towing with military tires

[DetroitDan]

Anybody got any experience towing with military humvee tires, either the 36s or 37s? I'm still thinking about swapping out my dually axles just so I can run big rubber, but one concern I have is towing. A couple or three times a year I tow a 33 foot travel trailer, weighs between 9 and 10 thousand lbs. It's a lot of trailer. With the dual wheels and 235/85/16 tires it tows great, even better than my 97 diesel dually did with 255/85/16s. Quite a bit better actually.

I know increasing the sidewall so dramatically is generally bad, my 35/12.50 ATs were terrible with just a 24' trailer, but those were only a load range C tire. I know the militarys are hard as a rock, so sidewall flex should be minimized. Humvees can tow stuff, can't they?

I seem to remember reading that the 37s are a much better tire, which is unfortunate because the 36s look cool and the 37s look dumb, plus I'd be a little closer to legal height with a 36. How bad are the 36s?

Lastly, I had planned on trying to find a set of M1008 axles, so I'd get srw, a locker, and 4.56 gears to help with the height increase. Right now I've got 4.10 gears. But guys running big tires are telling me that I don't really want all that gear, and to stay with a 4.10. I really don't need gear for climbing or wheeling, it's a street truck for the most part. Guy I know has 40s on a M1008and it still wails on the highway. So, you think 4.10s with 36 or 37s would still pull ok? At least as well as a Hummer? I usually don't exceed 55 mph towing, and it's only a couple 100 mile trips a year. Rest of the time it's an empty DD. I dont think I really want to go 4.56 unless I absolutely have to. Motor is a low mileage bone stock 454. I'd like to do a cam, intake and carb swap to improve the mileage and drivability. Always had tremendous luck with the Edelbrock Performer series, personally.

[Lower]

The 36's are bias ply, I wouldnt tow with them, the 37's are radial and would hold up better. As far as what they are rated for I cant say. I ran the 36's on a truck at one time and absolutely hated them, they wear horribly and drove worse than that. For what you do with the truck the 4.10's will be ok, the 4.56's will give you more low end but you will have to be pulling some high rpm's at highway speeds.

[special-K]

All I know is the military towed with them,but not a 10k# travel trailer. The wider stance of a dual rear is all about towing. Single anything will be a compromise,I think.

[DetroitDan]

it's actually not wider though, because it's a cab & chassis axle. I think it's the 4 extra sidewalls resisting flex and defelction that helps keep it from swaying.

does sound like the 37s would be better, even though they aren't as cool of a tread design. Do they measure a true 37"? I'm already pretty tall, I don't want to get pulled over every time I drive it. Not much on the road in my area with anything taller than a 35

[Prerunner1982]

Originally Posted by DetroitDan

it's actually not wider though, because it's a cab & chassis axle. I think it's the 4 extra sidewalls resisting flex and defelction that helps keep it from swaying.

does sound like the 37s would be better, even though they aren't as cool of a tread design. Do they measure a true 37"? I'm already pretty tall, I don't want to get pulled over every time I drive it. Not much on the road in my area with anything taller than a 35

Too bad it is a Cab and Chassis rear end. If it was a regular dually you could run the hmmwv bead locks on the stock dually axles. I agree the radials would be better and I don't think an officer could tell the 1/2" height difference between you running the 37"s vs the 36"s.

[Psycho71]

I can tell you to run away from the 36" bias ply tires. I don't know how bad they wear, as I couldn't stand driving with them long enough to see any wear. My burb was all over the road, and it was nerve racking to drive the thing. Hook a trailer on the back and it was all over with. No chance of keeping it in one lane. I tried all different air pressures too. Nothing would make those things drive right. For mud they are great tires, they will flat out sling some mud. But that's where it ends.

I swapped mine out for some BFG mt's (35"), and it was an amazing difference. I don't have enough clearance to run 37's, or I would have tried the radial military tires.

[lowrollin70gmc]

I think you would be okay as they are a pretty thick tire. We run them on HMMWVs that weigh 12k empty plus five combat loaded personnel and equipment so total of 15000 lbs and they hold up. The trucks won't get out of their own way, but the tires take the abuse.

[JPalmer81]

I believe the 36" bias ply are only, believe it or not, load range D and only 4 ply. I am in the military and looked one day while in the motor pool and was very surprised by this, cause i was thinking no less than load range "E". I dont know about the 37's, i think they are good year MTR's, but i can't say for sure.