Information on wheel bases, what do you have

D Slater · Feb 9, 2011

Discussion about M type tracror wheel bases yesterday makes me wonder what other posters manuals say. Listing mine with wheel base numbers. All operator manuals.
Farmall M can't see a date, 89-3/8. inches
MD dated 1949, 93. inches. M gas 1940, 90. inches
SM gas 1953, 89-1/4 inch.
SMTA gas 1954, 99-3/4 inch.
SMTA diesel 1954, 99-3/4 inch.
F400 dated 1954, 95-3/4 inch.
Different numbers for the same tractors can also be found in other publications. Don't know where the MD spec above came from. The MTA ones are for a wide front but they don't say for a wide front. F400 and SMTA have the same wheel base in real life.
Measured some with narrow fronts today, I could be off 1/8 to 1/4 inch. M gas with late lower bolster. 89-3/8. SMTA, 95-7/8. SMD, 90-3/4.

DeltaRed · Feb 9, 2011

Very interesting information.But,different/aftermarket fronts will shoot those measurments all to pieces.

Wardner · Feb 9, 2011

It's kinda hard to draw any conclusions when NF or WF aren't specified.

But one measurement did stand out. How can a SMTA be 10" longer than a SM when the hood is only several inches longer and both use the same gas tank and grill. On top of that, the steering post and underseat battery box on both probably have the same position relative to the rear axle centerline.

Errors happen. Just look at all the corrections in the front of later editions of IH parts books. The publishing division of IH must have been huge and very busy. And it wasn't like they were cranking out fiction. It was all technical and needed to be accurate.

Randy in NE · Feb 10, 2011

Most of the extra lenght of a SMTA is going to be in the torque tube housing the TA. An inch or two here and there add to the overall lenght but unless you get the tape measure out it would appear to be the same.

D Slater · Feb 10, 2011

Wardner, probably right the people who published the IH information had hard job to do.
On the tractors posted about the different lengths from rear axle to the vertical upper bolster shaft are. MD, SMD, SMTA, SMTAD all have a bolster with the same dmensions even though all don't have the same shape. This sets the grill and other stuff 1.5 inches longer from the front fuel tank support than a M or SM gas tractor. Thats the reason for the longer hood on those tractors. SMTA has a center housing 5 inches longer than a M, MD, SM, SMD,. If you look at a liftall unit that goes under the fuel tank on a stage 2 SM or SMTA you will find 2 sets of mounting holes for the rear fuel tank support. Since the fuel tank is mounted in the same position behind the engine on all the tractors, the front fuel tank mounting holes in the liftall are used for SMTA because of the longer center housing. Rear holes are used for non SMTA tractors. Frame wise a SMTA is 6.5 inches longer than a M or SM gas tractor.

sflem849 · Feb 10, 2011

Does this mean gas and diesel SMTAs are all the same length?

The Dukester · Feb 11, 2011

I believe the Super MTA gas and the Super MTA Diesel tractors are the same length. The gas engine is mounted in the Super MTA a little differently from how it is mounted in a Super M and you'll notice it if you look at the two tractors carefully. Frame rails are longer too. Besides the longer hood on the TA models, there is a nearly 4 inch gap between the back of the fuel tank and the steering support post on the TA tractors. The diesel engines are a little longer than the gassers and the hoods were made longer to fit...stretch is at the front between the front edge and the curved crease in the hood where the model decal is placed. When they designed the TA models they apparently went with just the longer hoods and frames of the diesel tractors with the gassers too and that coupled with the longer clutch housings of the TA tractors made them all longer by the same amount. Most pullers will tell you the TA tractors don't "balance out" the same as non TA tractors, being somewhat longer.

sflem849 · Feb 11, 2011

(quoted from post at 14:55:43 02/11/11) I believe the Super MTA gas and the Super MTA Diesel tractors are the same length. The gas engine is mounted in the Super MTA a little differently from how it is mounted in a Super M and you'll notice it if you look at the two tractors carefully. Frame rails are longer too. Besides the longer hood on the TA models, there is a nearly 4 inch gap between the back of the fuel tank and the steering support post on the TA tractors. The diesel engines are a little longer than the gassers and the hoods were made longer to fit...stretch is at the front between the front edge and the curved crease in the hood where the model decal is placed. When they designed the TA models they apparently went with just the longer hoods and frames of the diesel tractors with the gassers too and that coupled with the longer clutch housings of the TA tractors made them all longer by the same amount. Most pullers will tell you the TA tractors don't "balance out" the same as non TA tractors, being somewhat longer.

They must balance out better because I beat a lot of Super Ms.

D Slater · Feb 11, 2011

Frame rails are the same length on M through 450 tractors. MD, SMD. SMTA and SMTAD all have a front bolster that when bolted to the frame rails, moves the point the front wheel bolster bolts on 1-1/2 inch longer from the rear of engine than M or SM gas tractors. Also radiator along with the grill is moved forward from rear of the engine the same amount. MD, SMD, SMTA, and SMTAD all use the same length steering worm shaft. You can bolt a M front bolster along with fan shrould, worm shaft and coolant pipe on a SMTA gas tractor and the M hood will fit.

Information on wheel bases, what do you have

D Slater

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DeltaRed

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Wardner

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Randy in NE

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D Slater

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sflem849

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The Dukester

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sflem849

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D Slater

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