AMT GMC Astro 95 Rear Wheel ID?

[Casey]

I noticed the rear wheel centers in the AMT GMC Astro 95 are ribbed, and I found a pic or two of real trucks with the same (or very similar) wheels. Who made these, and what are they called?:

The truck in the background is sporting these wheels:

[Old Buckaroo]

That is just a spacer that goes between the spoked wheels commonly known as Dayton's.

[Casey]

That is just a spacer that goes between the spoked wheels commonly known as Dayton's.

Who made the spacers? Dayton, too? I have seen both smooth and ribbed, both in kits and on real trucks, so just curious of both styles are Dayton brand wheels, and two different models.

[Old Buckaroo]

Who made the spacers? Dayton, too? I have seen both smooth and ribbed, both in kits and on real trucks, so just curious of both styles are Dayton brand wheels, and two different models.

Not all spoke wheels are actually made by Dayton, there were others but the always seem to be dubbed that. As for the spacers - cant really give you an answer on that as they were made by Napa, Dayton and other manufactures due to the abuse they took from road moisture and heavy hammered mechanics having to remove these type of wheels.

Nothing like a rusted on set of Dayton duals to put a smile on a "road service mechanic's" face .

Edited March 27, 2014 by Old Buckaroo

[Casey]

Just found this YouTube video which shows he dual rear wheels being separated, and the ribbed spacers I was curious about. Thanks, Sean.

http://youtu.be/P_gpg8VnZqc?t=3m57s

[Danno]

Wow! I love that purpose-built jack.

I'd love to have one of those for use with my Model AA! Those wheel/tire assemblies are HEAVY!

Changing one out gives you a great aerobic workout.

[scale trucker]

story of my life stuck dayton wheel spacer/.';';;[]' get the torch

[Casey]

I have a few questions regarding the 1/25 AMT GMC Astro 95 I hope someone can answer. I just got an original issue which was already opened with a few parts loose, so I'm not quite sure if a few things are correct for the original issue with the turbine engine.

1) My kit includes two tires (assuming for the front/steer axle) which are different than the eight rear/drive axle tires. They are all Goodyear Custom Hi Miler tires, but the front tires are taller and have a slightly different tread pattern, as seen in the pics below. Is this correct that the two front tires do not match the rears, or should all ten ten be the same?

2) The turbine engine is labeled as a "Allison" engine, but is the automatic transmission also made by Allison?

3) Are the axle half pieces shared with any other AMT tractor kits, other than the Chevy Titan?

[Danno]

Casey,

My kit is an unmolested original . . . it has 10 of the Goodyear 10.00x20 Custom Hi-Miler tires like the eight you picture from your kit. The wider tires are not in my kit.

The only references I've found ~ so far ~ indicate Allison trannys were used across the board on the Astros and Titans, including the Allison turbine powered tractors.

I don't know about whether the axles appear in any other tractor kits.

Hope this helps.

[Casey]

It does. Thanks, Danno.

[Danno]

My pleasure.

[highway]

Casey, I would say that the tires you have are or might just be a mismatched set that got thrown in to make the 10 tires you needed. The larger tires actually look like trailer tires I remember coming in the Great Dane dry van and reefer kits that I had back in the day, while they were under the AMT/Ertl name. Honestly, in my opinion, you can still use the tires, because even though they aren't true "drive" tires with the more aggressive tread, the 8 drives on a 1:1 are usually a little wider than steer tires due to the flatter and more aggressive tread patterns. If you do want matching tires, though, I'm sure I probably have 8 of the thinner tires.

As for the axles, without actually seeing them and not having the kit (I'm not a fan of many older cabovers, the only ones that I like are the old Kenworth K100/123, Peterbilt 352 and the International Transstar II) I can't be for sure, but AMT also issued the Chevy Bison and sister (or brother) GMC General conventionals. There may be a possibility that being GM big rigs of the same era, they may contain the same axles.

[Mr mopar]

The Chevy Bison/GMC General also have the air ride suspension!

[disabled modeler]

I love the Turbine engine option...had one as a kid. It should have the smaller tires but me myself like the others there more realistic looking to me.

[doogie7046]

The two larger tires were originally in the Mack DM600, DM 800, DM800 mixer and Gravel trailer by MPC. When ERTL took over those kits they also incorporated those tires in the IH Transtar 11, Rubber Duck Mack, IH 4300 and Great Dan Van trailer and Reefer trailers. They can be found in most of the Round 2 AMT reissues now.

[Edsel-Dan]

I need to check but, I though the Ertl Truck kit tires were more A

"Delryn" typeype plastic than vinyl like the AMT kits of the time.I have an

International 4070 And a DM-800 tractor to check!!

[Force]

The 10.00 X 20 were used in most of AMT's truck kits and trailers and the 11.00 X 20 tires were used in most Ertl truck and trailer kits, but most of the recent AMT reissues has the larger Ertl 11.00 X 20 tires.

One other tire used is the AMT Uniroyal 11.00 X 22 tires from the White-Freightliner and Diamond Reo kits, they have larger rims so the other tires doesn't fit.

[Truck parts]

We use to sell a wheel set that had a brake drum, spoke hub,and spacer.Plus small parts to hold it together it was made by Webb Wheel co.