Eagle has landed

[ken richardson]

Gents,

Finally got my M416 this weekend. Hell of a road trip from Dallas to Iowa but the trailer towed like a champ.

There are tons of mods I want to do, but for now the pressing issues are bearing job and wheels. I have a few questions.

1. Can I just take the trailer to Pep Boys or somewhere and have them replace the bearings etc. If so how much would it cost.

2. Should I get the parts myself and take to them to replace.

3. Should I do the job myself. Keep in mind I have never done this but am fairly mechanical.


4. Wheels and tires. What is the basic difference between the Nylon Mil tires that have tubes that are on it now vs tubless designs. I will need to replace the tires and not sure which way to go. Matching bolt patterns etc with the tow vehicle is not that important for now nor is a spring over per se as the vehicle mates nicely with the trailer now and I will not be doing serious off roading. ( Tow Vehicle is 05 Durango ). I would consider new wheels for the trailer if it has a benefit but could live with the tire style and wheels on it now.

Your expertise is appreciated.

Thanks,

Ken

[BigAl]

I don't have any experience with military trailors but Iv'e had 3 car or utility trailors. Bearings are not difficult to change and it's a handy skill if one goes while your away from home. Most need repacking at some interval, repacking and changing are essentially the same job. Good Luck

[IH8RDS]

Congrats on your purchase.

Here is a good read. Check out the references near the bottom.

http://vegasauto.net/m416.html

[Robert Bills]

Bearings are easy to replace. Do it yourself. I wouldn't trust Pep Boys to have the parts or the know how to do it right.

You can find the military technical manual for the M416 in .pdf format free on the Internet. (See the link Scott posted - it is one of the most comprehensive on the M416 http://vegasauto.net/m416.html) There are step by step instructions in the manual. Also, if you search the Yahoo M416 group and the 1/4 ton trailer forum at www.g503.com, you can find a complete parts list for bearing replacement (see links at http://vegasauto.net/m416.html.) Parts are readily available from numerous sources.

You can run tubeless tires on your stock M416 trailer wheels or stick with military NDCC tires and tubes. The advantage to tubeless is that you can match the size/style to your tow rig and use a Safety Seal tire repair kit if you have tire trouble. With a tube, you need to remove, patch and replace. (That being said, I have military tube type tires on my Bantam trailer and have never had a problem. If I do, I know how to break the bead with tire "spoons" and replace the tube in the field.)

Have fun!

[ken richardson]

Thanks for the info guys.

Yes I think I have read everytig on the internet over the last few months concerning these trailers. LOL. Itsa damn compulsion.

I was just curious if the thing could be serviced by your local mechanic if you will since the parts arent really standard. Looks like the best bet is do it myself and get an education to boot.

As for the tires, I guess I havent seen a tubed tire since I was a kid fooling with bycicles. My Durango has the same bolt pattern as the trailer but has 17" wheels. Based on the way the mil spec tires handled on a 700 mile trip,granted the trailer was not loaded, I was thinking why mess with a good thing, though I do need new rubber of some sort. In addition the guy I bought it from threw in an additional rim and old tire so I could mount a spare if I keep to the mil tire design.

Anyway, I cant wait to get started playing with this thing. The trailer is in remarkable shape with only surface rust in the bed and of course the old tire issue. Everything else seems up to par.,

Thanks again and thanks to all you guys who have posted shots of your projects. I have learned a lot and get inspiration from all of them.

Ken

[IH8RDS]

I decided to go with the standard rim as well. It wont work on my jeep but there are allot of good ideas on here about spare placement. I tow it with two different vehicles so that would only make sense. I am trying to track down a M416 rim now, so you are ahead of the game with getting a bonus rim.

[Rezarf <><]

So are you in Iowa or Dallas?

random, but just wondering!