My "M" front rims mounted inside of hubs. WT*!!!

Patrick HMD · Aug 13, 2012

That couldn't be right, could it? I just got this M back in June, and little by little I'm discovering "things". My right front is flat, so I decided to fix it today.

Well, not just Yet. Looks to me like I will have to remove the whole hub to free up the rim and tire. That doesn't sound right to me. The rim and hub don't look like anything I have in my parts book or service manual. What Do I have, and is the rim mounted on wrong?

TIA Patrick
'49 "M"

JT · Aug 13, 2012

Mine are mounted the same way, jack it up and the rim can be taken off the hub, takes a little doing, but will come off.

D Slater · Aug 13, 2012

Rims will come off without removing the wheel. Just have to hold your mouth right. Pretty common wheel for a 49 model. Rim has the early type bolt loops though. Find lots of those welded to rim after the rivets came loose. Not as strong as later loops.

DeltaRed · Aug 13, 2012

Remove the three bolts.A little wiggling,the wheel
will come off.

47M · Aug 13, 2012

I just stack a couple 2 X 6 boards flat on the ground, drive the good tire up on the boards, and the flat tire will be rotating free off the ground. No jack needed.

I personally like the looks of the front wheels mounted outside the hubs (slightly wider), but it's easier to turn the steering wheel with them mounted inside the hubs like yours are (narrower).

Owen Aaland · Aug 13, 2012

Your rims are mounted in the narrowest setting. They can also be installed facing the same direction on the outside of the hub or they can be reversed and mounted either inside or outside on the hub. That gives you four wheel spacings.

To remove the rim take out the three bolts and then move the rim until you can tip one of the lugs over the wheel. From that point a little wiggling should allow the rim to come off the hub.

Dean Olson · Aug 13, 2012

It's exactly right and set to it's narrowest setting. I set all mine that way.

I don't use a jack to change front tire. I drive one tire up on a 4"X6"X24" block/ramp.
That gets the other tire up off the ground far enough to remove.

Once you have all 3 bolts off , push the top of the tire in and let it drop down, turn it,
pulling out, till you have all 3 loops on the outside.

I've done it many times over many years and still have to fiddle with it to get it off.

sflem849 · Aug 13, 2012

That's how they are. I just take the bearing apart. It probably needed to be greased anyhow. :lol:

Bob M · Aug 13, 2012

As the others point out the rim/tire can be removed without removing the wheel. But it takes a bit of fiddling to accomplish.

Tip: If the front tires are wider than stock (like 6.50 x 16) it helps to jack the entire front end (jack from beneath the clutch housing) then remove the 3 mounting bolts from BOTH rims. By moving the now loose rims around you will have more space in which to manipulate the rim/tire and work the rim lugs around from behind the cast wheel center.

Brownie 450 · Aug 14, 2012

Nuts will be harder to get off than the rim.

mkirsch · Aug 14, 2012

Good grief people, it's not difficult at all!

Jack up the tractor.

Remove the three bolts.

Swing the bottom of the tire inwards slightly.

Lift straight up.

Swing the top of the tire out and over the hub.

Lower the tire straight down.

Pull the tire out from under the hub.

EASY!!!

Patrick HMD · Aug 15, 2012

Well, I finally got er done. What a pain in the a$$! After several tries, I finally did it by wiggling it out side ways. The lugs have to be oriented, and manipulated a certain way for it to work. Thanks for the feedback guys. It gave me more confidence to try, because at first I thought-- NO ******* WAY!

It saved me from having to remove the hub which I had already resigned to do. BTW the hub turns freely and smooth with no wiggle or slop. So I'm going to assume that it is OK.

Patrick
'49M

mkirsch · Aug 15, 2012

Glad to hear you got it figured out but I'm surprised you had that much trouble. Mine just about fell off on their own. In fact that's how I figured it out... After I got all three lugs loose, the tire fell down and swung out past the hub all on its own. I said, "Ohhhhhhh! That's how it works!"

sflem849 · Aug 15, 2012

Sounds like it would have been a lot easier to just take the bearing apart.

Patrick HMD · Sep 3, 2012

Well, I went ahead and took the bearing apart anyway after i saw seepage coming out the back of the hub. After I broke down the bearing I understood why their was seepage. The packing grease was more like a real heavy gear oil. Real gooey like. Not very much fun cleaning that stuff out. Once I had it all broke down and the tire off the rim, I decided to give everything a fresh coat of paint.
After power brushing , then dusting everything off with my $39 sand pot from HF, I used the rustoleum self eching primer and hammered aluminum, and used the new Majic IH red from TSC. I really love that red. It looks so good, you almost want to bite into it. It's as red as it gets. Some real nice SS bolts and washers too from Gulf Coast Bolt and Screw. Here's an after picture.

Patrick
'49M

My "M" front rims mounted inside of hubs. WT*!!!

Patrick HMD

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JT

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D Slater

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DeltaRed

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47M

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Owen Aaland

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Dean Olson

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sflem849

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Bob M

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Brownie 450

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mkirsch

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Patrick HMD

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mkirsch

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sflem849

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Patrick HMD

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