My New Trailer

[plym49]

Here's a shot of my new trailer.

The tires are dated 1964 and I have already made two 600 mile round trips.

We used to build some great things in this country.

 

[ODdave]

Nice little trailer ! Just be carefull of that old rubber, they like to get warm and are not ment for todays speeds. Sounds like you are keeping an eye on this allredy thought

Are you pulling it with green iron as well?

 

[jets1959]

If those are indeed 1964 tires you need to replace them asap. tires have a very short life span to remain safe for you, your stuff and others. the price of new tires is well worth the peace of mine and the safety factor. Nice and cool trailer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[plym49]

I do have a spare! Even with that, on the first few trips I stopped to feel the tires and wheel bearings to see if they were getting hot. Cool as a cucumber, even at speeds of 75 mph.

Unfortunately, I do not have green iron to tow with. Trips have been with my OT 4x4, my friend's Cherokee, and my own civilian Jeep.

I will be keeping the pintle. The insulation on the original wires was badly cracked, so I removed (and stored) the original connector, brackets, wiring and lights and installed a 12 volt system with a conventional flat plug. I will eventually replace the stock lights, relamping them for 12 volts, but the housings need a lot of work.

 

[plym49]

If those are indeed 1964 tires you need to replace them asap. tires have a very short life span to remain safe for you, your stuff and others. the price of new tires is well worth the peace of mine and the safety factor. Nice and cool trailer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I will eventually replace them but for now they seem to be doing quite well. I don't load the trailer heavily and I am sure that helps.

 

[Asgar]

Back in 1991 I bought a M100 trailer from a north country farmer in New York. Both tires were dated 1951 and were all dry rotted but felt 'solid'. I hauled all summer with that trailer, scrap metal, my motorcycle (farmer cut a tailgate in the trailer), demolition debries etc. Just before I was ready to head south to my folks place I put a gage on the tires, zero, like zero air. I tried to inflate them and all I had was hisssss... It took me a sawsall to get the old very stiff, 'million' ply tires off of the rims. It was then that I saw the tubes were rotted away. I swapped surplus m151 tires on my rims and had one let go on me. After that I put on new tires which have lasted fine up to now.

Those old 1951 tires were so stiff they just hung onto the rims but I was really lucky.

The 5 ton guys with super singles are also seeing the same thing, the relativly new tires are blowing on the highway and they are not even that old, just dry cracked a bit.

For this reason I replaced my M1008 and M101a2 tires, could have run them longer but it just is not worth the excitement or mayham on the road if they blow out.

 

[Asgar]

.... I Should have mentioned that you have a nice trailer there! I'm not sure if your trailer was set up like my M100, on the left side the nuts are left hand thread, which I did not expect on a trailer. So if you have not taken off the wheels, just look out for that, a big impact wrench will run the 'small' nuts right into the rims, in the moment you may think you are 'breaking them free'.

 

[maddawg308]

I had a M416 in the early 2000s, I got it in 1998 from DRMO with tires dated in the late 60s. They hauled fine until the day I sold the trailer, no problems.

IMHO - keep those tires on there and use them. Just keep an eye out for tire checking on the sidewalls, and keep a new spare handy in case one disintegrates on the highway.

 

[plym49]

Thanks for the replies and the tips. Asgar, it's funny what you said about the TP. When I picked up the trailer I eyeballed them and clubbed them and they were firm with no apparent sidewall flex. I got home - about 50 miles of highway - and felt them. Cool as a cucumber. Then i checked the pressure. Both had 15 psi. I aired both up to 30 psi, which they have held since then. and the crazy thing is that there is no noticable change in the appearance of the sidewall. These old Milspec tires are some kind of tough. I do have a spare but has a good deal of checking while the tires on the trailer do not. But the spare is enough to get me out of trouble if one of them goes.

Also, I have right hand threads on both sides. The lug nuts are captive to large tapered washers. I removed them all and lubed where the nut sits against the washer as some of them were stiff. Then I anti-siezed the lugs.

I have a set of take-off 265-78 x 16 tires that came off my wife's Suburban. They have about 80% tread remaining. I could use them on this trailer but I have a real problem putting a square-shouldered civilian tire on this work of art.

 

[3dAngus]

Better yet, get two spares. Nice trailer. I would love to have one.

 

[emmado22]

I wouldnt trust tires that old. Replace them. New tires are cheap compared to the costs the old ones can rack up with blowiuts or accidents.

 

[plym49]

Thank you. I plan to pull the hubs to grease the wheel bearings. Any special tips, or do they get adjusted like any other wheel bearing?

 

[Ratch]

I can't say what SOP is on the bearings, but I'd think with tires that old, the grease in the hubs may not be much younger. I'd get everything completely cleaned, then coat and reassemble with new synthetic marine grease. I actually have to do that with an A3 axle soon, I figure starting over from scratch is the safest bet.

Nice looking trailer, too.


I thought the military replaced tires on everything at set intervals, preventively... I guess not...

 

[plym49]

I can't say what SOP is on the bearings, but I'd think with tires that old, the grease in the hubs may not be much younger. I'd get everything completely cleaned, then coat and reassemble with new synthetic marine grease. I actually have to do that with an A3 axle soon, I figure starting over from scratch is the safest bet.

Nice looking trailer, too.


I thought the military replaced tires on everything at set intervals, preventively... I guess not...

Thank you. Today I greased the shackles and they all nicely took grease. Clean grease came out too (the old grease was clean). I found the TM for the trailer, and it looks like the wheel bearings get adjusted just like any other vehicle.

Here are a couple more pictures:

 

[coyotegray]

Made before planned obsolescence was invented....

 

[scranch18121]

yery nice

 

[Ratch]

How did you determine the age of the tires? I just moved my only 60's M101a1 yesterday and took a look at one of the tires. I only had a minute, but didn't see any date markings on it.

I know modern tires have a coding system, but I've noticed military tires live by their own rules...

 

[Asgar]

On my old Goodyears it is stamped on the tire, see pic. On the 'Newer' Coopers (1960s) that have the safety warning and DOT stamp this stamp did not appear unless that is what the stamp '64L' means or code 'CEX237'

 

[Asgar]

Hmm, no picture, 2nd try...

 

[plym49]

How did you determine the age of the tires? I just moved my only 60's M101a1 yesterday and took a look at one of the tires. I only had a minute, but didn't see any date markings on it.

I know modern tires have a coding system, but I've noticed military tires live by their own rules...

There is a '4-68' (or whatever) date on the tire. I will try to post a picture.