Front wheel on new tractor

[grhouse]

It is my understanding that the 9N and 2N took a 3-19 5 bolt wheel with a 4-19 tire. My new 9/2 N has a wheel with a 6 bolt pattern and a 6.5-16 SI tire on one front wheel and a 5.5-16 on the other front wheel. My guess is that someone changed the hubs at some point but the 8N hubs are made very different in the center hole.
I'd like to change this back over to original but am not sure what I'll need to do to accomplice this or if it is even a good idea. Maybe I should just get the same size tires for both wheels. Any thoughts or ideas? Gene

 

[lha]

If I'm not way off the first 2 pix were of rear wheels and hubs with 2 rivits missing.Those better be replaced before too much use.---lha

 

[grhouse]

Oops, you're right. That is the rear. This is the front and it is the 5 lug. The rest of the post is accurate as far as tire size goes and the question involved.
I do need better tires but not necessarily new ones. Is there any really good reason to change back to the 4-19 tire until I decide to do a restoration? Gene

 

[Jock (OR)]

My 1945 2N was bought new by my grandfather. As long as I can remember (back to at least the mid-1950's) it has had 16" front wheels/tires on it and the 19" wheels/tires have been stored in the back of the big shed.

I think my grandfather bought the 16" rims from the local dealer fairly soon after he bought the tractor. The rims look just like yours. The centers are built like the stock 19" ones, so they reverse, and are riveted to the rims.

I believe that these wheels were available in the late 1940's and 50's, but were not very popular and hence were phased out and are rare today. Most people who wanted 16" wheels modified their old 19" wheels, or replaced both the front hubs and wheels with either pre-1948 Ford car hubs/wheels or 8N hubs/wheels.

 

[grhouse]

Right now the tires ride very close to the tie rod ends. It sounds like you are saying that I can simply flip the wheels over and move the tire away from the tie rod ends and give myself a wider stance if I want to. If so, that is similar to what they to to the rear wheels. Gene

 

[Jock (OR)]

Yes, exactly.

My father could not find a 6.00-16 to match the car-type recaps, so he put a 7.50-16 on that side 20 years ago. He had to flip the wheel so it is reversed on that side. It is still on there and still lopsided!

 

[Dell (WA)]

Gene......you ask......."Is there any really good reason to change back to the 4-19 tire until I decide to do a restoration?".......I think 4-19 tires are the ONLY size that you can buy. ...but... there are some 19-knobbies that off-road motor cycle guys use you can probably find used. Also some of the "space-saver" sparetires are 19-inchers. I think some of those low-rider pymp-mobiles are running 19-inchers with 2-in sidewalls .......Dell

 

[grhouse]

WOW, just what I need a "Pimp-mo-tractor". I wonder what type of person it would attract? Maybe not the kind I would be interested in if my wife wouldn't kill me for being interested. ;-) Gene