Show I BELIEVES PRESSED 1 I I ON M TYPE OF TIRE IE WILL ILL SUPPLANT I I DEMOUNT ABLES ILES II I I I W. W Owen Thomas Draws I Conclusions After Return From the Battle Front FrontI I I There has been heen considerable dl discus discussion cus- cus lion sion in Washington con ng the I merits of tiro 5 vs pressed t Ion on tires for use on army trucks fp tp p I to the present time the United States State i arm army has used the been type as asa asi i a standard Officers who have been to o othe the front however are apparently a abeen all lined up In favor of the pressed on type I and there seems to be e a 0 possibility that the pressed pressel on type will finally oust the I On this subject V W. wen c-wen ven en Thomas of Detroit who was formerly lieutenant colonel in charge of Canadian transport transport transport trans trans- I port wrote the following In n his paper I entitled Lessons of the War Var in Truck f t I I Design which was read before the i i Society of Automobile Engineers at their meeting in Washington last June All trucks sent from Canada were fitted with tires thes on stand tand- standard ard and ard S. S A. A E. E rims This was decided upon before the British had adopted the American pressed on tin type with a aI aview I view to easy replacement nt in the field I Two makes were used in approximately approximate- approximate i 1 ly Iy even On Doth noth makes the locking rings and anti bolts and nuts were thoroughly galvanized Most of the thet I t I tires ires were carefully shipped fitted with wooden center struts to prevent distortion distortion dis dis- of the rims mple Ample spare tire tiro parts aits of all lt kinds were supplied USE ON MUDDY ROADS The subsequent use or of these tires i 1111 O in the muddy roads in Flanders Wanders showed that they were much more difficult of replacement placement than the pressed on type which is now standard on all British trucks After the tires had been in hr hruse use for some time in the mud they were removed only with the greatest difficulty difficulty difficulty I culty and once the rims had become rusted it was often impossible to re reI remove remove re- re move them even in a tire press The I I most effective way was to take out the I remnants of the rubber and to jar and andI I expand the rims with a a. sledge hammer I The tires of the pr pressed sed on type on onI I the contrary were easily applied and andI removed ni m a It tire press pres which was al always always al- al wa ways s 's to be found at every tire store I Tire presses also were fitted on railway railway railway rail rail- way cars which were always available I at railhead points with a stock of tires i As the main function of or the motor I trucks was to ship material and supplies supplies sup sup- plies from these same railhead points I this method of replacement was a very simple matter i Spare wheels with tires app applied ed were wert always available at more advanced I points but there were necessary In any case to guard against the breakage breakage break break- age of wheels and were ere easily used I if there should be an emergency case of tire trouble in the field Tires were almost universally pressed on with burlap bur bur- I lap strips This was at first criticised but ut it did not appear to cause an any trouble as with the general muddy condition it probably aided in the quick rusting on of the tire i PRESSED ON TYPE FAVORED The standardization of the pressed Ion on type of tire on S. S A. A E. E rims cannot be too strongly recommended I am amI I satisfied that the type i will be found wanting in war service in n France I It is advisable to limit the number of sizes of tires to as few as possible It is possible to use inch five-inch for trout wheels of all trucks because the smaller small small- er trucks are naturally faster moving and the additional additional- speed will easily make the wear even In France a great many of the trucks are used with five- five inch dual tires on rear wheels These Thes developed serious on account of the load often being concentrated on one of the tires only On the gran grane rte itc block roods roads ds a a. block on a o v. v r n n u. u u. u damaged road would ten o-ten u ten cut out a large section of one of th the tires On heavily cambered roads the weights would concentrate on the tIle inside tires I am convinced that the wider section single tires on rear wheels suffered less damage from these causes than the thed d dual lIal tires I These controversies tend to show that the actual experience in France Franceis is apt to reverse previous decisions de due to the difference in the method of warfare warfare war war- fare Car particularly with regard to the tremendous tremendous tremendous tre tre- advancement in engineering and transport facilities The policy of the government in sending the various branches to France for at least their final training appears to be necessary and thoroughly borne out in the experience experience experience of officers who have seen service service ice iCA at the front |