Anyone converted a 185 to a 4x4
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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=44953
Printed Date: 11 Sep 2025 at 10:45am
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Topic: Anyone converted a 185 to a 4x4
Posted By: tlewis
Subject: Anyone converted a 185 to a 4x4
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 7:44pm
| just curios what it might take if at all possible to make a 185 a 4x4. got a sweet deal lined up to buy a 185 but really would like a 6070 or 6080 thats why i ask. |
Replies:
Posted By: 427435
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 7:47pm
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It's not economically feasible to make a 185 into a FWA. Buy a FWA 6060-6080.
------------- Mark B10 Allis, 917 Allis, 7116 Simplicity, 7790 Simplicity Diesel, GTH-L Simplicity Ignorance is curable-----stupidity is not. |
Posted By: tlewis
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 7:52pm
| like what would economical be? |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 10:00pm
| Like it simply cannot be done. If someone gave you an FWA axle and tires and gave you mounting brackets (which there are no mounting brackets for a 185), how would you propose to drive the front axle that needs a driveshaft??????? |
Posted By: DSeries4
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 10:06pm
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Listen to the doctor! It's just not possible. ------------- '49 G, '54 WD45, '55 CA, '56 WD45D, '57 WD45, '58 D14, '59 D14, '60 D14, '63 D15D, '66 D15II, '66 D21II, '67 D17IV, '67 D17IVD, '67 190XTD, '73 620, '76 185, '77 175, '84 8030, '85 6080 |
Posted By: TedBuiskerN.IL.
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 10:20pm
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Anything is possible with enough money! How about a hydrostatic unit? ------------- Most problems can be solved with the proper application of high explosives. |
Posted By: Russ-neia
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 10:26pm
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A 185 FWA would be totally cool, but even if you could drive the axle, you'd need a different frame as the light rails wouldn't stand up to turning and twisting from a powered axle. ------------- The innovators offer what others will imitate. |
Posted By: DrAllis
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 10:31pm
| I'm guessing this will be for a loader tractor use??? If you powered a BIG hydrostatic pump from the 1000 rpm PTO (which many 185's don't have) you'd have to switch directions with the pump forward to reverse each time. Then this pump would be sticking out the back of the tractor so you probably couldn't even use the 3 pt hitch. |
Posted By: 427435
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 11:00pm
Buying a good FWA 6060-6080 would be cheaper than any conversion that actually worked. ------------- Mark B10 Allis, 917 Allis, 7116 Simplicity, 7790 Simplicity Diesel, GTH-L Simplicity Ignorance is curable-----stupidity is not. |
tlewis wrote:Posted By: Eldon (WA)
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 11:19pm
------------- ALLIS EXPRESS! This year: |
Posted By: Clay
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2012 at 12:05pm
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You can do it by strengthening the frame rails and removing the front axle. Get a second 185 and remove its seat and front axle. Build an articulated hitch and hook the two tractors together. Attach steering brackets and hydraulic steering cylinders. Hook up remote clutch, shift and throttle controls. I have seen this done for other tractors but not for a 185.
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Posted By: Claus
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2012 at 12:08pm
| Or you could buy a real nice 6080 with cab and turn the key. |
Posted By: agcodick
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2012 at 11:16am
A hydraulic driven front end would probably be the easiest to do. Levy or a mud hog combine system could probably be done easily if you had a good way to power the hydraulics. Here is a 190 with a levy on it.  |
Posted By: kffischer
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2012 at 9:08pm
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Anything is possible, but not always conventionally. If it takes lots of inspirational words, you know it won't be cheap. Look into County tractors from England for inspiration. They built 1970s era Ford tractors into four wheel drives. I believe they took power from the final drives on both sides, and ran a shaft along each side to the front axle. I seem to remember seeing an extra housing bolted between the transmission and the rear end as well. There's always a way: do you want to have fun and learn something or do you just want instant gratification? karl f
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Posted By: jmikeyoung
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2012 at 11:14pm
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could you use a rear wheel assist off a combine? and has anyone ever converted a 7000 series? |
Posted By: Larry(OH)
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2012 at 5:37am
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Those Levy set ups are pretty cool and seen on several Olivers in my area, BUT i think its alot easier to mate one up to an oliver than any other brand. I always thought the missing 4WD D-21 looked like it had a Levy unit on the front of it ------------- '40 WC puller, '65 770 Ollie *ALLIS EXPRESS contact* I can explain it to you, BUT I cannot understand it for you!! |
Posted By: Jordan(OH)
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2012 at 4:35pm
| There is a D21 FWA in Gilbert Vust's museum in Portage la Prairie. It is an aftermarket unit, possibly the one you are thinking of. |
Posted By: ILGLEANER
Date Posted: 07 Feb 2012 at 10:41pm
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The best way to spend the least would be buy a 6080 FWA. And buy sheetmetal off of a 185, and put that on the 6080 Making the brackets for sheetmetal to fit would be alot cheaper then making FWA work on a 185.
IG ------------- Education doesn't make you smart, it makes you educated. |
Posted By: Dave in il
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2012 at 9:59am
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But IG, where's the adventure in that? LOL ------------- AGCO My Allis Gleaner Company |
Posted By: AllisChalmers37
Date Posted: 08 Feb 2012 at 2:58pm
I've actually wanted to see that done with a new tractor. Like get a new AGCO(MF) and take the sheetmetal off of it and replace it with AC sheet metal. I know it wouldn't be an AC but I think it would be cool. Just one of those dumb ideas that I think too much about.  ------------- 1937 WC, 1950 CA, 1959 D14, 1967 190XT, 2006 Ram 3500 |