Short wheel base wide axle Farmall M?

Alan Lendon · Sep 23, 2010

Has any one got or seen a short wheel base wide front axle Farmall M? I believe I have one. I have searched the web for hours looking at pics but they are all of the long wheel base. Do i have a genuine short wheel base or has my tractor been modified? I cant see any signs of modification.

I have found a Manual and it says they were available in 4 different types, short and long wheel bases for both the wide and normal front axle models.

Can Anyone Help?

gene bender · Sep 23, 2010

Wheel base is length and wheel tread is the width so which are you refering to.

IaGary · Sep 23, 2010

To add to what gene said.

The width on the rear axles is adjustable on most all of the M's. You can set them to about any width.

You can get wheels set down to under 5 foot wide on the center of the tires to over 7 foot wide on the center of the tires.

And unless they were modified after the factory the wheel base of the tractor (distance from the front axle to the rear axle) were all the same as far as I know.

Gary

D Slater · Sep 23, 2010

Same wide front was used for long and short wheel base. Adapter parts to mount the axle in the short position were sold with the wide front attachment. Lots of the adapter parts didn't stay with the tractor or wide front after use.

mkirsch · Sep 23, 2010

A picture is worth 1000 words.

Nobody really refers to an M as "short wheelbase" or "long wheelbase" so we really don't know what you're talking about.

The original factory wide front on an M (tierods out front), sticks out in front quite a ways. You need a football field to turn the tractor around.

I don't know what the justification was for such a complicated design with so many shortcomings. Lots of crazy stuff came out of the 1930's and 1940's.

Someone, maybe IH, maybe M&W or another aftermarket, came up with a plate that relocated the factory wide front to underneath the tractor. This made the front end perform much better.

The relocation plate is not "factory."

The relocation plate is not "special."

The relocation plate is not "rare."

D Slater · Sep 23, 2010

IH short wheel base adapter plate, part # 67959DAX. Used for short wheel base position on adjustable wide front axles with adjustable wheel base.
Alan if you have a operators manual for the M it should explain and picture the wide front. Maybe some early ones may not though.

Wayne in MN · Sep 23, 2010

Long (100") axles were available form the factory for the M and were installed (or removed) to satisfy the needs of the owner.
A special axle extension was available for use with the H-1, M-1 & later sugar beet harvesters.

CNKS · Sep 23, 2010

Nothing wrong with that question. The adaptor does change the wheelbase and it is a factory item. I believe the forward position works best with front cultivators. I don't consider it crazy stuff.

John M · Sep 23, 2010

Short wheel base wide axle Farmall M?

Alan Lendon

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gene bender

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IaGary

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D Slater

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mkirsch

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D Slater

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Wayne in MN

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CNKS

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John M

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