I have a few hmmwv tire questions, if you don't mind:
1) Is there any way to tell if hmmwv tires have runflats installed in them?
2) Are the beadlocks used instead of the runflats or in addition to them?
3) With the two part wheels, is it as simple as deflating the tire, removing the 12 bolts and removing the wheel pieces (when installing a new tire)?
4) What kind of tires are commercially available in a mud terrain that fit the hmmwv wheels?
Thanks!
1) unless you got assembled wheels from someplace else, every HMMWV wheel/tire will have beadlock/ru flats. The HMMWV wheels can't be assembled safely without them. Assuming 12 or 24 bolt wheels, and not early 8-bolt bias ply, the assembled wheel/tire weight should be about 150 lbs. if they weigh only around 100, then the internal rubber beadlock/run flat is missing.
2) the default internal piece is a combo beadlock/run flat. Both inner and outer beads are locked plus raised runflat. The wheels are not safe to operate without at least the beadlock as there is no bead safety retention on the two-piece wheels. Hutchinson (the manufacturer) did offer a 16.5" beadlock only option for the HMMWV wheels but I have never seen one in a govt issued truck. There are aftermarket beadlock options (typically cutdown PVC) that you can find if you search the web.
3) Nope. Deflate the tire, unbolt the wheels, pry outer half off, remove o-ring, press out inner half from beadlock/runflat. That gets you a tire/runflat. You then need to remove the runflat from the tire - easily done with a couple straps the secure the tire less the runflat to a secure object (tree, another truck) and a tug on a strap around only the runflat. Now you have two wheel parts, a used o-ring which might work again but better off getting a new one, a tire and a runflat and lots of nuts. You should also have runflat lubricant on the inside surface of your old tire. Transfer that to the inside surface of your new tire or buy a tube of the runflat lube to use in new tire. (The lube is required to reduce rubber to rubber frictions when driving on the runflat so the tire doesn't catch on fire). Put new tire on ground.. Using a runflat compression tool or really big straps you turn the round ru flat into a something that looks like an 8 - the strap across the middle. That gets you to a shape that can be inserted into the new tire with a lot of effort and prybars. Remove the runflat compression tool (or very carefully release the big straps that are under a huge amount of pressure). Insert tire/beadlock over inner rain, insert o-ring, put outer rim on - squish down enough to be able to get the nuts on. Evenly torque down the nuts to spec - 25 lbs first then I think it's 75lbs second pass - check the TM.
4). The 37x12.5x16.5 is a weird size for tires these days. There are less choices than most sizes. Used to be the super-swamped was the tire everyone liked for mud on their Hummer. Search around - your choices will be limited.
.JPG)
