Military 46s

[Scott M]

I did a quick search on this forumn didnt see any threads.  anybody ran them before? I know that my rear axle 14FF with disk brake conversion will be able to handle it still not ideal but for my application will.

The truck is 78 3/4 ton.  I think ima run them till the front axle breaks then upgrade it. 

My application is this:  Load on trailer haul to beach unload, cruise up and down the beach then load back up and go home.  So if it breaks I will load it up and haul it home. 

I have a ZZ4 350; about 355hp and 405ft-lb torque.  I am not expeirience on steering upgrades I would need.  But i know for sure have to stiffen frame.  Im not worried about fitting them I had 44s on it and they fit so i will trim till these fit.

Goal is to upgrade/new brakes and d60 in the near future along with whatever steering i need to do. Sound like a descent plan?  I know that the biggest downfall is the weight at each corner

[Scott M]

The problem I am having is cost.  Like so many americans I want big tires but dont want to pay 2000 plus...unfortunatly im only half stupid cause this descision could cost me way more.... thats why I am struggling lol

[Scott M]

Would Cross over steering or high steer what ever its called help any?

[1967KaiserM715]

Crossover is very good for high lift and big tires-it will be cheaper to convert to a D60 first.

Make or get the ORD steering box brace, and might as well beef the frame with the weld patch now too.

You got a 8" lift and 3" body lift?


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[Irish_Alley]

you shouldnt just break the axle shafts from driving in 4wd. you will break them when you get stuck then catch on something, i dont see that issue with sand. im running a dana 44 and 40s with a posi unit, the posi helps a lot. i was breaking axle shafts mudding with 38s. now no issue at all.

[Scott M]

you shouldnt just break the axle shafts from driving in 4wd. you will break them when you get stuck then catch on something, i dont see that issue with sand. im running a dana 44 and 40s with a posi unit, the posi helps a lot. i was breaking axle shafts mudding with 38s. now no issue at all.

Forgot to mention that its full time 4wd transfer case. I am starting to go back on my thinking. I just cant get over how heavy each tire will be... and the guy is wanting to sell me the tires with the 5 ton wheels mounted.  And im hesitant because he is worried about me trying to unmount the wheel from the tire and messing the tire up that tells me that something is not right about the tires... I think he tried to dismount one and it messed up the rim.  My buddy went and looked at them for me he said they are solid, some made in 2000 and some made in 2007 he believes. guy has a total of 10, 8 of which he claims to be good.  I think im going to walk from the deal at 100 a piece.  seems like a risk.

[Irish_Alley]

i dont know about those sizes. but my 37.5 where hard as heck. took a tire shop a few house to mount one, granted it was cold but even when i mounted them myself i had to use starting fluid and had to pretty much catch them on fire to warm them up so they would seat.

and they had good looking tread but imo too hard for road traction

[1967KaiserM715]

5 ton rims use a safety ring rim design-NOT the same thing as a split rim-the bead has to be below the tire bead-sometimes it is very difficult to get the bead go below the ring. Unless it's the newer bolt together rims.


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[Scott M]

Thank you for that information.  sounds like my best bet is to find a set that is already unmounted.  Thats what my buddy was trying to say something like the wheels werent like the double beadlocks where they split apart like you are saying.  and because of that fact makes them hard to dismount without damaging the bead.  I found another set a long time ago and he still has them and they are unmounted for 300 for the set just that I have to drive across texas 7 hrs one way to get them and I havnt wanted them that bad yet...


Yea as far as getting a rim in there and mounting it im sure it is not easy.  When i had a set of 44s mounted to 16.5 they had this tank they pressurized with air and it released the air all at once and the tire hoped on the bead so to speak and mounted.  I think its a similiar approach to how they get 18 wheeler tires mounted roadside...

[Irish_Alley]

yeah they tried the tank full of air on my tires and it didnt help. i sat back for at least 2 hours and watch 4 or 5 guys try everything they could think of to get this tire mounted. i even asked "you guys dont charge by the hour do you" told them the way i got them mounted was with starting fluid but they says they didnt use that in their shop. i pointed to a car of starting fluid that was sitting on the tire changer and laughed

[Scott M]

I was thinking last night one time I had a set of tires mounted and they put grease i believe all over the bead between the rim and the rubber bead.  I think this created a seal and they just blew them up from there but they were 36s. 

I have shifted ways once again.  I found a few months back another set of 46s in real good shape and already unmounted.  So i dont have to worry about getting the military luggers off on these and I feel alot better about these as far as quality.  We have communicated every once in a while and i think in a few weeks ima make the trip and pick them up.

It gives me alot to work on this summer but Im up for the challenege.  I wanted to do rear disk brakes any way and also stiffen the frame at the steering gear box.  And while im in there ill up grade the steering and then just see what happens!

I appreciate all the help yall!