Farmall H rear hub keys

Zachary Hoyt · May 24, 2012

I am wondering about the key on the cast center of an H rear wheel. I have disassembled 12 wheels from axles and I would say about half had a key and half did not. On my H one side has a key and one does not. I have never had a clamp without a key, so I am wondering why it is that so many of the hubs would lose them and how important they are. I sold a set of hubs to a guy yesterday and when he got home he noticed that one had a key and one did not and he wants keys, so I told him I would take the one with a key off my H so he could have it as I could not see that it had made any difference for me. Why does the hub key break or disappear and the clamp key not, and is it a problem to run them without the key on the hub? Any advice will be much appreciated.
Zach

truckerlary · May 24, 2012

Surely you jest. That is the only thing that keeps the hub from spinning on the axle

pete 23 · May 24, 2012

Over the years I have replaced a lot of keys, but as I sit here I am thinking the key in clamp is held in differently. Will try to take a look tomorrow. Late model tractors using that wheel style like a 560 used only one key and only one key way in axle also. On a light duty tractor you surely will not have a problem with key in clamp only.

truckerlary · May 24, 2012

I appoligize for my comment. I misread your question

wisbaker · May 24, 2012

We broke a clamp on our H almost 40 years ago, it broke into two big pieces so it was replaced. I'm almost thinking it didn't have Keys in the center or they had also been broken out. I'd speculate that the ones in the cast center get broken out and not repaired, but when you break a key on the clamp side you also break the clamp so it gets replaced. OR you break both and the clamp is a whole lot cheaper so you replace the clamp and hope for the best. I suppose you could have a key way cut in the cast center and use keystock if you're that worried about it. Remember the newest H is about 60 years old, the old ones over 70. How many 65 year old people are running around with all their original parts and nothing missing?

D Slater · May 25, 2012

Key in the H wheel was part of the casting and not a regular key. If the wheel moved enough because of loose or broken bolts or other cause that part of the casting broke off. Like another posted the clamps were replaced most times when they failed.
Sometime in farmall 300 production IH started machining a keyway in the wheels and used a steel key. Find a few H wheels now and then repaired with the key and keyway added to the wheel.
On the 2-3/4 axle tractors IH made a replacement wheel later on with a steel key and axle clamps the same as a 8 spoke wheel like used on a 450 ETC. Looked just like a M ETC. wheel on outerside exept for the center drilled for 7/8 bolts and using 2 clamps without keys.
If they made any for a H like that I can't remember it.

sflem849 · May 25, 2012

Both are important. My H has half a key on one wheel and it will spin. Kirchner it is the hub that has some key left.

Every letter series I have been in has cast in keys.

mkirsch · May 25, 2012

sflem849, do you mean "spin" as in spin the wheel on the ground, or spin the axle in the hub?

I'd have to say if the axle is spinning in the hub then you don't have any key left at all at this point.

sflem849 · May 25, 2012

(quoted from post at 05:21:19 05/25/12) sflem849, do you mean "spin" as in spin the wheel on the ground, or spin the axle in the hub?

I'd have to say if the axle is spinning in the hub then you don't have any key left at all at this point.

Spin the hub on the axle. Not like circles with no traction, but if you are jumpy on the (oily) clutch it will bang. My clamps are SUPER tight and it still does it. I know how to fix it and I even have a spare hub. Now it just comes down to time and necessity. :lol:

Edit - Is it hard to cut an actual keyway in there so you can use keystock rather than the cast keys?

Anonymous-0 · May 25, 2012

When your out in the field some day working it hard and the axle turns and the wheel don't, you will know why you need both.

SadFarmall · May 25, 2012

Not sure what happens with these. I fitted steel rear wheels to my H. When I removed the rubber tyred wheels, one wheel clamp and wheel came out with the keys firmly jammed in them. On the other side, the key just fell out of the clamp. I suspect people have trouble fitting one of the keys, especially if there is dirt in the key way and just use one. I presume also, that if the key is not seated correctly it would be easy to deform the key and or the clamp and thus make it impossible to fit without repairing damage. Just guess work on my part really. I have always fitted all the keys where there was a place for them; largely because I have never had to deal with missing keys.
SadFarmall

Farmall H rear hub keys

Zachary Hoyt

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truckerlary

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pete 23

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truckerlary

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wisbaker

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D Slater

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sflem849

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mkirsch

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sflem849

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Anonymous-0

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SadFarmall

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