WD / WD45 Wide Frontend
Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Allis Chalmers
Forum Name: Farm Equipment
Forum Description: everything about Allis-Chalmers farm equipment
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=152235
Printed Date: 22 Aug 2025 at 8:23am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: WD / WD45 Wide Frontend
Posted By: Lew
Subject: WD / WD45 Wide Frontend
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 4:10pm
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I know the difference between the three bolt and 4 bolt frontends which is the mounting plate. Why did Allis make the two different frontends? I have a 1950 WD and a 1954 WD45 which are both tricycle wheel frontends which type, three or four, would be period correct for the wide frontends; I am refurbishing both tractors.
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Replies:
Posted By: LouSWPA
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 4:24pm
to my knowledge, the WD only came with the three, and the early WD-45's were 3 bolt, but I don't know where the cutoff came. The reason, as I understand it was the four bolt was stronger
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Posted By: HD6GTOM
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 4:55pm
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4 bolt is stronger. If you are going to convert, I strongly recommend the 4 bolt. Check to see the holes on the cast center Block are not stripped out and farmer repaired.
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Posted By: IBWD MIke
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 8:13pm
4 bolt wide front end started at serial no. 186413 according to my notes.
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Posted By: Dakota Dave
Date Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 9:19pm
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WD 45 got the 4 bolt wide front in 1954 production year. It was around the same time as the diesel. It's rare to find a three bolt that hasn't been repaired usually a farmer mod. The loaders were very hard on the three bolts.
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Posted By: Lonn
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 7:13am
I purchase a WD with a wide front to use the wide front for my Dad's old WD (It had a narrow front). I "rebuilt" the threaded mounting holes on the wide front block. Bolt holes were busted out. I used nickle welding rod and filled in the holes, not really knowing what I was doing, I then took it to a machine shop to get new holes and threads cut. No machine shop would touch it because I used regular nickle rod for cast iron. I was informed that I should have used some kind of milling welding rod so the material would be softer to cut. So I tackled the job myself. Bought a handful of drill bits and sharpened them several times. Got the holes drilled finally. Then came tapping the threads. Again I bought two or three taps. Could only go a thread or two before tap wouldn't cut then I would slice off the end of the tap and start again. Repeat until that tap was used up. Grab another tap and so on and so forth. Job got done and twenty sum years later and lots of hay mowed and raked and it has held up fine. I periodically check to make sure the bolts are tight but I did use high strength thread lock and they never have come loose. You can't tell it was ever busted up. Loose bolts is what I think will bust out the threads in the first place.
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Posted By: LionelinKY
Date Posted: 20 Jul 2018 at 11:44pm
Grandpa got tired really quick of the bolts loosening up and backing out on our 1953 WD45 that he bought used in the early 60s. Good friend of his that was also an Oliver dealer and top notch machinist offered to fix it for him. He drilled out the holes at least 1 size larger, tapped the new holes for larger bolts, and hasn't been a problem ever since going on 5 decades now. Tractor has never had a loader on it but has handled a Meyer snowplow every winter back as far as my memory goes.
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"My name is Lionel and I'm an Allisoholic"
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