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M101 Flat Tire Woes

Discussion in 'Towing & Hauling' started by incredibillhulk, Apr 23, 2019.

  1. Apr 23, 2019 at 1:11 PM
    #1
    incredibillhulk

    incredibillhulk [OP] New Member

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    Back in November I jumped at the opportunity to pick up an M101A2 military trailer from a guy in Georgia that was selling it on eBay. The price was a bit higher than some others that I had seen but it had been converted to 12-volt electrical and had a coupler for a trailer ball instead of a pintle. Likewise it included the original cargo cover, cover bows, and side/end gates. Here's a pic right after I picked it up.

    [​IMG]

    My long-term goal is to turn it into a camping rig but in the short-term I'm needing it to move stuff.

    My wife and I are currently selling our house and developing a multi-acre lot for our new home and the only feedback we have been getting from people is that they don't like our current back yard. It's large but was overgrown with bamboo and a random assortment of bushes. I spent the past week cutting that all down and started to bring in some fill dirt a ton at a time to level things out a bit (the trailer's max capacity is listed as ~2,400 pounds).

    On Saturday, everything was going well with getting the dirt from the landscaping supply place to our house. I had made two round-trips (about five miles) and on the way home from that second trip I heard that all-too-familiar Psst Psst Psst Psst Psst Psst coming from a tire. I had the windows down and it was so loud that I was sure that one of the truck's tires was leaking. I slowly continued on and the leaking noise stopped until I heard a THWUMP. Luckily I was in my neighborhood and was able to pull over on an empty lot, but here's what I saw:

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    Flat Tire! No problem - get another one. Have you ever tried to find a 37x12.50R16.5 Goodyear Wrangler MT tire from the 1990's in a rural North Carolina town on a Saturday afternoon (on Easter weekend)? Suffice to say, they don't exist. So, my scramble to try and get the trailer home and off of someone else's property while it was loaded with dirt began with me calling local tire shops to see if they had ANYTHING that would fit a 16.5" wheel. Nothing, of course. No heavy truck shops could help either, so I turned my attention to Facebook Marketplace to find a wheel and tire combo with a 8x6.5" lug pattern with a center bore to fit. Researching online led me to the fact that mid-2000's GM trucks had an 8-lug wheel that would work and I just happened to come across a steelie from a guy who was only asking $25 for it.

    [​IMG]

    A forty-minute drive later to get the wheel and tire and I was able to put it on the trailer and limp home on a 245/65R16.

    [​IMG]

    I've ordered some new 115S load rated tires and a set of generic 16" black steel wheels which should be here this week and allow me to pick up where I left off with my back yard project.
     
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    #1
  2. Apr 23, 2019 at 2:11 PM
    #2
    15whtrd

    15whtrd Mr. Blonde

    Joined:
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    Sean
    SoCal
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    White 2015 Tundra DC SR5 TRD 4x4 5.7L, White 2003 Sequoia 2WD
    TRD Pro suspension, +2 Coachbuilder shackles, 2015 TRD Pro headlights, 20% ceramic tinted windows, clear ceramic tinted front windshield, aFe drop in pro s dry air filter, TRD airflow accelerator, TRD oil fill cap, TRD 18 psi radiator cap, BDX Bullydog tuner, Weathertech floor mats front and rear, rear seat fold down mod, DNA hard trifold tonneau cover, Linex with uv protection, TRD rear swaybar, TRD center caps, TRD Pro grille insert with color matching surround and bulge, TRD PRO headlights, aluminum oil filter canister, Real truck tailgate seal, Pop-n-lock tailgate lock actuator, rear diff breather relocate, RCI front skid plate. 275/70 R18 BFG KO2s
    Well keep that new one as a spare. Bad luck man, but it looks like you came up in the end.
     
    incredibillhulk[OP] likes this.
  3. Apr 23, 2019 at 2:12 PM
    #3
    15whtrd

    15whtrd Mr. Blonde

    Joined:
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    SoCal
    Vehicle:
    White 2015 Tundra DC SR5 TRD 4x4 5.7L, White 2003 Sequoia 2WD
    TRD Pro suspension, +2 Coachbuilder shackles, 2015 TRD Pro headlights, 20% ceramic tinted windows, clear ceramic tinted front windshield, aFe drop in pro s dry air filter, TRD airflow accelerator, TRD oil fill cap, TRD 18 psi radiator cap, BDX Bullydog tuner, Weathertech floor mats front and rear, rear seat fold down mod, DNA hard trifold tonneau cover, Linex with uv protection, TRD rear swaybar, TRD center caps, TRD Pro grille insert with color matching surround and bulge, TRD PRO headlights, aluminum oil filter canister, Real truck tailgate seal, Pop-n-lock tailgate lock actuator, rear diff breather relocate, RCI front skid plate. 275/70 R18 BFG KO2s
    It’s too bad though, those factory rims were pretty sweet looking.
     
    incredibillhulk[OP] likes this.
  4. Apr 23, 2019 at 2:18 PM
    #4
    bdpeelgren

    bdpeelgren New Member

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    Readylift 3/1, Rigid D-series fog lights, Supernova V.4, F/R Coverking covers.
    Keep an eye on government auction sites. 16.5” tires are still being used today. It keeps people from walking off with a set of new tires on behalf of Uncle Sam.
     
    incredibillhulk[OP] likes this.
  5. Apr 23, 2019 at 3:07 PM
    #5
    HappyGilmore

    HappyGilmore Ex 1st Gen Member

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    Super Swamper makes them in your size. Look at 4 wheel parts.

    Looks like you already solved your problem though.
     
    incredibillhulk[OP] likes this.
  6. Apr 23, 2019 at 3:26 PM
    #6
    Festerw

    Festerw New Member

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    This. You can sometimes pick up a set of 4 pretty cheap, not that it helps in a pinch.

    Some of them are even still mounted on the wheels.
     
    incredibillhulk[OP] likes this.
  7. Apr 26, 2019 at 4:51 AM
    #7
    incredibillhulk

    incredibillhulk [OP] New Member

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    Back in action! Over the weekend I ordered two Vision 84 D Window wheels in 17x9 with the 8x165.1mm (8x6.5") from Discount Tire and two Mastercraft Courser STR tires in 265/70R17 from Amazon. They bolted up perfectly and I'm going to grab my first 1-ton load of dirt during my lunch break and see how everything goes.

    IMG_2887.jpg
     
    HappyGilmore likes this.

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