fine.
I know this is an old post but since I have a M1009 I thought I’d reach out … just picked up a M101A3 and it currently has HMMWV rims & tires. My M1009 is stock (not lifted, etc.) and has 33” tires on it. Just wanted to confirm you went with the lower profile tires with a 16” rim with a 8 x 6.5 bolt pattern? Thanks!
 

Ozarks

New member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
13
3
3
Location
Arkansas
I had the same issue with my M1009/trailer so I went the low profile tire route and stayed with the original rims. I braved the Maine cold at lunch time and hooked up to the trailer so you could see how level it is. It tows just fine, just don't go crazy with the weight in the trailer and you will be fine.
sorry to beat an old, dead horse to death🙂 but I have M1009 that’s pretty stock except for 33” tires and I just snagged a M101A3 trailer. The trailer has HMMWV rims & tires so I’m gonna have to change them out. Am I correct that you put the LT 245/75R16 tires on 16” rims? Thanks!
 

Tinstar

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
Steel Soldiers Supporter
4,284
1,766
113
Location
Edmond, Oklahoma
The M101A2 uses the standard CUCV truck rim and tire from the factory.
LT235/85R16 tire.
It's a little taller than what your wanting to use.

M101A3 will accept the CUCV truck rim without problems and the shorter tire your wanting to use will work just fine.
Don't forget a spare for the trailer since the M1009s will not work on the trailer.
 

Ozarks

New member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
13
3
3
Location
Arkansas
The M101A2 uses the standard CUCV truck rim and tire from the factory.
LT235/85R16 tire.
It's a little taller than what your wanting to use.

M101A3 will accept the CUCV truck rim without problems and the shorter tire your wanting to use will work just fine.
Don't forget a spare for the trailer since the M1009s will not work on the trailer.
Many thanks!!
 

robertss

Member
30
1
8
Location
OKC OK
I know this is an old post but since I have a M1009 I thought I’d reach out … just picked up a M101A3 and it currently has HMMWV rims & tires. My M1009 is stock (not lifted, etc.) and has 33” tires on it. Just wanted to confirm you went with the lower profile tires with a 16” rim with a 8 x 6.5 bolt pattern? Thanks!
I'm about to do same tire swap on my M101A2. I recently downsized my tow vehicle, and I needed new trailer tires anyway. That 245/75R16 tire size was the stock GM 3/4Ton truck tire size from factory on many trucks from early 2000s so they are usually easy to find in a E load range and not too pricey. If you do seek 8 x 6.5 wheels confirm the hub hole size and year model they come from. GM 8 luggers had a few different Metric patterns in a short number of years in the 2010s+ but i also think they held the 8 x 6.5 until 2010.
 
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website like our supporting vendors. Their ads help keep Steel Soldiers going. Please consider disabling your ad blockers for the site. Thanks!

I've Disabled AdBlock
No Thanks