New Denman NDTs on the truck!

Carter · Post by **Carter** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 6:35 am

While they don't provide the best traction, they have the look needed for an ex-military rig.

Chunk · Post by **Chunk** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:42 am

Tire pressures have alot to do with traction. Even on paved roads. I'll stick with my NDT's. If I ever got new tires,I'd like to try those michelin 11.00x16 XL lav tires.

cuz · Post by **cuz** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 8:56 am

With A set of 900-16 NDCC's and a set of Goodyear Mud & Snow's at the correct highway pressures will make the Goodyear a much safer tire on slick hard top then the NDCC. The lower NDCC pressure authorization is for low speed traction in sand. Lower the NDCC pressure like that on the highway results in damage to the sidewall from the heat generated. Again the real worry is not how fast you can go with your tire but how quickly you can stop and still be on the road headed in the original direction. The NDCC's loose hands down.

If you personal preference is NDCC's and I see you doing 60 on a slick road in my rear view right on my arse then I'll pull over so I don't have to worry about an emergency stop with me able to slow to a stop in less than 100 feet while you are slidng an additional 150 or so through my back bumper.

Master Yota · Post by **Master Yota** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 12:25 pm

Cuz - you've probably hit the nail right on the head. That being said, some siping to the tire tread will make a huge improvement in surface traction without really altering the cosmetic view of the tire. Tire grooving irons are inexpensive (about $60) and the blade come in various cutting widths. They are also easy to operate. Anybody that runs NDT's should invest in one. Its money well spent in the saftey department.

Carter · Post by **Carter** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 1:04 pm

" If you personal preference is NDCC's and I see you doing 60 on a slick road in my rear view.... "

60..my M37? That's not going to be me in the mirror. 55 on rare occasions. I pull over and let others pass rather than try to drive the truck much faster than 45 and follow other drivers at about 1/2 mile.

mikkelborg · Post by **mikkelborg** » Tue Jan 19, 2010 2:55 pm

Those sure are nice looking tires, you can't beat the smell of fresh rubber!

I just put new tires on my truck two weeks ago, I almost went with a set of NDT's but chose to do STA superlugs instead. I wanted better traction in the wet Washington weather. The superlugs do look good, plain and simple, fairly military in appearance, but they just don't have the same cool factor as the NDT's.

Carter · Post by **Carter** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 9:56 am

Cool looks good sitting but not when sliding down the road trying to stop.

When I want to haul something or just run around I drive the M880 or the Dakota Quad Cab, not the M37, it isn't my daily driver and NDTs are not my tire of choice for daily driver but for a restored truck and a careful driver, cool works!

Finally have them all on cleaned rims and on the truck. Now it's time to sand and top coat the face of the rims with 24087 to cover all the scratches made while working on them. I also plan on blasting the lug nuts and run them through the Brownells Manganese Parkerizing bath to get a thick black phosphate finish and then give them a final coat of paint after they are installed.

cuz · Post by **cuz** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:10 pm

They do look good.

Are you comfortable with the spare on the door?

Carter · Post by **Carter** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:35 pm

No, not at all Wes, it's a pain in the a$$ having it there. Opening the window to swing the carrier out of the way is a bother. I don't keep a tire there but have the orig. in-bed spare carrier where I keep a tire/rim mounted. This truck is not a B1 and was retrofitted with the swing-away carrier and I only put a tire on it when I think a second spare might be needed. I call it my drivers side impact attenuator and some think it adds to the cool factor when a spare is mounted.

Post by **Cal_Gary** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:49 pm

Carter,
I've heard that a lot which is why I went with the bed mount instead of the swing arm. I agree it looks cool but is too cumbersome for me. I'm surprised nobody has fabbed one up to fit the front bumper (for those wo/winch) where it will swing down to the ground. I also know of an XM152 with swing arms on BOTH doors-how much fun would that be to get out of in a hurry?!
Gary

cuz · Post by **cuz** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:57 pm

That's why I asked. I don't have a spare mount yet and wanted the personal experience feelings on that door mount which I do think looks good but mine's a driver and I don't care to do what the WWII and Korean vintage guys did with climbing in and out from the passenger side. I am also considering using an under the bed crank mount from a heavy civvy pickup. Which I'll probably try out first on my M101A1.

Carter · Post by **Carter** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 2:01 pm

The only problem with an under the bed mount is where to put it, the gas tank is in the way at the rear of the bed and any other place might be in the way of the driveshafts. Having an orig. spare in the bed or "on the door" is also a pain since lifting that heavy as hell thing will damn near kill you.

I had a WC 52 and got tired real fast of getting in the right side and scooting over just to get behind the wheel and usually banged my head on the hard top it had while I was doing it.

Master Yota · Post by **Master Yota** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 4:51 pm

Carter wrote: Having an orig. spare in the bed or "on the door" is also a pain since lifting that heavy as hell thing will damn near kill you.

Its really only a pain once in a while. If you're lifting the spare in and out every day, then its time for a new excercise regime, or a pad lock to keep the spare where you put it.

Removal of the door mounted spare would be the very first mod I would do to an M37. These trucks look every bit as cool with the spare in the box as they do on the door. I don't think you could go wrong either way, other than the PIA part of having it mounted on the door.

cuz · Post by **cuz** » Wed Jan 20, 2010 7:17 pm

Since I have no seats or side rails or bows I have been leaning towards a canvas tonneau cover on the box and the spare in the front of the box standing up won't work well unless I have a custom pocket sewn in for it.

I was thinking a pair of steel rectangular tubing supports from rail to rail up close to the tank then the winch and tire. Anybody done this yet?

Master Yota · Post by **Master Yota** » Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:12 am

cuz wrote:Since I have no seats or side rails or bows I have been leaning towards a canvas tonneau cover on the box and the spare in the front of the box standing up won't work well unless I have a custom pocket sewn in for it.

Nobody can see in with a canvas tonneau cover - so why not just lay the tire on the bed floor like 60 million other truck owners?