Introduction:
Academy’s M1151 kit is over 10 years old now and the only option in plastic for anyone interested in modeling the improved version of the standard M1025 Humvee.
I recently got the kit from a friend and immediately started gathering aftermarket upgrades. My wish list included Legend’s detailing set (LF1227), and M1151 suspension + MT/R wheels from DEF Model (DM35009). As the suspension/wheel combo is still unavailable, I decided to get DEF’s US M1151 HMMWV MT/R Sagged Wheel Set (DW35152) separately and reevaluate my options on lowering the suspension once I start building the model.
Review:
The set is packed in a nicely designed small cardboard box. The box offers a glimpse on what the replacement wheels look like installed on the Academy model, and states the set consists of 5 resin parts and wheel masks.
Inside the box is a zip-lock bag with resin pieces, three masking sheets and masking instructions.
The set includes 5 resin pieces, each supplied on its own carrier block. The grey resin looks really good with no casting issues that I could find. Now that I think of it, I have never witnessed any defects in the resin in any of the DEF Model sets I have… and I have a lot of them. Casting blocks should prove very easy to remove, even for those with basic resin working skills. The pieces feature loads of details nicely delivered and perfectly defined, some of which can be seen and truly appreciated only under magnification.
The set depicts HMMWV wheels sporting Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tire on 24 stud rims.
Goodyear is the biggest supplier of tires to the US military, and was a sole supplier on the Humvee since the start of the HMMWV program. In 2007, the company received HMMWV fitment approval for its new Wrangler MT/R, replacing its longtime Wrangler MT tire. The MT/R has a diameter of 36.6" (930 mm) and a width of 12.4" (315 mm) and is mounted on a 16.5" rim.
Thorough inspection of the DEF Model 1/35 scale counterpart confirms the company did their homework when researching the tire. I was very impressed with all the delicate tire features accurately delivered, with the intricate tire tread and sidewall details superbly reproduced. Check out the images and see for yourself… I don’t think it gets any better than this!
High magnification shows all the details perfectly. The inscriptions are not too pronounced, similar to the ones on the real tire.
The tire is sized to 27 x 9 mm which is about half of millimeter larger in diameter than the real tire in 1/35 scale.
The road wheels in this set are slightly different. There are 2 front wheels (labeled on their carrier blocks as “A”) and 2 rear wheels (labeled as “B”). The variations are not just due to the specific front/rear wheel hubcaps, but also due to the orientation of the tire compression and sidewall details. This ensures the wheels fitted to the same side of the vehicle do not look identical and repetitive, adding to the realism of the finished model.
The road wheels are depicted with a slight sag, which realistically conveys compression of the tire at the ground contact due to the weight of the vehicle.
The set also includes a spare wheel, which is mounted on the tail gate spare tire carrier.
Resin wheel vs wheel from the kit:
How do resin wheels from DEF Model compare to the Academy plastic wheels? And how do both compare to the real thing?
DEF wheels are better scaled. Academy tires are about a millimeter smaller in diameter than the real tire, while the rim is noticeably larger and deeper. Resin wheels are far superior in terms of details and, although Academy tire has a nicely delivered tread pattern, it is completely devoid of any sidewall embossing elements. Also, there is no sag on the Academy tires.
Altogether, all this shows how much of an improvement in terms of details, accuracy and realism resin wheels are to the plastic wheels supplied with the kit.
Fitting the wheels:
This set is designed as a direct replacement for wheels supplied with the Academy kit and no modifications are required to fit the wheels into the Academy axle opening.
Wheel masks:
Three identical pre-cut masking sheets are included in this kit. The masks are of help when painting the wheels, allowing airbrushing without overspray. Also included is the instruction leaflet which shows two different ways of applying the masks and painting the wheels.
Conclusion:
DEF Model offers 4 resin replacement sets of HMMWV wheels with 4 most common tires installed on the vehicle. All of these are reviewed on Armorama.
US M1151 HMMWV MT/R Sagged Wheel Set (DW35152) delivers 4 road wheels and a spare wheel, designed as a direct replacement for 1/35 scale Academy’s M1151 kit. The wheels are superbly cast in resin and feature wonderfully defined and accurate details. The road wheels are depicted in two different orientations (front and back) and are represented with a slight tire sag on the tire ground contact. Altogether, DEF set is far superior to plastic wheels supplied in the Academy kit and offers an essential aftermarket upgrade for anyone building a M1151.
Highly recommended.
A big thanks to DEF Model for this review sample.
