M34 Active duty

[foxtrot]

6966th Labor Service Transportation Truck Battalion.
Germany in 1953.

 

[NDT]

Mmm with combat rims! Thanks for posting

 

[foxtrot]

Mmm with combat rims! Thanks for posting

combat rims in color.

 

[HDN]

What's the diameter on those tires? 46" 395 won't rub on the the M35 bed, or each other on the tandem axles. It looks like the M34 had a completely different bed too, not just the wheel wells. See how the front of the bed doesn't slope upward? The M35 bed sits higher I think, and that was with the smaller diameter dual wheels

 

[foxtrot]

Dump truck.

 

[Charlie175]

What are "Combat Rims"?

 

[HDN]

What are "Combat Rims"?

Bolt-together rims that keep the tire from falling off if it goes flat.

 

[Guyfang]

6966th Labor Service Transportation Truck Battalion.
Germany in 1953.

The 6966th still is active here in Germany.

 

[foxtrot]

original combat rims.

 

[foxtrot]

 

[msgjd]

Mmm with combat rims! Thanks for posting

nice catch! I had to go back for a re-look

 

[msgjd]

looks like the M34 had a completely different bed too, not just the wheel wells. See how the front of the bed doesn't slope upward? The M35 bed sits higher I think, and that was with the smaller diameter dual wheels

correct, sits lower .. same situation as with the M49C (obvious wheel wells) versus the M49A1-A2C tank bodies (straight-line above tires). .. I have not seen a straight M50 thus I cannot comment about the height of that body

 

[msgjd]

wow , very interesting tailgate / step seen in posting #10

 

[NDT]

wow , very interesting tailgate / step seen in posting #10

Yeah I think GMC dug into the archives for that design that they applied to the new Sierra pickups. The super early hydramatic GMCs had that tailgate as well.

 

[dmetalmiki]

Nice looking and practical trucks.
One reason I obtained and restored my GMC M 135.

 

[HDN]

Where did all the M34s go? Were they all converted to M35s or just scrapped? I don't think I've ever seen one in person. I've seen M135s and M211s though.

 

[foxtrot]

What's the diameter on those tires?

• M34: cargo truck with six 11.00-20 tires
• M35: cargo truck with ten 9.00-20 tires

 

[HDN]

• M34: cargo truck with six 11.00-20 tires
• M35: cargo truck with ten 9.00-20 tires

They're just a hair bigger in diameter than 365/80R20 tires.

 

[frank8003]

original combat rims.

my favorite a quad 50 on a halftrack!

 

[NDT]

Where did all the M34s go? Were they all converted to M35s or just scrapped? I don't think I've ever seen one in person. I've seen M135s and M211s though.

My speculation: the M34s were the absolute first trucks to roll off the assembly line in 1950. Soon thereafter, the design was switched to the M35. The very early nature of the M34, plus low production numbers, plus heavy use by the Army resulted in them being “used up” and didn’t have much of an afterlife with civil defense, fire, municipal, etc.