Farm Equipment - WC front steel wheels -altered

WC front steel wheels -altered

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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=134240
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Topic: WC front steel wheels -altered

Posted By: psheridan
Subject: WC front steel wheels -altered
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2017 at 9:38pm

I am in the act of restoring my second unstyled WC on steel

both of my tractors have front steel wheels that were cut apart and welded together by the spokes. you can tell that they were altered

they did a good job on both but you can definitely see where they joined the rim to the hub via the spokes

I was told by my Dad ( who is 96 and was an allis farm dealer) that the tractor came with rear steel and front rubber. during the war years, you could not get rubber and the farmers cut off the rubber rim and went to a steel rim replacement if they needed new front wheels . anyone with the same story?

Paul

Replies:

Posted By: MNLonnie
Date Posted: 24 Jan 2017 at 9:52pm

If yours are unstyled they were built before the war. Steel wheels were cheaper than rubber tires so that is one reason why farmers chose them. As tires became more affordable farmers would cut the outer steel and install a rim made for tires. I have never heard of anyone cutting off rubber to go to steel except the Amish. During the war there were shortages and tractors were low on the priority list so steel wheels were used on the B and C tractors. I'm not sure that was the case with the WC but it could be. I have heard of tractors coming with steel and rubber.

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Waukesha B, B, IB, G, styled WF, D15, 615 backhoe, 2-Oliver OC3's, 4 Ford Model T's, 3 Model A Fords, AV8 Coupe, AV8 Roadster, 1933 Ford Wrecker

Posted By: dpower
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2017 at 8:14am

I got an unstyled wc for sale with full set of steel on it, not far from u.

Posted By: steelwheelAcjim
Date Posted: 25 Jan 2017 at 12:04pm

Most manufacturers offered tractors to be purchased with with variations of; full steel, rear steel/front rubber, or all rubber. I never heard of an example where there was a rear rubber/front steel combination yet. There might be. ?

During the war years 1942-46, rubber was rationed, Most rubber products were only manufactured for military purposes (example: tires were used for personnel vehicles...jeeps, deuce and a half's) which took precedence over civilian needs. Most full steel tractors during the war were sold during the first couple of years of the war. By 1944 or so, tractors got back to being on rubber as demand for rationing lessened.

As stated before, the steel wheels could be cut down and be fitted to a rubber tire rim. This was done for many different reasons. In my area, roads were beginning to be stoned or paved. Laws and ordinances were enacted to prevent steel-wheeled equipment from damaging the newly constructed road. Also, it was proven that tractors fitted with rubber tires performed better, using less fuel and producing more horsepower.

There would be no reason to revert back to steel from rubber when using the tractor to farm with unless you are Amish. I can see doing it to complete a correct restoration.

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Pre-WW2 A-C tractors on steel wheels...because I'm too cheap to buy tires!