? about running board nuts

[wheels528]

I took my running boards off to clean them up and noticed the carriage bolts are all the same[5/16x24] but the forward nuts are reg 1/2" socket but the rear ones are 11/16 socket,was wondering why they would be different?,thanks

 

[Richard G.]

I have always said that Henry had a favorite size. 11/16's.
Must have still had a bunch left over from the car factories.
Richard in NW SC

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley]

Actually, it was Harry Ferguson who had the idea that all nuts and bolts on the tractor and implements were two hex sizes -11/16 and 1-1/16 AF (Across Flats). This goes back to his partnership with David Brown and their 1936 Ferguson-Brown Type A tractor. Ferguson had designed a standard wrench to fit most all nuts and bolts at those sizes. It was approx 10" long, the standard width of a plough furrow at the time as well, and had inch has marks in cast raised characters. With Ford, the engineers said no way can we make all nuts and bolts the same size and they didn't. The 1936 F-B Type A Tractor, dubbed the Black Tractor, was the one, s/n 722, which Ferguson brought over from the UK to demonstrate the 3-point draft control system to Henry Ford with in November, 1938. In my opinion, Ferguson copied the inch hash marks on his Fergie Spanner from an earlier 1800's LaCrosse Plow Wrench with the inch markings on. Ferguson never had an original design -he wasn't an engineer. Ferguson was a shrewd businessman/salesman. Contrary to what many believe and is often written, he was NOT the inventor of the 3-pt draft control system. That honor belongs to Greer, Sands, and Chambers -his team of true designers and engineers. Ferguson owned the patent rights because he filed for them. Ford didn't believe in patents nor lawyers.


LACROSSE PLOW WRENCH & FORD 9N-17014 PLOW WRENCH:

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)

 

[Tim PloughNman Daley]

Your 1/2" hex nuts are not original. The 8N running boards used 8 carriage bolts, p/n 355471-S7, 5/16-24 x 3/4, 8 5/16 lockwashers, and 8 5/16-24 hex nuts, p/n 34806-S7. The AF (Across Flats) dimension is 11/16" on the original part which was a special item. Someone replaced yours with later aftermarket standard 5/16-24 ones. The industry has changed fastener dimensions from what was used back then. One example is the 5/8-18 Hex Nuts used on rear rims and many implements. The AF dimension was originally 1-1/16" AF but nowadays the industry has changed the AF dimension to either 1" or 15/16". Dennis Carpenter makes exact-original 5/8-18 Hex Nuts and the running board Nut & Bolt kit. For $15 you can get 8 bolts, nuts, and washers or for .95? each, just the special hex nuts. If you aren't doing a complete true restoration, why worry about it? No one will see them. The late Harold Brock told me once that the Ford engineers overdesigned a lot of things simply because they did not know. The running board special hex nuts with the wider hex was no doubt because they felt the part needed a much stronger area of fastening. They may have been correct, maybe not. FWIW too, fine thread carriage bolts are no longer made standard in the industry nowadays. Specialty Ford Tractor manufacturer Dennis Carpenter is the only licensed one to repop thee OEM fasteners. nnalert sells his parts too as they were instrumental in QC Control and originality when Carpenter first got into tractor parts.

Tim *PloughNman* Daley(MI)
OEM RUNNING BOARD NUT & BOLT KIT

 

[Richard G.]

Thanks, neat info.
Richard

 

[wheels528]

Thanks,Tim