Farmall Cub

I have 1953 Farmall Cub. One of my rear tires started leaking liquid calcium, after it appeared low on air. Looks to me like the valve needs replaced, as I can't get it to seal properly. The rear tires are agricultural type with big V treads, and I use chains for plowing snow. That's the primary use of the tractor--plowing lots of snow.

I have an extra set of calciumated (sp?) turf tires (8.3x24) mounted on rims that I had stored and never used them. I decided that I would just switch the tires, since the turf tires with chains would probably work better than the agricultural type tires.

I took off one tire and mounted a turf tire (damn those things are heavy with all that liquid calcium in it!).

Tire is mounted too close to the fender! No way chains will fit! Dang-it!

Looked at the rim and the original rim and noticed the center hub is mounted toward the outside, the original mounted toward the inside (concaved side on the outside on both). Dang-it!

So I remount the rim using the opposite side of the rim (tread should be the same either way as it looks to me!), but now the tire sticks out about 7 inches further than before, so its sticking further out beyound my front snow blade. Dang-it! Don't want that or I'll be running down my drive way stakes and always driving in unplowed snow !

I guess I will have to get the old agricultural tire fixed,
or
have the turf tires re-mounted and re-calciumated (better traction) on the other rims or find similar rims to the agricultural ones and leave them as is on their own rims.

Dang-it !

I noticed that it looks like the center-hub may be interchangeable... but probably next to impossible to do due to paint, rusted nuts, etc...

Guess I better stop by the old tractor repair shop and see what choices I really have...

What say you all ?

Might be easier to extend the length of the blade.

There is a number of ways those wheels can be mounted.

if you check a manual or it may be on Rudi's server you may find the right combination that will work for you.
Good luck.

Ralph wrote:There is a number of ways those wheels can be mounted.

Yeah, but I wasn't sure if the center-hub could be mounted inside the rim 2 different ways. I have to take a look at them again, and see if they can be unbolted and changed around. But I suspect the mounting nuts will be almost unmoveable by me... maybe a shop can do it.

There are 5 possible combinations of tread width from 40" to 56". These involve having the wheel centers dished either in or out and by changing the rim mounting to the center. One of these combinations should work for you. You can set them to 40, 44, 48, 52 or 56" widths.

Wow! Chardon... the snow capital of Ohio! Do you have snow now?

Bigdog is right. I think you'll find the 44" width to be to your liking. You may be surprised that the bolts give up easily... but maybe not. The worst thing you may face, you may twist them off and have to replace them.

If you need replacements the originals with square heads are best, but 1/2" x 3" hardware store bolts with washers under the heads will work just fine.

George Willer wrote:Wow! Chardon... the snow capital of Ohio! Do you have snow now?

No snow yet, but ya never know around here!

That's why I'm getting the old Cub ready to go.
At least I got the oil and filter changed.

I guess I will give it a try on moving the center hubs...
I'll probably break a nut one way or another !

I'm sore just from moving the tires around a bit!

I had to retrieve the calciumated turf tires from my basement, going up the outside access steps (stored down there before I built another garage). I'm still sore from that and that was 2 weeks ago!

Thanks for the tips... I'll give it a try!

johnbron wrote::idea: Might be easier to extend the length of the blade.

I was sure thinking about that, but the blade doesn't extend any further, unless I had a new piece added or got a different blade, but would prefer to not mess with it.

On a side note... I have thought about adding just an upper extension going out to the right so that I could knock-off and plow the tops off of the snow piles along my drive way as they get too deep after awhile, making it hard to plow fresh snow. If I drive off the edge of the drive (its gravel and gets ice build up), I stand a good chance of getting stuck (outcomes my Dakota 4x4 and toe-chain!), so the extension would keep me on the drive way.

Sounds like a good idea to me... not sure how good it would work, but I may have to try it... even if its just starting off with a 2x6 C-clamped to the top of the snow blade.

Well, as I suspected, the extra rims on my turf tires do not have adjustable center hubs, as they are welded in place, unlike my current set of rims with the agricultureal tread.

Must be from an older style rim, so these rims are only adjustable by turning the rim around.

I guess I will stop at the old tractor shop (I hope the guy is still in business!), and see if I can find other rims...

airmojo wrote:Well, as I suspected, the extra rims on my turf tires do not have adjustable center hubs, as they are welded in place, unlike my current set of rims with the agricultureal tread.

Must be from an older style rim, so these rims are only adjustable by turning the rim around.

I guess I will stop at the old tractor shop (I hope the guy is still in business!), and see if I can find other rims...

It sounds like you have wheels from a later, number series Cub.

You posted about adding upper extensions reminded me of one of the Alaska highway dept drivers. he changed the rear duals to singles on his FWD dumper, chained all 4 wheels and at 40 50 MPH threw snow 50 to 70 yards with his wing plow.
As far as snow capital I nominate Thompson pass in Alaska. The state police set up barracades when there was a storm in the pass and it you tried to get around you better plan on buying new tires. I don't know if that is politically correct today but in the early 60's it was. They had lost one of their own on a rescue party and were rather touchy.
The pass into Valdez had 980 inches of snow that year as well.
Bill