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Dual Front Wheels?


notinfringed
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I came across a picture in one of my albums from the Alaska Highway that shows a truck with dual front wheels. I was just curious how common this modification was? The truck looks like it could go anywhere, but I doubt it handled very well. I will try to post pictures tomorrow, but has anyone else ever seen a truck set up this way?

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Many trucks can be dualed up on the front. The most common that you will see in WWII pictures is the GMC CCKW (Jimmy) and it isn't all that hard. It was done when operating in really soft ground was anticipated. I've talked to GMC drivers about it and they said it was a bear to steer but you could go anywhere.

Tom Bowers

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Thanks for the reply Tom. I don't think I had ever seen a picture of it done. Ironically, when I took the picture I have off the page to scan it I found an inscription on the back: "Here is a truck I fixed up for the mud & then got reimed out by the [not sure if it says corporal or colonel]. But it never got stuck."

post-2011-0-69348100-1419971778.jpg

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here is a shot of the back of the photo

post-2011-0-84640600-1419972097.jpg

 

here are a few other shots from the album to show what they were dealing with

 

post-2011-0-95841800-1419972372.jpgpost-2011-0-11934700-1419972399.jpg

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  • 5 weeks later...

They more than likely are the US Army Engineers who built to AL-CAN Highway. I don't remember seeing any photos of France or Germany that mucked up, nor drove over any myself. Close sometimes, but not that bad.

 

And if you take a look at modern dump trucks and cement trucks, you'll notice that their front wheels and tires are at least half again as wide as the rears, for pretty much the same reason.

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