Do you have the opposite, i.e. a photo of earlier M2A1 carriage (with single bent gun shield) with later wheels style as in the kit? If I understand your post correctly, you suggest that such combination was also used, but I cannot find any photos of it - other than TM ones. It would be great if you have such photos, as it would allow me to just use kit wheels and not worry about it. Right now I still think I need to find replacement "two opening disk" wheels - better done than Trakz ones... Those numbers only confirm that Trakz wheels are too large (unless HW tires were much larger than CC ones) as 40.1" - 41.1" means 29.1mm - 29.8mm in 1/35 scale, while Trakz wheels are ~30.7mm, i.e. 0.9mm - 1.6mm. too large diameter, what unfortunately is quite noticeable and they just look out of scale (I have not built my DML kit yet, but I put those Trakz wheels next to Italeri M101 to see how they look). Pawel

Do you have the opposite, i.e. a photo of earlier M2A1 carriage (with single bent gun shield) with later wheels style as in the kit? If I understand your post correctly, you suggest that such combination was also used, but I cannot find any photos of it - other than TM ones. It would be great if you have such photos, as it would allow me to just use kit wheels and not worry about it. Right now I still think I need to find replacement "two opening disk" wheels - better done than Trakz ones... [/quote] What I meant was that the change in wheels or tires did not correspond to the change in carriage designation - two separate evolutionary paths. I have no information (one way or the other mind you) about the hubs however. If the hubs were the same an older carriage needing replacement tires could get 9.00-20s (as well as new rims). Those numbers only confirm that Trakz wheels are too large (unless HW tires were much larger than CC ones) as 40.1" - 41.1" means 29.1mm - 29.8mm in 1/35 scale, while Trakz wheels are ~30.7mm, i.e. 0.9mm - 1.6mm. too large diameter, what unfortunately is quite noticeable and they just look out of scale (I have not built my DML kit yet, but I put those Trakz wheels next to Italeri M101 to see how they look).l[/quote] I checked today and only found one common data point, turns out in that size at least the HW OD was smaller than the MS OD. Are you sure this is 9.00-20 and not a 7.50-24? In looking at DUKW tire replacements it struck me that the aftermarket companies are still in the "The facts are unknowable therefore anything is OK." era with regard to tires. KL

To add a little more to the discussion, Masters Productions also do a set of wheels. Wheels for 105mm Howitzer-#35031. Unfortunately, you really can't make out any details on the photo at ScaleLink, and I can't find the set I bought a few years ago to take any photos.

To be honest I have no idea what size they are... It is quite obvious that Trakz set was supposed to represent a wheel / tire combination typically used with M2A1 carriage during the WW2 (whatever size they really were), but the result is just not good enough to be usable for me... If it was only the inaccurate hub shape, I could live with that, but the size is a different story. Pawel

I believe the hubs of those wheels are the later type, as in DML kit. They are still useful, as they seem to have HW tires, but are the type typically seen on later M2A2 carriage. Pawel

To be honest I have no idea what size they are... It is quite obvious that Trakz set was supposed to represent a wheel / tire combination typically used with M2A1 carriage during the WW2 (whatever size they really were), but the result is just not good enough to be usable for me... If it was only the inaccurate hub shape, I could live with that, but the size is a different story. Pawel[/quote] That was my point: Perhaps they are the correct size for a 7.50-24? Unfortunately I could not find any info on what that correct size should be.. What is the wheel diameter? Is the hub shape "inaccurate" because it does not match what it is supposed to be, or because you want a different type of wheel altogether? KL

I have not measured the rim diameter yet - I'll do it later today. Initially I also assumed that these are 7.5 x 24 wheels and the only dimensions for such tires I was able to find was for modern Firestone agricultural tires and these are 39.5" - it would be 28.7mm in 1:35 scale, while Trakz tires are 30.7mm. Correct type, but does not match what it is supposed to be - in real wheel there is a smooth curve from the bolted hub to the rim (think wok: http://fantes.com/images/4567wok.jpg), while Tracks wheels have almost flat surface from the hub, and only close to the rim there is a tight curve (think frying pan http://www.global-b2b-network.com/direct/dbimage/50019782/Single_Handle_Frying_Pan.jpg ). Pawel

I just measured the Trakz wheel rim - the diameter is 20.5mm, what in 1:35 scale is an equivalent of 28 1/4" !!! A little more than 24"... 24" would be 17.4mm in 1:35 scale. Pawel

That does sound a little big . . . For future reference, the wheel diameter isn't the largest metal diameter but the base of the rim where tire bead sits. The closest dimension on the kit parts would be the first groove inside of the wheel OD. KL