Rear rim hardware on a 1941 Farmall B?

Hello,

I am almost done with the engine rebuild of a 1941 Farmall B. While leaning back and admiring my work, my uncle told me that the rear rims had the wrong bolts in them. I looked, and something is definitely wrong there.

From what I have discovered, these aftermarket rims were put on 4 years ago when the original rims rusted out, and whoever did the swap used Square Head bolts through the wheel lugs. Now, these square heads are slowly pulling themselves THROUGH those lugs.

I have been looking for carriage bolts to replace these sqaure heads with, but so far can't find any with the correct dimensions, nor can I find any info regarding the original hardware that should have been used.

Anyone have info regarding what hardware I should be looking for?

The original was a square head bolt that pulled into a recess in the lug (the lug looked a bit like a box, had recesses on both sides for turning wheels for width).

It's hard to tell what you have for after-market rims to be able to say what you would use on them. Can you put up a picture of them.

The square headed bolts hold the rim to the center are two and one fourth long by five eights.The carriage bolts are three and one half by five eights for holding the weights on. You can get both from the Fastenal Co. Hope this helps, Larry

I have attached the pictures, but your reply was very informative nevertheless. If square bolts are common, then it sounds like I have the "correct" hardware already, but have a poorly designed lug.

I assumed that the square bolt was wrong because these lugs don't have a "bottom" to their "box" that you referred to. It looks as though the manufacturer intended to keep the bolt from pulling out via four small dimples pressed through the sides of the "box". It didn't work.

Guess I will have to resort to a carriage type bolt or weld my own bottom into the "box" unless there are other ideas...

I am trying to put two images on here, the close up of the lug may be just a link though.

<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v732/Rogue13_13/?action=view&current=FarmallBwebsize.jpg" target="_blank"> </a>

<a href="http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v732/Rogue13_13/?action=view&current=FarmallBLug.jpg" target="_blank"></a>

Thanks, the pictures help, though i don't see any bolts, so I'm assuming they're out. Anyway, a couple of things come to mind.

My BN is up on similar rims until I can get into my neighbor's shop for a few days to get some painting done. I've got the original rims prepped for painting, and I need to shoot some red, too (two wheel weights and an assortment of square-head and carriage bolts for mounting the rims and weights)

It's been a while, but I recall with that style lug, neither a square-head nor a hex bolt had enough width across the head to keep it from wallowing down into the lug. What I've used for the meantime is a hex-head with a heavy washer. That goes through the lug and then through the wheel and is secured with a nut and lock washer on the back side of the wheel. The washer makes enough of a shoulder to hold the bolt head.

If you want to try that, bear in mind that the lugs you have require a longer bolt to pass through them. The originals were 9/16" NC x 2-1/2". Where it looks like you have stamped steel wheels, 3-1/2" should be plenty of length. Mine are the cast wheels, and I think I had to go to 4" on mine.

HTH

Those rims need carrige bolts. The original rims took a square head bolt 5/8 dia. So now you will need a 5/8x whatever length it measures as the steel center is thinner than the cast which was an option. The carrige bolts are on one of my tractors as the rims are aftermarket. The rims are on the B with the loader and also the snow removing machine with front and rear blade.

Hey Gene did you get ahold of the guy about the C cult?

Interesting. I considered carriage bolts when I first got those rims, but didn't figure there was enough meat in the head of a carriage bolt to hold just on the edges of the lugs, which is what prompted me to go with the heavy washers.
Livin' and learnin'.

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

Scotty: The squareheads are all there, recessed into the lugs. Most are flush with the outside edge of the lug, but several have pulled at least 3/8" through the lug, like the one in the blurry close up.

Yes, 3.5" is the exact lenght I need, I am going to take the lug's measurements into the hardware store and see if I can first find a carriage bolt with a square shoulder that will fit tightly into the lug, but if not, I am glad to hear that a bolt / washer combo will work. Thank you very much.