Front Rim Change On Offsets - When?

Howdy, boys:
I recently bought a 1978-79 140 and immediately noticed that the front rims were 6-bolt automotive type rather than the three-lug rim style that is on my 1953 Super A. When did this change take place - 100? 130? at the introduction of the 140? Or, sometime during the production run of the 140? Thanks for the information.
mike

Hugh MacKay is the expert on this, but I assume the change took place with the first 140 -- because the 460/560/240/140 began production in 1958. They had the pressed wheels from the start.

Mike: CNKS is correct, it all happened in 1958, right from offset to 560. the cast spoke wheel became a thing of the past. Some folks claim the cast wheel remained an option, but I never seen it in any IH literature. Those that do claim the cast wheel was kept. claim it was a heavy duty option. Well, guess what I never broke an offset wheel either type. On larger tractors, I have broken a cast wheel, but never a pressed steel wheel.

We do ocasionally see newer tractors especially 140 with cast spoke wheels. I know my 130 and 140 have the same spindle shaft as my wheels will interchange. My thoughts, post 1958 cast center wheels were backyard options.

As the others have said, the changeover to stamped center wheels came along with the 40/60 series tractors.

Documents I have pretty well indicate that cast wheels centers were used on some 140s. (I didn't look into other models.) I have some brochures with pictures of 140s with cast centers. Preproduction illustrations often make their way into brochures so they aren't always reliable. However, some of the pictures are of second style 140s in a 1975 brochure.

Cast wheels also show up in the Parts Catalog. It is the online 140 catalog. If the catalog came from separating 140 out of a combined 100/130/140 catalog, it could be an error as well.

However, my nnalert card is a '62 general line price list. Some tire options say "cast wheels" in parentheses. It isn't totally clear which options it applied to. It seems to track to the 6.00-16 tires and/or maybe "International" tractors (vs. "Farmall"). The brochure pictures with cast centers seem to show bigger tires.

There are some pictures of 140s in the Wisconsin Historical Society archives. You can see them by going to the search page
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/whi/
and searching for each of these numbers:
24646
25317
24643
24644

This reenforces my track record. Whenever I make an assumption, I am wrong 90% of the time, make that 95%. The pictures and parts manual are as you say. Someday I will learn not to assume anything, not sure when. Thanks for the info.

Yeh Hugh is right the only 140s availible with the cast wheels were the ones with the heavy duty front axle or the industreal 140s that were painted yellow also had them.

The cast-wheel tractors in my brochure have the round axle. Hard to tell in all cases, but it looks to me like all 4 in the WHS archives have the cast wheels with the round axle as well. Still seems to me the 6:00-16 tires are the key to needing the cast wheels. Maybe it changes the track a bit, which may have been needed for clearance between the tire and the axle.

The standard tire on industrials was 6:00-16 so if that tire required the cast wheel, it would force them onto most industrials.

Jim: My 130 came new with 5:50x16 tires on cast spoke wheels. When I went to replace the rims, no longer available. (several sources I might add) One business tried to sell me blank rims and rivit on lugs from a Farmall H or 300. I pointed out to him H-300 lugs had 5/8" hole and while they were made for the 16" rim, the cast spoke center on H or 300 is larger diameter than a 130.

My brother has a 230 came new with those same 5:50x16 cast spoke wheel as my 130. I remember when those were bought new, dealer had 4 - 130 and 4 - 230 all equipped the same on front wheels. Those cast hubs are designed to take either 15" or 16" factory original rims.

I Replaced my front rims by welding a 1/2" x 1-1/2" band inside a blank rim, the fabricating lugs to weld to the band. From a distance he made it look right, up close, not so good.

I recently looked at a 79 - 140 with 5:50x16 pressed steel rims, factory original. Erik has 4 - 140s all with 16" pressed steel rims. He didn't say if they all came that way. Lot of 140s around here with 12.4x24 rears on 11" rims. It takes the 5:50 or 6:00 x 16" to make those tractors run level and look right. I have 12.4x24 on both my 130 and 140. I need that to pull that 31 row bean planter. haha

Thanks, fellows. My son bought a circa 1963 140 and it had cast wheels with 16" rims and had 12.4 rear tires. Did not have the industrial front axle. It came with a woods belly mower and I suspect the mower had been with the tractor a long, long time. I'm thinking the cast wheels came on it - probably an option available (particulary) for tractors that where going to be used in mowing operations.
My first 140, #6660 J, had stamped steel wheels, as does my late 140, #64115 J.
mike