A question of wheels

[jeeperjoe]

Does anyone know which type wheels were used on the different model military Jeeps or by production year?

Some people say that all the WW II jeeps came with Combat wheels but I've seen plenty of WW II pictures of Jeeps with disk type wheels. I've also read that WW II Jeeps came with the solid disk wheels with no slots in them. If so, then did the slotted wheels start with the M38? Or did the earlier Jeeps ever come with slotted wheels or M38s with solid disk wheels?

I've noticed that some of the slotted wheels have a slightly flattened edge where they attach to the rim and some don't and I've been told that the flattened ones came with the M38A1. Looking at the pictures in my 1952 M38A1 manual, the wheels all look like the rounded style without the flattened edge but those pictures are often taken from early prototypes that differ from production vehicles. Does anyone know for sure???

Next, what's the relationship of military wheels to the civilian CJ wheels? Are they the same? I've read that the military wheels are "better built". I suppose that means thicker metal since the wheel appear to be the same otherwise. Does anyone know what the difference is or if there even is one?

Are the CJ wheels date stamped like the military wheels? Does anyone know when they first started dating the wheels?

I just picked up a bunch of wheels from a 1945 GPW and I'm trying to figure out if they're military or not and what they originally came off of. All slotted wheels and have tires on them so I can't check the dates.

I've also been told that you can identify military wheels because the valve stem hole lines up with one of the lug nut holes. Is there any truth to that?

[wesk]

Had you done a search on the topic wheel you would have found all the often repeated answers to your questions.

The WWII jeep is the 1941 thru 1945 Willys MA & MB, Bantam BRC40 & BRC60 and the Ford GP, GPW & GPA. Describing their wheels is a book in itself. That question is better asked on the WWII jeep web site G503. Yes the early units came with a solid disc and yes the later adopted standard wheel was the two piece combat rim. This rim was also used on a few of the 6 M38 pre-production Pilot model jeeps for testing by the Army but were not used at all on production m series jeeps built from 1950 on.

M38 and M38A1 and M170 and M100 Factory wheels are simple. The are 16 x 4.5 with 5 lug holes on a 5.5" center. They all came with an 1/8" pilot hole next to one lug hole. They all came with a safety bump type retaining feature for the tire beads. The earlier wheels have center discs that were evenly rounded from the center hole to the rim. The later wheels had the small flat just before the rim. Both Kelsey Hayes and Motor Wheel produced these wheels for Willys/Kaiser. By the end of M38A1 production the only replacement wheels being stocked by Kaiser were the civilian 16x4.5 without the safety bead feature and the 1/8" hole. This wheel was the standard factory replacement 16" wheel for the CJ series.

As for civilian wheels the factory offered about 10 different wheels. The only Civilian jeep wheel with the 1/8" hole near one lug hole was the early Willys truck wheel in 16x5 with 5 on 5.5 and no safety bead feature.


M38 & early M38A1/M170 wheel.


Late M38A1/M170 wheel. I have found these with and without safety bead feature.


This illustrates the correct way to measure rim width and shows the safety bead feature.


This illustrates the difference in offset between the military M series wheel at the top and the CJ replacement wheel at the bottom.
_________________
Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100

Mjeeps photo album: http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=Wes-Knettle&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php