VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 15" Artillery Wheels on 3/4 ton panel?

Hi all,

The information to which I have access suggests that the standard wheel on a 1938 3/4 ton panel truck, as well as some other commercial vehicles, was a 15" artillery rim. Is this right?

It somehow seems counter-intuitive that the 1/2 ton pickup, for example, would have a 16" wheel, while the 3/4 ton series would have a 15" wheel. Does anyone know the rationale for that decision by Chevy?

Thanks. Any information will be greatly appreciated.

Yours,

Jim

The 15' artillery wheel was used on '37-'42 3/4-tons (except HD), and was a sturdily built 5-1/2" wide wheel that would take a wider 15" tire that would carry more weight than a 6.00x16" tire on a 4" wide wheel. So even though you would think a 16" tire would be capable of carrying more of a load than a 15" tire, in this case it was the other way around.

Also the smaller roll out surface gives a "slight" power increase but a "slightly" slower speed.
Tony

I'm going off memory here, so I could be way wrong, but I believe the 15" tires that came on the 15" artillery wheels were 7.10x15 with an approx. diameter of 28.8". The 6.00x16" tires had an approx. diameter of 28.3", so while very close in size, the 15" tire was actually both wider and taller than a 6.00x16. This gave the 15" tire/artillery wheel a weight carrying advantage over the standard 6.00x16" tire/wheel used on cars and 1/2-tons. I'm not sure how the tire pressures or number of tread plys compared to each other.

I always wondered if the artillerys came on 3/4 tons as thats what I usually seen them on but my 37 1/2 ton had them on it when I got it,it belonged to a relative who bought it back in the early 50s so could they have been a option on the 1/2 tons since my 37 was a shop truck for a feed mill.