Tyre-changing station keeps Army rolling

“It is a field Beaurepaires,” said a soldier joining the queue to service a flat tyre at the tyre-changing station operated under field conditions for the first time during 1 Div’s Exercise Pozieres Run in August.

It was barely set up at the entrance to 7 Bde’s vehicle camp in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area when units began arriving with worn and punctured tyres.

The new Defence capability enables the replacement of tyres and run-flat inserts for a variety of ADF vehicles.

The unit incorporates a tyre-changing machine, wheel balancer, run-flat press, tyre inflation cage, air compressor and associated tools.

Artificer Sergeant Major WO2 Shayne Salau, of Vehicle Platoon, 7CSSB, said the new equipment was introduced into service at the start of the year.

“It can service most of our fleet, from G-Wagons, MHC from 40M up to HX81, 45M and 42M recovery vehicles, ASLAVs, Bushmasters, PMV-Ls, Boxers and M777s, and it also has the capacity to change plant equipment tyres," WO2 Salau said.

“We did a lot of work prior to the exercise getting the tyres ready. However, there is still a very limited number of people qualified on the equipment at the moment.

“We’ve taken the opportunity to familiarise as many people with the platform as we can.”

WO2 Salau said it shortened the supply timeline for replacement tyres or repairs, with the nearest civilian contractors at Mackay or Brisbane.