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This M60 is one I posted previously but went back to today because I had forgotton the serial number for my records. This vehiclce sits in front of the Range Control building. Serial number is 1128, but the paint was to thick to get a reg number from the hull. I did take a picture down the muzzle for fun. Is this one you missed Joe?

Jeff,
Thanks for the picture. I already got that one. The one I missed was the very early model you took a picture of in the motorpool. I really would like to know what the serial/registration numbers are for that one. It sorta looked like 15 but that was never resolved.

Joe D

I hope to get to that one on Wednesday if time permits, I might have to go over my lunch. There are also four M548's sitting down there and "Barfly", an old M4A3E8(76)HVSS. Stay Tuned!

I assume this is supposed to be someones idea of an M60A1 w/ blazer armor. Looks to me like an M48 with a bunch of junk bolted on....


M48.....perhaps another Vietnam 'leave behind'.


Don

Don - Where were those taken? It sort of looks liike Kubinka. If so could the first one be an upgunned M48 from Israel fitted with an early form of reactive armor?

Yes, you're right. It is Kubinka.

It was originally painted in sand yellow and was supposedly handed by Syria to them, captured from the israelis. The other is from Vietnam.

Now they're repainting all vehicles there and this seems to be in israeli armor sand.

Regards,

Jose Valls

You know you're spending too much time on the discussion group when

You can identify the museum a picture was taken at by first glance at the background!

Hi Bob! Hi Folks!

- bsmart

You know you're spending too much time on the discussion group when

You can identify the museum a picture was taken at by first glance at the background!

I guess that applies to me to! I was thinking the same thing!

Sgt, Scouts Out!

OK Joe_D,
I went back to that M60 in the motor pool and here is just a small example of the 20+ pictures I took. Stay tuned for the Data Plate from the drivers hole!!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing what a 3.2 megapixel can do huh?

Would aluminum road wheels have appeared on a slick 60 in real life or was this just what they likely had on hand for a display vehicle?

When did 'luminum start to appear on service vehicle road wheels?

Come to think of it, is an M85 barrel "correct" for an early M60?

Hi Doug!

- Doug_Kibbey

Would aluminum road wheels have appeared on a slick 60 in real life or was this just what they likely had on hand for a display vehicle?

When did 'luminum start to appear on service vehicle road wheels?

Come to think of it, is an M85 barrel "correct" for an early M60?

The aluminum road wheels started with the M60A0 (slick).

The first batch of M60A0 shipped to 7th Army didn't have the M85 because it wasn't ready for fielding yet. Those early vehicles had a mount on the left side to the TC cuplo for a M2 50 cal, along with a second mount on the back edge of the turret. Looking at Jeff's photo you can just make out the rear mount below the lifting ring. It is inside the bustle rack. Once the M85 was standarized, it replaced the M2.

Spot Report!
Sgt, Scouts Out!

I agree with Roy, the aluminum wheels were the initial type and were used even when the M60A3s were fielded. It was after this that they were being phased out in favor of the steel M48/88 style wheels.

The steel types were more common on late 80s M60A3s, USMC M60A1 and the older tanks used by the National Guard into the 90s.

My A3 I commanded in Germany from 87-89 had a mix of steel and aluminum. Forgive the poor qualtiy of photos:

So, aluminum preceded steel road wheels then? Silly me, I thought it was the other way around. Obviously, I wasn't paying close enough attention to mah wheels!

Well, actually the steel wheels appeared with the M48/88 first and the aluminum wheels on the M60/A1/A2/A3. The aluminum wheels were not as durable as the steel wheels so on the M60 series, the old steel wheels started to be phased onto the vehicle.

Obviously, you don't jack up a tank and replace all aluminum road wheels at once. You replace them as they go bad. The only caveat was that both wheels on the same road wheel arm had to be the same type (both steel or both aluminum).

One of the problems with the aluminum ones were that they would crack around where the fins ended. We had a brand new one break off of my wingman's tank and roll right off.

The other problem was that they had wear plates bolted to the inside of each wheel. They were replaceable and ideally would extend the life of the road wheel. Nice in concept, but the road wheel normally wore out before the wear plates did. Sometimes when the wear plate did wear out, it would break at some point and foul the end connectors.

Basically a real pain in the butt. Even replacing wear plates required road wheel removal to mount new plates.

- Sabot

Well, actually the steel wheels appeared with the M48/88 first and the aluminum wheels on the M60/A1/A2/A3. The aluminum wheels were not as durable as the steel wheels so on the M60 series, the old steel wheels started to be phased onto the vehicle.

Obviously, you don't jack up a tank and replace all aluminum road wheels at once. You replace them as they go bad. The only caveat was that both wheels on the same road wheel arm had to be the same type (both steel or both aluminum).

One of the problems with the aluminum ones were that they would crack around where the fins ended. We had a brand new one break off of my wingman's tank and roll right off.

The other problem was that they had wear plates bolted to the inside of each wheel. They were replaceable and ideally would extend the life of the road wheel. Nice in concept, but the road wheel normally wore out before the wear plates did. Sometimes when the wear plate did wear out, it would break at some point and foul the end connectors.

Basically a real pain in the butt. Even replacing wear plates required road wheel removal to mount new plates.

Well, thanks, that eases my mind a bit....'cuz I trained on 48's and worked with them a little at the Board too and recall steel wheels. But my pics of "Hotpants" (the M60A1 with the experimental skirts) have aluminum wheels, as did the M60A2 IPT vehicles. I thought I was losing it there for a minute!