Introduction:
The G506 trucks, produced as the Chevrolet G7100 models, were a series of 1.5 T medium four wheel drive trucks used by the US Army and its allies during and after World War II. The G506 truck series came in standard cargo, as well as many specialist type bodies.
The G506 was recently offered as a new tooled 1/35 scale plastic kit by MiniArt and ICM. DEF Model soon released two resin replacement wheel sets designed to upgrade kits from each manufacturer. This review covers WW2 US G506(G7107) Cargo Truck Wheel Set - General Type (DW30063), a set which features US Special Service Master Grip 7.50-20 tire and is aimed at ICM offering, while the review of the set which features Goodrich Silvertown 7.50-20 tires can be found here: link.
Review:
The set is packed in a hard cardboard box. The box art image displays the contents of the set and specifies it is designed to fit ICM kit.
Opening the box reveals a zip-lock bag with resin pieces, masking sheets and masking instructions.
The quality of DEF Model resin cast is second to none. The pieces are impressively detailed, with all the fine points nicely defined and I found no imperfections in the resin whatsoever. The thin resin flash in the wheel rim openings should be carefully removed using the back of an X-acto blade.
The casting blocks on the road wheels are located at the tire ground contact, so removing them should present no problems. The resulting “scar” is not visible once the wheels are installed on the vehicle. The casting block on the spare tire is engineered with attachment points which follow the tire tread. I suggest carefully cleaning these and there should be no need to recreate the tread pattern.
The tire represented in this set is US Special Service Master Grip 7.50-20. These tires resemble the standard US Army 7.50-20 NDT type tires, but the tread pattern is different as well as the sidewall details.
Closer inspection reveals that the tire in the DEF Model set looks very close to the real thing. The characteristic tread pattern is nicely delivered and the sidewall details are just amazing… check out the tiny inscriptions, clearly legible under magnification: U.S. SPECIAL SERVICE, MASTER GRIP, 7.50-20 8 PLY. Wow!
This set includes 6 road wheels, 2 front and 4 rear wheels, labeled on their casting blocks A, B and B2. A is the front wheel, while B and B2 make dual rear wheels.
Front wheel:
The set also supplies two front wheel drum parts, which replace C6/C26 parts from ICM kit:
Dual rear wheels:
Notice the stubs and holes which help in adjusting the rear wheels and fixing them together. The set also supplies two rear wheel drum parts, which replace C6/C20/C25 parts from ICM kit:
The road wheels are depicted with a slight compression of the tire on ground level. The effect realistically recreates the sag of the tire due to the weight of the vehicle.
Spare wheel:
I noticed the casting blocks have DW350059 printed on them, suggesting the wheels in this set are identical to those in US G506(G7107) Cargo Truck Wheel Set - General Type (DW30059) which is designed to fit MiniArt offering.
Fitting the wheels:
The wheels are designed as a direct replacement to plastic wheels supplied with ICM kit. The front resin wheels (+ front wheel drums) fit to the front axle, while the rear resin wheels (+ rear wheel drums) should be fixed to the rear axle. Easy.
Wheel masks:
Two large pre-cut masking sheets are included in this kit. The masks are of help when painting the wheels, allowing airbrushing without overspray. The instruction leaflet shows two different ways of applying the masks and painting the wheels.
Conclusion:
WW2 US G506(G7107) Cargo Truck Wheel Set - General Type (DW30063) from DEF Model is a resin replacement wheel set designed for ICM’s G506(G7107) 1/35 scale truck kits. The set delivers 6 road wheels with wheel drums, and a spare tire, superbly cast and with ton of details impressively delivered in resin. The characteristic tread pattern of US Special Service Master Grip tire is realistically reproduced. The wheel masks are an added bonus.
Altogether, I can highly recommend this set for those who wish a slightly different look for their ICM’s G506(G7107) models.
A big thanks to DEF Model for this review sample.
