Valence's 1960 Pioneer Tool Trailer

[Valence]

I apologize for the jumping around of topics, but it is kind of how it is with new developments. I had left the 2nd tire and wheel from the donor trailer complete on the trailer so it could roll around (when the other wheels returned). Due to so much rust visible on the lock ring, restoring/using that wheel was not an option.

However, last night I found that I could order NOS lock rings from VintagePowerWagon.com (see the post below).

I decided to move forward with that as I wouldn't see why it wouldn't be true as long a both lock "lips" are sound and straight. I'm a little surprised, but the local Les Schwab was able to separate the tire, wheel, and lock ring. I was informed it took one of their employees nearly 1 hour and that he makes $17.75 per hour and my charge was $20. So, it was a bargain! They wouldn't work on it until I confirmed multiple times that I had no intention of returning this ring to service on the road.

Here's the cancer on the lock ring in all it's glory:


The wheel lock ring lip will clean up nicely:


A whole lot of debris left over that collected in the tire. I can imagine that it left quite a mess in the shop too.

 

[Valence]

The super lug is what the military started using on replacements for the m101a1's. 2 different trailers I have picked up at ft. Polk had a super lug on one side and a ndt on the other side. I have them on mine and very nice tread, runs cool. I have run the trailer 70 with no issues. For these wheels, you do need a flap and bias tube with the super lug though they can be run tubeless on a tubeless wheel.. Gimpyrobb had tubes available. GoldnEagle has some nice super lugs available.

Thanks juanprado for the helpful info here! I think you've helped me with excellent input on all my projects

I was thinking to just reuse the tubes and flaps from both trailers that I just dismounted (well, the first trailer only had 7.50x16 tubes, so would need 2 new tubes).

Speaking of tubless, I finally found tubeless wheels that fit the Pioneer Tool Trailer (and M37), as well as a reliable source for additional stock wheels:
Vintage Power Wagons:
https://www.vintagepowerwagons.com/featured-parts-catalog.html

From VPW Wheels, Hubs, Drums & Tires Catalog:
New Budd Tubeless wheels:
17" diameter
8" width
8.5" backspacing
$375 ea - bare steel
$450 ea - powder coated



PDF: 690 KB
View attachment 13wheels.pdf

Or their entire Vintage Power Wagons catalog (33.2 MB)
(too big to upload to Steel Soldiers)
https://www.vintagepowerwagons.com/pdf/parts/Full-VPW-Catalog.pdf

 

[Valence]

The super lug is what the military started using on replacements for the m101a1's. 2 different trailers I have picked up at ft. Polk had a super lug on one side and a ndt on the other side. I have them on mine and very nice tread, runs cool. I have run the trailer 70 with no issues. For these wheels, you do need a flap and bias tube with the super lug though they can be run tubeless on a tubeless wheel.. Gimpyrobb had tubes available. GoldnEagle has some nice super lugs available.

On the excellent advice of juanprado, I purchased three STA Superlugs from Mr. GoldnEagle. Standup fellow to deal with, that's for sure! He did all the leg work and shipped at a good cost via UPS to a friend of mine's business. All three of these fellows saved me a bunch of money!

I saved enough I could have bought nearly 2 or 3 more tires for the left over trailer frame that I'm going to have -- but I didn't want to stack the projects too deep, or too far distant. I was sad to turn down a good price for "95%" tires, but such is things.



I'm really excited, and love the look of these tires. It was an *excellent* decision and suggestion! Though, I learned that there are different types of valve stems in tubes. I paid a little extra to keep the tubes in these Superlugs and I don't believe that they'll work correctly with my wheels.

A seen here, this is the tube in the tire (different valve stem), and the loose tube on the ground has the correct style of valve stem I'll need.


So I'll either attempt to resell the tubes that came with the tire or give them to kids to play with in the winter snow or summer water.

I have 2 correct tubes that came out of the old, dry rotted NDTs that were holding air - it should be fine to reuse those, but I will need at least 1 more tube and flap (maybe 2 flaps, on is a bit beat up around the valve stem hole).

 

[juanprado]

looking good.

check out for tube as it "looks" right:
https://colemans.com/shop/sporting-goods/u-s-g-i-inner-tube-9-50-9-00-x-16/

 

[Valence]

I picked up the wheels from the powder coater last Friday (06/10/2016). They look so good. Premium flat black. They have a satisfying silky texture too.

The wheels were suspended by a wire about their mid section to preserve the integrity/quality of all the exterior and exposed surfaces. I have spray painted over the mark.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Sorry I'm late to the thread. ZiggyO has some of the tubeless wheels too. I know your not going that route any longer, but figured I'd tease you.

 

[Valence]

Sorry I'm late to the thread. ZiggyO has some of the tubeless wheels too. I know your not going that route any longer, but figured I'd tease you.

You're a horrible human being.

 

[ZiggyO]

Correction--- I had tubeless rims...... about 90 of them in fact at one time---- but the power wagon guys found out and cleaned out my stock within about 3 weeks.......

If someone is interested though, I do have three new 9.00 x 16 Michelin XZL's available-- the good Canadian ones not the Chinese knockoffs...... pm if interested.....

Z

 

[Valence]

You should post pictures here because I've never heard of a Michelin XZLs in 9.00 x 16!

 

[ZiggyO]

Pics of the Michelins

 

[Valence]

Those would look so cool on a trailer pulled by a deuce running the Michelin 395 XZLs!

 

[ZiggyO]

Well, I have three of them, they are new, and they are available (only as a set of the three)......

Z

 

[gimpyrobb]

Wow, sure opened a can of worms today, huh?



Bwaaaahahahahaha

 

[Valence]

Sent a message a couple weeks ago to ZiggyO, didn't get a response. So I carried on with my Super Lugs and tubes from Gimpy (excellent tubes!)

I got them mounted this weekend, they do look pretty good. Though, once inflated, one of the Super Lugs I got from Goldneagle has 4 or 5 slashes in the sidewall up into the tread (not pictured). They don't look too deep, but still, disappointing. I guess that one will be the spare.

Two of the flaps from the 4 tires (from the two trailers) were still in good shape so I reused them.

 

[rustystud]

Sent a message a couple weeks ago to ZiggyO, didn't get a response. So I carried on with my Super Lugs and tubes from Gimpy (excellent tubes!)

I got them mounted this weekend, they do look pretty good. Though, once inflated, one of the Super Lugs I got from Goldneagle has 4 or 5 slashes in the sidewall up into the tread (not pictured). They don't look too deep, but still, disappointing. I guess that one will be the spare.

Two of the flaps from the 4 tires (from the two trailers) were still in good shape so I reused them.

View attachment 637802 View attachment 637803 View attachment 637806 View attachment 637805 View attachment 637807 View attachment 637804

Looking good Valence !!!
By the way, how much did the tire shop charge you for the tear down and remount ?

 

[Valence]

Looking good Valence !!!
By the way, how much did the tire shop charge you for the tear down and remount ?

Thanks!

At the place I went to in Cache county UT, it's supposed to be $30 for a dismount and remount. Though, obviously, to blast and powder coat these wheels I had to do it in two separate visits (a visit for dismount, and a later one to remount). Doing it like this the place tried to charge me $20 for each tire for mount or dismount - both visits. I had to catch them on that because that would have made it $40 per tire!

I did end up paying Les Schwab (which was very close to me) $20 for 1 dismount on a previously pictured very rusty wheel.

 

[Valence]

I pulled off the shackles from both trailers and noticed, for the first time, that the pin heads are different. The parts trailer shackles are on the left, the first trailer's shackles on the right.



Same manufacturer, separated by one month and about 400 units via the serial number. Must have been a source/supplier thing. The flat shackle pin heads will actually be easier to weld a retaining clip chain to.

Speaking of welding, I've taken the plung, broke the bank and ordered a super nice Millermatic 211 MIG welder (120V/220V) from CyberWeld.com (it was on sale and a $200 mail in rebate as well - I will need to buy gas. Probably C25 like my brother suggested).




I've taken a small beginners welding class and there's a number of things I want to do to this trailer before sandblast and paint, and I thought it was no better time to start doing it myself:

• As mentioned, tack weld a clip retaining chain to the shackle pins.
• Fix the couple of rust holes in the floor
• Weld up and grind smooth all the holes interior and exterior (mostly left from those dozens of tool labels).
• Reinforce where the gull wing door hinges are (the exterior shows signs of cracking).
• Fix a bit of body rust by the fenders
• Add a thick rod or tubing inside the edge of the fenders to greatly strengthen them against future impacts. Kind of like how some of the 5 ton M809 series fenders are reinforced. (I'll save this for last and see if my skills are up to snuff by then.)
• Probably some form of spare tire mount on the front right side.
• Depending how the spare tire mount goes, one or two propane tank mounts on the front left.
• Some form of metal guard in front of the propane tanks for protection.
• I'm sure there'll be more!

 

[rustystud]

I pulled off the shackles from both trailers and noticed, for the first time, that the pin heads are different. The parts trailer shackles are on the left, the first trailer's shackles on the right.
View attachment 638288


Same manufacturer, separated by one months and about 400 units via the serial number. Must have been a source/supplier thing. The flat shackle pin heads will actually be easier to weld a retaining clip chain to.

Speaking of welding, I've taken the plung, broke the bank and ordered a super nice Millermatic 211 MIG welder from CyberWeld.com (it was on sale and a $200 mail in rebate as well - I will need to buy gas. Probably C25 like my brother suggested).

View attachment 638290 View attachment 638289


I've taken a small beginners welding class and there's a number of things I want to do to this trailer before sandblast and paint, and I thought it was no better time to start doing it myself:

• As mentioned, tack weld a clip retaining chain to the shackle pins.
• Fix the couple of rust holes in the floor
• Weld up and grind smooth all the holes interior and exterior (mostly left from those dozens of tool labels).
• Reinforce where the gull wing door hinges are (the exterior shows signs of cracking).
• Fix a bit of body rust by the fenders
• Add a thick rod or tubing inside the edge of the fenders to greatly strengthen them against future impacts. Kind of like how some of the 5 ton M809 series fenders are reinforced. (I'll save this for last and see if my skills are up to snuff by then.)
• Probably some form of spare tire mount on the front right side.
• Depending how the spare tire mount goes, one or two propane tank mounts on the front left.
• Some form of metal guard in front of the propane tanks for protection.
• I'm sure there'll be more!

That's a nice welder there ! I've used the Miller welders before and they are quality units !

 

[gimpyrobb]

Do yourself a favor and get smalll wire for tin work and thicker wire for not body work.

 

[Valence]

Do yourself a favor and get smalll wire for tin work and thicker wire for not body work.

Thanks Mr. Gimp. Do you have a rough estimate what thickness of wire would be good for those two applications? My brother said he uses 0.030" wire - I assume he meant for everthing he welds.