38 tractor rim coating?

Here is what I found when I pulled my rear rims. The tires were 1940s -1950s vintage Sebring 45 deg. spade grip. The rim inside was painted the same color as the tractor with no galvanizing inside, it would appear the rims were originally painted and they were original. I know that all rims on all manufactures during this period were galvanized so are they replacements? The size is a true 8 X 24, the new ones appear to be all 10" and the rims have not been off since the early 50s due to the rust inside and the age of the tires. It makes me wonder if they replaced the rims withe tires with Allis replacements or they originally came on the tractor orange?

    You have to look close at the tab riveted to these 1938 early 1939 original Firestone rims to see the word FIRESTONE

Centers are the same, clamps are different, the rins have two tabs welded in one area near the air hole. My clamps have a groove that rides on the rim. The bolt is a cam that expands the lock and rides on the bumps. Being that I am sketchy on the actual year it looks like a transition tractor, I saw a 1940 that was different than mine but I do not have all the features of the 38 so I am going with early 39. The governer is non oil pressurized and I have a BE engine. The front rims are riveted hub so that is an early feature. Kinda like they were using up what they had left before they went to the 1940 model. But anyhow I am guessing either the rims were replaced or painted at one point is what I was getting at on the rear rim. Why someone would have put replacement rims on when the tractor was only a few years old is what stumps me as the tires are ancient, like early 50s at the newest. I do not have a seat yet so I still need to put together something for that, I am thinking upholstery shop.

Edited by Jonny B 1938 - 14 Sep 2016 at 7:18pm

Ken, looks like it has some sort of back cushion too. Is that factory?

Jonny
   Where is the engine serial number located on your B . The one prefixed by a BE. Is there no number beginning with a B where it says in raised letters TRACTOR NUMBER by the shifter.
   New Bs with 5/8 bolt rim clamps with a groove that fit tight against 4 rim bumps. One bump has clamp stops welded on both ends of one bump. These rims became standard in different widths after B #18055 in the 1939 production year. If you find these rims on earlier Bs they were used to replace bad early rims that were no longer available new.
   To have a good set of the early B obsolete rims with the 3/4 bolt footed clamps pictured above in useable condition is like finding a needle in a haystack

I have to look again but my trans has B9526 on it, the engine has a few more numbers but the 9526 was in the series also.

Hmm what are the chances of finding the correct wheels? I had the same issue with some Ford tractors we have with top hat rims made by Kelsy Hays but there were a lot more Fords made than Allis Bs.

Jonny
   The only good set of early B rear rims beside mine that I know of are on the "BUILD A B" project tractor that was in the Haymaker Museum in Paris. The B with these extreamly hard to find early B rims with all the special clamps is now in the Richard Akin collection.
   Wether he would part with them or trade for a set of 4 bumps is up to him. Wouldn't hurt to ask

That's OK, it is going to get used, not a trailer queen. It will plow, go to tractor cruises and possibly get rained on once in a while. If someone has a prime example of an original low use tractor that is a museum piece I would not even ask to break something like that up. Rare original examples are what people like me doing a restoration use as as an example to have a historically correct tractor. It always good to know what is the correct parts and know what they look like in the event I should run across something just laying around or find something that some claims to be correct for sale and not get duped into a deal gone wrong. Somewhere in Arizona, South Dakota, California or Texas there is a set of rust free rims that someone just thinks is an old worn out tractor I am sure. It kind of reminds me of the top hat rims on my dads 1940 9N, I was driving one day in a local town ( Manhattan ) and there were two tractor rims propped up against a tree marked for sale. No price just sitting there by the road, they looked like they were about the right size for a Ford so I stopped and took a look low and behold galvanized original rims with Ford scripted tires. Never used, kept inside all there life so I went to the door and an old woman answered the door and I said I was interested in the tires for sale, she explained they were in the garage from her now deceased husband that had a war time tractor on steel. She said he had bought them after the war From the local dealer after returning from Germany and never installed them. After a few cups of iced tea and some conversation about the old days and that my family was big into old Fords of all types I came around to asking what the price was? She said the she still had the receipt from 1948 when he bought them and she did not feel right charging 200 dollars for the pair as they were dirty and old so she said 50.00 for the pair. At this point I was estatic and guilty at the same time because the films alone were worth more than my van I was driving at the time much less the NOS tires. I ended up mowing her yard and doing general chores for several years as a trade plush the $ 50 until she could no longer sustained the place. I gained some tractor wheels but much more, a good friend and the good feeling of helping someone in need.

Edited by Jonny B 1938 - 15 Sep 2016 at 8:40am