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Need Help ID Military Tire

Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:01 am
by signsup
Don't know where else to turn on this site, so I'm here. Restored 42 GPW, so a lot of posts up there. Got a Ford Model T that has an unusual set of front tires on it and know one on the Model T site knows anything about them and feels that maybe were used on some sort of military equiptment during WWII. I just need some direction to research these to solve the mystery. Here's what I got:
30 x 3.00 clincher tires with tubes
no tread, slick surface
U.S. Rubber
4 ply
stamped "military" on the backside of the tire as it is mounted

Can't fin any reference to any civilian tires made during WWII in this size. Some suggestions were early bi plane like Jenny tires, but only 4 ply. Or, some sort of trailer or dolly or cart that still used this size tire that the military would authorize new tires for.

Any help greatly appreciated.

Re: Need Help ID Military Tire

Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2017 6:50 pm
by Joe Friday
Is that all it says on the tire size? Normally I thought it was overall diameter, followed by width, followed by wheel diameter.
As an example, the 1928 Model A was a 30x4.50-21.

Re: Need Help ID Military Tire

Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2017 4:50 am
by signsup
Don't believe that's the case. The 30 number is the size of the wheel, so all clincher tires were 20 x something, either 3.00 or 3.40. In the later years of the T, you could get 21 inch tires. My 1915 War Wagon has 4.50x21 tires on it. I have purchased both Model T and Model A tires and they are either 30's or 21's, but not both.

I think if you own a Model A and go out and look at the tires, you will not see a 30 on them.

So, in my research so far, unless a military piece of equiptment specificaly was designed to take a 30" tire, this tire was used on Model T's up to 1928 and it seems odd that the military in WWII would authorize the manufacture of ties for any old equiptment to use these tires. It would make more snese to change the tires and wheels on the equiptment to take a more "modern" size.

It's a queer duck, for sure.

Here's my 1915 Ford Model T War Wagon.

Re: Need Help ID Military Tire

Posted: Sat Jul 08, 2017 1:45 pm
by Joe Friday
I neglected to consider the clincher aspect.

I didn't find any 30x3

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