super swampers on hmmwv

[Action]

Here is a TACOM bulletin I vame across.

http://www.jrtc-polk.army.mil/safety_ne ... M04017.doc

[STUDENT-DRIVER]

No new stuff just read the PS-Mag...

[dilvoy]

I can't read the bulletin, because I don't have the password. What is the jist of the bulletin?

[dunsbr]

From: TACOM SAFETYOFUSE(uc) [TACOMSAFETYOFUSE@dms.tacom.army.mil]
Sent: Monday, June 28, 2004 8:39 AM


The following message has been released to the field.

UNCLASSIFIED//
DTG: 2004/06/28, 13:20Z
Subject: Safety Of Use Message (SOUM), TACOM Control No. SOUM 04-017,
"Technical" Item Affected: Super Swamper Tire, manufactured by INTERCO
used on the High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV)Bias
36x12.50x16.5 Part Number SAM 65, Bias 38x12.50x16.5 SAM 68 and Radial
37x12.50x16.5 Part Number SSR45R.

D XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX D
A X "ATTENTION" X A
N X THIS MESSAGE CONTAINS INFORMATION THAT IS VITAL X N
G X TO THE SAFETY OF ARMY PERSONNEL AND THE OPERATION X G
E X OR MAINTENANCE OF ARMY EQUIPMENT. X E
R XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX R

REFERENCE: Ground Precautionary Message (GPM), TACOM Control No. GPM
04-003, Super Swamper Tire, is rescinded in its entirety, and replaced
by this message.

1. Distribution:

A. This is a "Technical" Safety of Use Message. MACOM commanders
will retransmit this message to all subordinate Commands/Activities
within 24 hours of receipt of this message and acknowledge receipt of
this message within five working days to: CDRTACOM, Warren MI, AMSTA-
LC-LMIM, DSN 786-6096, Commercial (586) 574-6096 or DDN address:
Safetyofuse@Tacom.Army.Mil.

B. MACOM Commanders will also track and report compliance of this
message for all subordinate Commands/Activities to: CDRTACOM, WARREN
MI//AMSTA-LC-CJT//DSN 786-7993/4258, COMMERICAL (586)574-7993/4258 OR
RYMARCZS@TACOM.ARMY.MIL or COLEMAAN@TACOM.ARMY.MIL NLT: 30 Days from
date of this message.

2. Problem:

A. As identified in referenced GPM, TACOM has been informed that
the field has procured and is using tires that had not been tested and
approved for use on the HMMWV platform. Specifically, a tire called the
Super Swamper is being used on HMMWVs. TACOM has now completed the test
of this tire on the HMMWV to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
tire specification, J2014. This test is used to determine if a tire has
the durability and reliability required for the on-road and off-road
missions of a military tactical vehicle. The Super Swamper tire was
tested side-by-side with the approved Goodyear tire, with increased
sidewall durability, which is a significantly improved product
introduced last year. The Super Swamper tire did not pass the SAE
requirements during the rigorous testing just completed. It could have
significant unforeseen safety issues.

B. The Super Swamper tire has an aggressive tread design that
could present operational problems on the HMMWV.

C. Heat generation is a major contributor of tire failure. This
causes inner liner breakdown which leads to air migration through the
plies and eventual complete tire degradation. This could be a problem
with tires used in applications they were not designed to perform.

D. Continued use of the Super Swamper tire represents a potential
safety risk, involving critical failure of the HMMWV suspension system
as well as a high potential for failure of the tire, resulting in
vehicle damage or serious injury or death to the vehicle operator.
Symptoms of tires progressing toward catastrophic failure may not be
visible to the naked eye. Some critical failures are cited below:

O Testing revealed suspension failures to include the pitman arm and
rear springs. These items failed consistently during the Mechanical
Reliability (Off Road) and durability portion of the SAE test.

O The increased un-sprung mass of the Super Swamper tire, 169 lbs
wheel/tire assembly vs. the 163 lbs for the wheel/Goodyear radial tires
assembly, increases the forces that the suspension system encounters
during operation.

E. The Super Swamper tire has a PSI that exceeds Technical
Manual(TM) pressures for the approved HMMWV tire for both highway and
off-road use. PSI ranges cannot be calculated for the Super Swamper
tire since its performance capabilities failed testing.

F. The rim width for the approved Goodyear radial HMMWV tire is
narrower than the manufacturers recommended rim width for the Super
Swamper tire. The approved HMMWV rim width is 8.25 inches; the
manufacturers recommended rim width for the Super Swamper tires is 9.75
inches. Use of the proper rim is essential to assure proper fit of the
tire to the rim. The Super Swamper tire on the current HMMWV wheel
does not meet industry standards established by the Tire and Rim
Association (TRA).

3. User Actions:

A. Unit maintenance personnel will perform a one-time inspection of
all HMMWVs to determine if the following Super Swamper Tires,
manufactured by INTERCO are installed on their vehicles:

Bias 36x12.50x16.5 Part Number SAM 65
Bias 38x12.50x16.5 Part Number SAM 68
Radial 37x12.50x16.5 Part Number SSR45R

B. The Super Swamper tire is currently not approved for use on the
HMMWV. Comprehensive physical testing of the Super Swamper tires is
complete. Final test results strongly indicate the improved sidewall
Goodyear tire is superior to the Super Swamper in terms of durability,
puncture resistance and load capacity. The Super Swamper tire is not
suitable for use on the HMMWV. All Super Swamper tires must be removed
and discarded.

C. If inspection reveals your vehicles are equipped with a Super
Swamper Tire, remove the Super Swamper tire and replace with the
approved Goodyear Radial tire, NSN 2610-01-333-7632, to be used with
the A2 8.25 inch wide wheel, NSN 2530-01-443-3405. Note since Jan 03
the HMMWV radial tire has been manufactured with a new and improved
sidewall.

D. The preferred wheel configuration for SWA use is the Goodyear
Radial Tire configuration. A complete wheel assembly can be
requisitioned under NSN 2530-01-493-5859.

E. Inspect all vehicles prior to the next operation or within
30 days from receipt of this message. The inspection consists of
identifying the particular Super Swamper tire which may be subject to
failure. Vehicles with Super Swamper tires will be NON-MISSION capable
after 30 days of receipt of this message, until all Super Swamper tires
have been replaced.

F. ALL FOUR WHEELS ON THE VEHICLE, TO INCLUDE THE SPARE
IF USED, MUST BE THE SAME. DO NOT MIX DIFFERENT SIZES, DO NOT MIX
RADIAL AND BIAS, DO NOT MIX SUPER SWAMPER TIRES WITH THE APPROVED
GOODYEAR BIAS OR RADIAL TIRES.

G. Unit Commanders with Super Swamper tires will report: the
number of HMMWVs equipped with Super Swamper tires; the total number of
Super Swamper tires both on their vehicles and in their ASL stocks to
the POCs listed below.

H. The following inspections can be performed by operators and/or
organizational maintenance. Inspect all HMMWV vehicles and PLL/ALL stock for the presence of the Super Swamper tire. Suspect tires can be identified by viewing the link in the Army Electronics Product Service (AEPS) at https://aeps2.ria.army.mil/commodity/so ... _tire2.jpg
Follow these steps once you have logged on to the AEPS Web site with
your password; On AEPS tool bar go to SERVICES, click on SAFETY FIRST,
go to SAFETY OF USE MSG and click on all. Your next screen will list
all SOUMS that are on file, find the appropriate SOUM No. and click on
it.
I. If you find the Super Swamper tire on your vehicle or in
ASL/PLL storage, replace the tires with the correct tires that have
been tested and approved for the mission of the HWWMV. Unit Commanders,
contact your local TACOM Logistics Assistance Representative (LAR) or
your State Surface Maintenance Manager upon receipt of this message for
assistance. For assistance in locating your TACOM LAR, see paragraph
6C.

4. TACOM/PM actions: The previously identified Super Swamper tires
are disapproved for use on any HMMWV platform.

5. Supply Status: The approved tires 37/12.50R16.50LT, NSN 2610-01-
333-7632 (new improved Radial), and 36.00/12.50-16.50, NSN 2610-01-171-
4746 (Bias), are both TACOM (AKZ) managed items with sufficient stock
available for request through the Army's supply requisitioning system.
Based on stringent testing, the recommended tire is the improved
Goodyear Radial. The improved radial tire with its corresponding A2
wheel assembly, which was designed specifically for increased load
capabilities when properly inflated, has a load capacity of 3,850 lbs.
This is a 1,000 lb greater load capacity then the 2,850 lbs of the Bias
tire wheel assembly. With an overall vehicle load maximum capacity
increase of 4,000 lbs, the improved radial tire wheel assembly is the
recommended tire for the HMMWV. While the bias tire is still an
authorized tire for the HMMWV, field users deployed in SWA should take
action to convert to the approved radial combination as soon as
possible to obtain improved performance. The GVW load capacities as
stated in each HMMWV Variant's TM should still be strictly adhered to
even with use of the improved radial tire.

6. POC:

A. Steve Rymarczyk, AMSTA-LC-CJT, rymarczs@tacom.army.mil
DSN 786-7993.

B. Anderson Coleman, AMSTA-LC-CJT, colemaan@tacom.army.mil, DSN
786-4258.

C. To find your TACOM LAR, you must be a registered user in the
Army Electronic Product Support (AEPS) database, click on this link:
https://aeps2.ria.army.mil/Services/Lar ... larmap.cfm . Then select the appropriate region, i.e. CONUS, USAREUR, Far East, Kuwait.
Select the location nearest you and click on a name. This will give you a LAR's name, DSN and commercial phone number, email address, and photo. If you are not a registered user, request access at the public page: https://aeps.ria.army.mil/aepspublic.cfm , click on "Access Request Form" and follow the instructions for obtaining an AEPS userid. If you don't have access to AEPS, you can also obtain this information by contacting the TACOM Senior Command Representative (SCR) for your area.

CONUS-East (includes all units east of the Mississippi, FORSCOM, and all National Guard and Reserve units), DSN 236-6951, Commercial 910-396-6951.

CONUS-Central (includes all units in North Dakota, South Dakota,
Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, and all National Guard and Reserve units), DSN 737-0263, Commercial 254-287-0263.

CONUS-West (includes all units in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and all National Guard and Reserve units), DSN 357-2991, Commercial 253-967-2991.

USAREUR (Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, Italy, Bosnia,
Kosovo, and Macedonia) DSN 314-375-3461, Commercial 01149 621-487-3461, in Germany, 0621-487-3461.

Far East (includes Alaska, Hawaii, Korea, Okinawa, Kwajlein, and Japan)
DSN 315-722-3552, commercial 011 82 32 520-6552.

//UNCLASSIFIED//


Cheers