deadline

The only items painted red on a wartime jeep (and its a 'late war' things) is that the zerk/lube fittings were painted red.. well, AROUND them was painted red to allow for quick ID of zerk fittings. This was a divisional thing (like painting TP 35 above the wheels) so not all jeeps had it. US Division Commanders would have the final say. The best place to look would be AR 850-5 that was the 'how to mark stuff' TM. An early version (1942) is free on the net (or at http://www.tm9-801.com/AR850-5/index.php ) There were later ones... but the 42 is free... IIRC Portrayal Press may have a 43 or 45 version.

Yes, it CAN be a very exacting task.. or you can snug them up and worry about more important things As posted, I simply want to see if I can get a set of these 'defective' and 'irreparable' combat rims for cheap.... I'll use them as.... a.. um... flower pot.. yes, that's it....

OH NOES! Don't let this degenerate into a steering knuckle lube debate! :angry :-D

I have yet to see a jeep or a CCKW have charred paint on the brake drums. Drums are cast iron so they have a tremendous amount of heat absorbing capacity. The drums themselves rarely fail.. but the linings do (esp when brass rivets are used). Paint has so little affect on the drums capacity to radiate heat its a non issue. The hubs get hot, and I'm sure mathematically the total amount of joules is sufficient to damage lots of things... but drum brake pads have a huge surface area to spread that over, so on average its not an issue.

This is a completely separate issue. The loss of a wheel is not new phenomenon but in the age of liability and 'governing bodies' it has become some what more 'visible'. The fact is that just about EVERY WHEEL ON EVERY VEHICLE is not installed properly. I can make that statement quite securely because just about every tire shop simply air hammers the lugs on (not checking the torque setting required nor the setting on the air hammer) and how many people get out after 50 miles and recheck the lug torque as per the manufacturer? Show of hands? A car has maybe 20 lugs TOTAL. A commercial truck can have over 20 PER RIM. So statistically the odds are much higher that a commercial vehicle will have a lose or damaged lug. Its simple math... and in the US it is part of the required pre trip inspection that is logged in the drivers logbook (I have several drivers in the family). If you are worried about micro stress heat crack or lawyers then please sell me your bad rims.. they are worth no more than scrap to you. As for the US being the 'wild west' of auto repair I don't think so. We simple have more cars and more experienced mechanics to repair them so to the uninformed it may seem like we do all sorts of illogical things... but they are completely safe. I would like someone to cite a crash or case where the welded lug rims were the root cause. Since it has been stated that welding of the lug holes is 'not safe' then there has to be a crash as a result of this unsafe repair.

Yet you service the entire vehicle (brakes, tires, engine) with no worries? Do you have any cites for such a case? I know the US and UK courts are more different than alike, but with such a statement you could never service your own vehicle for fear of lawsuits. Yet stores sell evil items like brake fluid and tools to do such things. If you don't *feel* safe with welded lug holds then don't do it... yet no one has offered to sell their 'worn' rims for cheap... I'll take two please.

I'm not really sure how land rovers got into this (did the US employ a Land Rover vehicle called MB?) The biggest gain is in reduced rolling resistance and easier turning... Drag is typically an aerodynamic force caused by an object moving through the air. With the front wheels not being affected by the drive shaft (because the hub is not longer meshing with the splined axle) it will not have to rotate it, nor will it have to overcome the force needed to fully articulate the bendix joint during turns. There are still some losses because the axles will pivot, but the largest loss is in the rotation and pivoting. The original poster also mentioned a part number for the lock out hubs... um.. from what book? The WWII jeep did not have lock out hubs, nor did any M series jeep to my knowledge. Most likely the are from civilian jeep CJs or aftermarket.

While all these scientific quotes are correct, you have to understand that there is a point at which they really don't matter. The MB/GPW is under that point. Since centripetal force is directly proportional to speed and mass. Less speed or mass, less centripetal force. Also, if you look at the weight of welding wire applied (a few grams/oz) vs the force applied by say a pothole, or even turning, it is orders of magnitude less... so again, the effect, overall, it very, very small, well under the the elastic or yield strength of steel. Bottom line, if you don't *FEEL* comfortable, then sell your bum rims and buy new ones (I'm sure ford is still supplying them with each new GPW or Willys with every new MB) but it is a safe and effective repair when done properly.

Obligatory link to wide (up to 10 inch) welded steel rims http://www.roadsters.com/wheels/#Race Most are for racing, because the average 4 cylinder econo-box could never turn a wheel that wide with the engine in it. Needless to say, it ain't rocket science (marketing drivel, but not a lot of science).

Widening wheels is still done today. How do you think they get those Mickey Thompson drag tires on old muscle cars? I can send you link after link of businesses (in the US and UK) that do this all the time SAFELY without incident. You can believe all you like about micro stress fractures etc, but real world is that it really isn't a huge issue. http://www.bandedsteels.com/Banded%20Steels.html Again, today, 2010, steel wheels are MADE by welding a center hub to an outer rim. Other than cast or milled alloy rims, every steel rim is gonna have a weld somewhere. If you do it wrong (not enough heat, to little penetration, wrong wire/rod) then of course you can have issues. But again, done ALL THE TIME. NEW STEEL RIMS ARE WELDED DURING CONSTRUCTION. The only reason I will pass on an original combat rim is excessive pitting on the rim or bead. I see TONS of out of round lug holes, and most people pass because of that. I would happily buy them (I need a set for my 1/4 ton trailer) but its usually the bead is to pitted or the valve stem hole is shot. Both are fixable, but to much time is involved. If you have a pair of combat rims to sell (in the USA) that only has elongated lug holes let me know... I need two.

Again, above a certain speed (roughly 30-35MPH) you do need to balance a tire. But below that, not really. If you own a motorcycle (I own a Suzuki C-50) I go to great pains to AVOID lead counterweights by balancing the tire WITH the rim. Normally I can balance a motorcycle tire without any lead by using the tire to counterbalance the rim (just ignore that yellow dot and balance it statically). But on a car, I do what most do, take it to the shop and let the tire flunky (the guy doing balance and mounting is never the best guy in the garage.. usually the newest) and let the machine get it close. If you are using more than a few ounces of lead then your rim is really out of wack. There is a max amount that should be used... but I can't remember off the top of my head. There are so many 'old wives tales' regarding cars due to the early problems of the modern cars (late 60s, 70's and 80s in particular) that its really not worth informing people who have little more than empirical evidence (my tire has a lot of lead.. it must be in balance! :nut:) 90% of the information people have is nothing more than sales/ manufacturing liability avoidance than good automotive information. You do change your oil every 3000 miles, right?? :nut::nut:

Do you mean the ones they fit between the front bumper or on the running boards? The dual can mount between the front bumper is not a standard part, either two gas can brackets welded together with support brackets or simple angle steel put together. Basically, anything goes.

This business will specifically weld/repair lug holes http://www.wheelsamerica.com/index.php?page=faq#q18 Q17. My lug nuts came loose and damaged the lug holes in my wheel, can that be fixed? A17. Yes, we weld in and re-drill the damaged lug areas. After that is done, the wheel is refinished to look and perform like new again. This is an additional cost and takes extra time. As I said.. done ALL the time.

The topic of WHY you should balance a tire is way to ideological than scientific. Like 'what the best oil'. You do know that the tire balance machine only balances the tire for one speed? It uses several RPM ranges too determine the point of largest variation, then counterweight that one point. It is still out of 'balance' at every other speed. At less than 35MPH or so it really doesn't matter unless the rim is bent, not out of balance. As for all this welding mico heat stress jibba jabba there is so much heat generated in the stamping of the wheel that a mig torch putting a small bead around a lug hole is nothing. There are millions of welded rims out there.. they are not blowing up and killing small children during parades (that's in an inside joke). You do know that most steel rims ARE WELDED? Origianlly (aka pre 40s-50s) they were riveted, but rivets are a poor choice.. welding is much safer and stronger. Weld, don't weld, its your call, but its completely safe and done all the time (on steel rims).

Weld them up and drill/countersink them. A jeep rim will never see more than 45-50mph. Hardly fast enough to need any balance weight whatsoever. A modern wheel of aluminum or alloy doing 60+ MPH, yes. A stamped steel combat wheel with split rims, bolts, and a huge NDT tire???? Forget out all that mico-balance heat stress jibba-jabber. What makes you think that the repro rims are made to any standard?

If the crack is IN the channel proper then it gets a little tougher. But the most common block cracks are from the outside (where the bolt hole that holds the dist clamp in place) down the dist housing taper. A sleeve is not a repair. To repair the crack you would need to drill the ends of the crack (to relieve the stress paths so it does not crack further) and somehow fill the crack. I agree that a sleeve will buy you some time.. maybe even another 60 years... but at some point (tomorrow, next year, etc) that crack is going to grow and cause more problems. I would see if you could actually bore out the entire crack, then insert a cast iron sleeve and ream to original size.

A HMMWV is not getting 20+ MPG. Did you convert the units properly? Closer to 12-15 tops, more like 8-10. An M1008/9, yeah, 20+MPG is believable.

Most cast iron cracks can be pinned (they do it to water jackets and around cylinder walls). The pinning actually pulls the metal together (like a screw) and the repair is quite strong. Plus, they can pin without major disassembly of the engine (in your case take out the distributor, pin, reinstall) http://www.locknstitch.com/ A sleeve will not repair the crack, and cast iron being so brittle, you stand a chance of the crack growing (even if drilled to relieve stress) due to thermal and mechanical stresses.

Technically it does. Realistically, no.,

Here is a good reference for the tubs, major parts and what goes where on what type body

You need to start with the 'Big Three' Is the engine shot? Cracked blocks can be pinned, but a crack in the crankshaft is a bigger problem. A rebuild engine (less accessories) is $2000-$2500 US. Rust in cylinders, worn valvetrain parts etc can quickly eat any budget. Is the driveline serviceable? Jeeps are subject to certain cracks and wear that make them to expensive to recondition. A cracked block is somewhat common, but wear in the bearing/shaft retainers is much more common and can stop a project cold. Is the body rust free? A new floor is almost always called for, and MD Juan parts are spotty with respect to fit. I would not turn of fiddle with anything. There is probably water in every sump and turning things over with rusty bits on them will just make it more costly to repair. Start by taking out the engine and have it looked over. If the engine is shot then you need to buy/rebuild, or start with the other bits till you have enough to get a proper engine rebuild done.

The 302 should bolt right up. Other than some accessory locations the engine proper is the same save for a larger diameter cylinder, and the exhaust port is slightly larger. Double clutching is the fun part part of driving a CCKW. Because turning it sure isn't.

Interesting LR article. Yes, you can use different weight weighted springs to support a vehicle, but the article shows that its a convoluted mess of weight, ride and many different springs. One spring set will not be the best (or give the 'flat' stance of another at different loads. I think the jeep and LR share the common problem that the fuel is concentrated on one side (up to 150lbs of fuel) and driver (up to 180-200lb) plus engine (front axles weight) tire out the front left spring much quicker than any other. A little tidbit I picked up was that the reason the fuel tank is under the driver and not the passenger seat (and thus leveling the load) was that it would allow for two 'kill shots' on a jeep: hit the driver, or the fuel tank, either ones disables a jeep. With the driver on top of the fuel tank there is one less 'kill shot' zone. Sounds like a good enough reason to me.

Here is the article from April 1944 Army Motors: http://www.42fordgpw.com/hurry.html read this and you will get the dope on the TRS. You can DL the April 1944 Army Motors from: http://www.tm9-801.com/ArmyMotors/index.php

The front drive shaft is articulated by U joints and sliding yoke. Its fully able to take the any movement up to and including the axle bumper hitting the frame, and at least a foot side to side. The springs DO prevent movement front to back but if you have significant movement then something will break besides the front drive shaft. The TRS was a unique solution to a specific vehicles unique (and somewhat deficient) steering linkage problem. Only the G503 has them. I know of no other WWII MV that uses them. For whatever reason the 'jeep' was designed with this flaw. CJ2s did not suffer from this issue.. they redid the steering knuckles are moved the steering arm from the top to the middle of the knuckle. They also dropped the TRS. Also, if the TRS had anything to do with positioning the axle, wouldn't they be needed on both sides? The driveshaft is not structural (its a thin walled tube with yokes welded on). And wouldn't you also need them on the rear axle? They're no additional supports because they are not needed. The springs absorb axle shock (caused by the ground). The TRS is only there to keep the steering linkage steady.