Recentered HEMTT wheel install

[patracy]

I picked up a set of recentered hemtt wheels from KBarrell this week and installed my XML's on them. Just wanted to give everyone pics and a step by step on how it's done. The workmanship of the wheels is excellent. Thick beefy center plates and great welding.

To get started, I laid down an old sheet of plywood to work on. Getting trash in the beads will only make things harder on you. Plus with all the rain, my yard was mud and muck.

I sat the wheel down in the center of my "work area". Then removed the outer ring. Kevin supplied me with some valve stems that work fine, but need a slight tweak. The ball mount on the bumper proved to be an excellent tool to tweak it. You can see in the next pic the difference between the two. This allows the stem to exit the middle of the hole for the valve stem.

The valve stem hardware is nice brass fittings as well. The side with the gasket goes inside the rim. That will force the air to seal the fitting shut. Another nice thing about the hemtt wheel vs. an A3 wheel is that this is recessed. The A3 wheel actually pokes out inside the wheel and causes the bead to snag. When installing the nut, make sure the beveled side goes inward. This centers the nut and stem assembly.

To be continued...

 

[patracy]

Just snug the nut down inside the wheel and the mount is installed. Then thread the valve stem into the opening and the mount hole. Then make sure the wheel face is clean. Mine had a few metal chips from the machining in them. At this point you're about ready to put some tires on. Soapy water is your friend, don't skimp on it. Let it flow!

I also found that spraying down the wheels helped as well. Once the bottom half is lubed up drop the tire over the wheel. Next install the o-ring. I also lubed up the top plate of the wheel as well. I'm telling you, soapy water is your friend!

Then drop the top plate on and get started SLOWLY running the nuts down in a criss-cross pattern. I slowly worked up the two. until they were almost snug on both sides. Then I got started on the other bolts. I used the impacts medium setting for this. Then finished it off in high.

Last of all it's time to air up the tires. For the most part, about half took air zero problems. The other half, I had to stand upright and spray the beads with more soapy water. Didn't have to use any starting fluid or straps. And all of this was on a 50F day.

 

[patracy]

I'm very pleased with these wheels. Much more than the A3 wheels I had. Kevin did a great job with them. If you need wheels, give him a call!

I've picked up new axle seals for the rear of my deuce. Maybe this weekend I'll get the rear hubs flipped and the wheels/tires installed.

Thanks Kevin!

 

[mudguppy]

that's a real good write-up. wheels look nice, too!

 

[goodguyzy]

good job, i am going to be doing the same thing soon on my bobber so im glad i have some pics now

 

[Dirtygrunt]

Nice pics and info how much do those rims run. Thanks Bryan

 

[ender891]

I'm new to this sight, but have been reading many posts. This is a very easy to follow description of how to mount these tires/wheels. My sons and I aim to build a bobber starting in March. I guarantee this post will be helpful. Thanks for taking the time to chronicle and photograph this process and your work.

Simply Awesome!

A quick question, I am a bit confused over the available tire sizes to fit these wheels, from what I have read, I think these tires you used are the 14.00x20's. will the 395's also fit these wheels? Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks

 

[ODdave]

nice write up. Did you get a deal on the stems? i noticed you have about 15-20 dollars worth on each wheel.

 

[patracy]

Nice pics and info how much do those rims run. Thanks Bryan

$250 each, but I believe the cost has gone up a little. Kevin can speak to that.

I'm new to this sight, but have been reading many posts. This is a very easy to follow description of how to mount these tires/wheels. My sons and I aim to build a bobber starting in March. I guarantee this post will be helpful. Thanks for taking the time to chronicle and photograph this process and your work.

Simply Awesome!

A quick question, I am a bit confused over the available tire sizes to fit these wheels, from what I have read, I think these tires you used are the 14.00x20's. will the 395's also fit these wheels? Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks

Those tires I installed are the 395's from the hemtt. The beads are different for it.

nice write up. Did you get a deal on the stems? i noticed you have about 15-20 dollars worth on each wheel.

Kevin included them with the wheels.

 

[Hooty481]

what exactly is different about the beads on the 395 and the 14.00r20

 

[patracy]

what exactly is different about the beads on the 395 and the 14.00r20

Here's a pic of a MPT tire mounted on a HEMTT style wheel.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/attach...s-stock-deuce-rims-mpt-tires-hemtt-wheels.jpg

I know that I was able to seat the beads of a 395's on a set of A3 wheels I had. But it doesn't support all of the bead like a hemtt wheel does. It probably wouldn't have posed a problem. And I had planned on picking up more A3 wheels to complete my set until my source ran out of them. That's when I switched to the recentered hemtt wheels.

 

[Hooty481]

i see what you are saying now.... I wonder if anybody has had any major problems with the A3 wheels

 

[hasteranger]

Maybe a stupid question, but who is "kevin?" any contact info?

 

[Unforgiven]

I need an electron microscope to see that pic.

 

[s1036s]

I think kevin is KBarrell on here. Read the first post. It has his screen name on there. Then send him a PM.

 

[gringeltaube]

I need an electron microscope to see that pic.

we are drifting off-topic I know... anyways let me help you with this...

https://www.steelsoldiers.com/showt...0-xl-tires-stock-deuce-rims-2.html#post605946

and another drawing below showing both wheel styles and their respective bead profile in real proportion, superposed.



For all new folks onboard, once again:

• 15.5s, 395's and 14.00R20s on HEMTT wheels = YES, perfect match!
• 14.5R20 on HEMTT wheel = NO! WRONG! UNSAFE!

G.

 

[DMaddox]

ok somewhere i got lost please tell me what mpt means

 

[gringeltaube]

...was about to say do-a-search....

Take a look here... http://www.conti-online.com/generat...nge/download/mpt_radial_tires_brochure_en.pdf

G.

 

[mark salanco]

I have a set of wheels on my truck that Kevin made, excelent workmanship..highly recomended

 

[ApopkaFL]

i see what you are saying now.... I wonder if anybody has had any major problems with the A3 wheels

I sell and install tires everyday. From semi tires to Rv Tires , Truck and cars, I installed set of XZL 53`s on a set of M35A3 rims I personly do not see a problem with the bead and how it sets on the rim. I deal in Military Tires everyday, Plus the 53`s XZLs have very strong side wall, Unlike the 14.5s they are crappy tire. I would suggest everyone that has them on there trucks to replace them when they can.


Rodman