Found something on my Super C rims

[Charlie M]

Been putting new tires on the rear of my Super C. Once I cleaned them up I found the word Firestone, W8 and 36 engraved into the steel wheel. They are 36 inch rims. Did Firestone make wheels or did IH do that so when it came time to change tires the owner would know what to put back on.

 

[Janicholson]

Been putting new tires on the rear of my Super C. Once I cleaned them up I found the word Firestone, W8 and 36 engraved into the steel wheel. They are 36 inch rims. Did Firestone make wheels or did IH do that so when it came time to change tires the owner would know what to put back on.

They made rims for much of the industry. Jim

 

[Jim Becker]

There was also a date stamped along with what you found.

 

[560Dennis]

Reminds me , I think they are the original ones that came with the tractor . We had Firestone on the Farmall C .

 

[DeltaRed]

Most if not all MFGers did not roll(build) their own rims. They bought them.Firestone was only one such MFGer.

 

[504]

Electric Wheel in Quincy Illinois was bought out by Firestone . When the union and Firestone couldn’t make a deal they closed the doors. After a few changes of ownership they became Titian Wheel. Open and shipping rims everywhere

 

[DR. EVIL]

I was the tire/wheel/rim Buyer and scheduler at the IH FARMALL PLANT for 4-5 years. EWC did 50% of all the high usage rims/wheels, French & Hecht did the other half. And MOTOR WHEEL in Mendota, Ill did one rear steel disc wheel used on 686/Hydro86's, was a 15"x34". Titan Proform stamped out dual wheel centers and got French & Hecht into the dual wheel business. Seemed like there was a type of wheel they bought rims from French & Hecht and stamped the center disks and welded them in, think it was the dual wheels for the 2+2 models of tractors, 16x38 and 18x38's.
There was a "Special style" of rim we got ONLY from Electric Wheel, a 20"x30"! 21'x32" and 24"x32". Used both on 2 wheel drive 86-series tractors and also became very popular on 2+2's, especially the 20x30's 23.1x30 tires, the 2+2 displayed at the farm progress show in Iowa that year had them and BOY did they get popular after the show. Those rims all had a malleable iron bracket riveted inside the rim that let them bolt onto the cast iron center disk the IH Louisville Plant cast for Farmall, also used on the 2wd 86-series tractors. EWC called the machine that punched the holes for the castings a HYDRO-Pierce. I never actually got to visit Electric Wheel's plant, never got to either of French & Hecht's plants either. And F&H was just across the river in downtown Davenport.
My Buddy & I took a road trip ONE SATURDAY to visit Elwood Mfg that made FARMALL'S front wheel drive axle for the 2WD TRACTORS, 786,886,986,1086, 1486 & 1586. ELWOOD was only a few miles from Joliet. Basically a 3 man organization. They did machining, assembly, welding, and painting in house. Depending on skill and experience necessary they hired experienced welders and machinists or high school co-op kids.