Front rims on Farmall M

I am wanting to find out how to convert the front rims and tires over to a regular 5 or 6 bolt ag tire on my "M". Any Suggestions?

Well, it's pretty much a matter of buy them, then put them on.

It'll cost you several hundred dollars for hubs, bearings, rims and tires.

Why do you want to do this?

My guess is he is going to pull and thinks he is going to save
weight with steel wheels instead of cast, or else he wants the
front end to come way up when he pops the clutch.

maybe his rims are just shot and he doesn't like the style of the original rim.

I use my M as a loader tractor, and I just want stronger rims up front. I can never seem to keep bolts tight on them, I can tighten them everyday, and when I pick up a bale to go put it in the feeder they snap and pop the whole way to the feeder.

pick up some grade 8 fine thread bolts, nuts and lock washers. the fine thread will really torque em down so they dont work loose. be sure to get grade 8 nuts and lockwashers too.

I use a washer on both sides because the inside doesn't hold the bolt from turning any more, and with out the washer I would never be able to get a socket on there to keep it from turning. Will that matter?

Are you using wedges on the front or do your rims have the bosses to put the bolt through?

Either way... get some good hardware... grade 8 fine or course is probably OK... washer, then lock washer, then nut... Lube the threads before installing nut and use a torque wrench to properly torque the bolt and nut. I don't remember off hand if those are 3/8 or 7/16 bolts... Either way a chart for proper torque of size and grade fastener is easily obtainable via a google search.

The objective when torquing a fastener to the "proper" amount is to achieve A) a desired clamping load when holding pieces together and B) to stress the fastener (which stretches it) and the resulting normal load and coefficient of friction between the threads keep them from moving relative to each other... Generally acceptable torque on a fastener results in a load that imparts a stress equal to 75% of the yield stress value of the fastener. In this case I would gradually work my way around the fasteners until I obtained the desired torque in increments.. say I wanted to achieve 80 ft-lb... I would start by achieving 20 on all fasteners.. then load em all to 40... then 60... then finally 80.

The one thing that will kill you in this scenario is if your hardware between the bolt head and the nut can collapse or you are not drawing down on parallel surfaces and you get an offset load in the fastener... if you don't collapse ithe hardware and then achieve torque it will collapse when load is added via use... and you will lose your clamping load. Same goes for non-parallel surfaces. I figure that is probably what is happening here...

So if I do all of that, will the old style rims stand up to lifting 1300lb+ bales?

When I did one I used six bolts hubs off of an old implement. The inner bearing bore was different size so I put them in the lathe and turned them a bit. I had to add a shimming washer to the back bearing to set the proper depth. Did not have a money in it. Took a couple of evenings to get the hole job done.

My neighbor moves over 1000 big round bales a year with his M and F-11 loader. And he doesn't have any wheel problems.
Are you sure your wheel bolts aren't too long, and they are not threded deeply enough? If you have to have spacing washer on them to fit a socket on, maybe they are not actually tightened down on the wheel.
In any case, You need to get new proper hardware. Something isn't right. The wheels should not be clanking around! That said, the clanking you have been hearing may have worn the wheel and or rim holes out of round and oversize. Haow about some photos.
And new rims, tires, tubes, bearings isn't two hundred, try close to 700$.

Gordo

I will take some photo's tonight. If I do everything that has been said new hardware, proper torque, will the old style rims stand up to lifting and carrying 1300lb+ bales?

Does anybody know what size they are for sure? That way I can get new ones in town before I head home.

Definetely use a grade 8 fine threaded bolt, I like to use a hardened steel washer, never a plain old flat washer, and you can use a lock washer if you like, however, I find that a lot of the lock washers you get now days are not very good quality. If the rim doesn't fit the hub good you will never keep it tight. I have seen some rather crude shims on outer diameter of hub between rim that have actually worked.

From some of your posts It seems you may have the clamp type rims and wheels. They only use a 1/2 inch diameter bolt and the clamps are thin compared to ones used on the rear.
With a narrow front you could use the lower bolster, wheels and rims from a 560 or some other later farmalls with rims like you want.
You could also go with the loop style wheel and rims that use 5/8 diameter bolts. If so get wheels that the cast # on wheels ends in DB. They are thicker where bolt goes through and made to have a tighter fit with the rim.

If I am reading your post correctly.. your rim pocket won't keep the bolt from turning.. so you cover the pocket with a washer.. then insert the bolt. this holds the bolt out so you can get a wrench on it while you tighten it. Am I correct? If so... Then you MUST get rid of that washer and get the bolt head seated against the hub. I wouldn't even bother trying to put a nut or anything under it to build it out.

I guess I got to talking about the wrong style wheel, we didn't see them clamp type rims around here.

A&I products sells new 6 bolt hubs to fit M- 450.Scott

Then how can I tighten them up if I can't get a socket or a wrench on the bolt without having a washer on the inside?

(reply to post at 05:48:23 05/19/09)

Click to expand...

might try a couple of things... 1) put a lock washer under the bolt head... 2) stick a screwdriver or something in there to jam that bolt head in place. 3) use socket head cap screws... Uses an allen wrench on the inside instead of a box end or combination wrench on the outside... SHCS's are also a grade 8 fastener.. unless you get it in stainless...

So long as you have any "cushion" in that clamping setup the fastener is going to loosen itself....

I reckon you are using a hex head... originally I am pretty sure it came with big square headed bolts...

A photo or two here wouldn't hurt...

Look at left and click on parts store, they have hubs to convert to 6 bolt wheels for about $93 each.