Welding new rims to an old pair of spoked cutoffs

MichaelNEIowa · Dec 8, 2014

Hi, I've got a pair of old spoked cutoffs that were welded to rims back in the day (1930's tractor). The hub and spokes are good but I need new rims. Where does one go to get new rims welded on? What's should this cost me?

mkirsch · Dec 8, 2014

I would think that you'd look up the number of a local professional welder for a job like that, if you can't do it yourself. There are several guys like that around here, who have a pole barn in the back yard for a welding shop, and a sign by the road.

He's going to charge by the hour, and add for materials. You will probably need to provide the new rims.

Anything you do to reduce the amount of time he has to spend will reduce your cost. Sanding the galvanization or paint off the rims yourself will cut down on several hours of billable labor, and prevent him from poisoning/killing himself with phosgene gas.

jon f mn · Dec 8, 2014

Anyone with basic welding skills and equipment can weld it as there is nothing special to it. It will be a big job tho because there is a lot of work to get the old rim off and cleaned up and a lot of welding to get the new rim on. I would estimate a full day to do 2 at an experienced shop and it could take 2 days for someone in a home shop with a stick welder.

paul · Dec 8, 2014

The trouble is finding that guy.....

The good ones are too busy to advertise, so you gotta find by
word of mouth, etc......

Paul

Wemedeeres · Dec 8, 2014

Did mine myself, took a couple days but I didn't work too hard at it.

rustyfarmall · Dec 8, 2014

What kind of tractor are we talking about? I've got a pair of cut-offs complete with GOOD rims and not-so-good tires from a parted out Farmall H.

GeneMO · Dec 8, 2014

I have the exact problem. I can do the welding, etc. myself. I just need to find the rims. and actually, I only have one rim that has about a one foot spot rusted in it.

What I would like to do is find a comparable "donor rim" and cut a section out.

It is on an F-14 Farmall. But who knows back then what type of rim they used.

Gene

dpendzic · Dec 8, 2014

just remember to never cut or weld with the tire mounted on--i have seen video's where with the bead and tube out the tire has exploded--it is a chemical reaction in the rubber that does this ---one tire exploded 13 hrs after the welding at a rock quarry.

Denny K · Dec 8, 2014

I believe that Pioneer Rim and Wheel of St. Paul, MN. still sells rim blanks. Google it and see. Years ago we bought lots of wide 15" blanks for dirt track racing and welded our centers in by using a jig to keep everything true.

Janicholson · Dec 8, 2014

I think you are lucky. (unless the opposite side of the tire is gone) Please look at the Utube Link below. Jim
Explosion.

Joe W. · Dec 8, 2014

I had your exact situation with a running gear. It had 16" spoke wheels and the rims were rusted with holes. My local welding shop offered to cut the spokes/hubs off the old rims and weld the spokes/hubs on new blank rims supplied by me for $100 per wheel. I cut the spokes off the rusted rims myself with my angle grinder and had a local hobby welder weld the spokes/hubs on new rims I supplied for $45 per wheel. The 16"x6" blank rims cost me about $60 each and I got them from my local farm tire supplier. All told, the 4 "new" spoke wheels cost me about $420. It was a costly project but worth the money from my point of view. The running gear turned out just fine.

SDE · Dec 8, 2014

I had that problem with a rim with spokes on a plow. I cut the spokes off flush with the rim and then cut the center out of a 16" doughnut spare. I welded the two together and it works very well.
SDE

vscummins · Dec 9, 2014

I welded a military rim to an old John Deere manure spreader spoked drive wheel one time i was in high school at the time I used that spreader quite a bit for hauling hog manure and horse manure it was the prettiest but it worked .

Welding new rims to an old pair of spoked cutoffs

MichaelNEIowa

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mkirsch

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jon f mn

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paul

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Wemedeeres

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rustyfarmall

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GeneMO

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dpendzic

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Denny K

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Janicholson

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Joe W.

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SDE

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vscummins

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