International A left Rear Wheel

[Bookman]

While mowing today with my 1946 International A with a belly mower, the left rear wheel almost came off. I got to looking and two of the bolts that hold the rim and tire to the center had torn through the steel middle. I suppose they got loose and kept working until they got through. The nuts did not come off but must have been loose. Can a good welding shop reweld the holes to proper size or should I look for another center piece? I do not suppose they are available new but I have not looked. Going to be a pain taking the weight off and taking it to a welding shop or replacing it,
any way I look at it.

 

[khouse6]

a GOOD welding shop , can do wonderful things

 

[Pete in Holland MI]

That's a small hole to try to fill with weld material and yield a good thread afterwards. I would recommend finding a used part and replacing it.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Weld up the worn part where it contacts the loops then just weld a flay piece of steel over the worn hole on the back. Not just a washer but a piece of flat bar stock like 2or3 inches square with the appropriate hole size drilled in it. Then tighten all the bolts. Loosen them up lubricate and retighten all of the bolts so they are not just stuck and seem tight. We had to do the same thing to our 5 and 674's as the rims were working loose on the rim loops. They had not worn the disc yet so we could just tighten them back up after loosening them.I used a pipe and 3/4 drive ratchet to loosen them, and then tightened with a 1 inch impact and checked them with the ratchet and pipe.

 

[grandpa Love]

Easy enough and maybe cheaper to buy a good used one. I've bought a bunch of parts from JP ....

 

[gene bender]

sometimes they just weld a short piece of 1/4 thick by 2in wide and three long with the hole drilled then bolt the center to it and weld that way the holes still line up

 

[glennster]

there is a used one on ebay for 168.00 here is a link. probably cheaper and safer innthe long run to replace with a good used unit.
poke here

 

[Bookman]

Folks, Thanks for all the good advice. I found a good used one from Burch Tractor in North Carolina for about $150 with shipping and including one bolt. I had this happen to me about 15 years ago with same tractor. It did not chew up the rim that time. I thought I checked bolts but obviously I had not. This is my weekly mow tractor and mow proably 5 to 8 acres with it. So it gets lots of miles/hours on it. I would imagine my current rim fixable as some of your described, but my guess is my local machine would charge about as much or more as the used one. Now the hassle of getting the weight off, etc. Done it before and I have a cherry picker, but still slow and careful are the words. Thanks again.

 

[Bookman]

As I wrote earlier, I ordered a used one, but this is good advice in tightening the bolts on the one I get. Thanks

 

[Bookman]

Yes, I think the welding shop I go to probably could, but I think probably not for less $ than the used one I was able to buy. Thanks

 

[Highwayman]

I had a pair of tin 24 centers that I was tired of tripping over and sent to the local junk auction. Think I got $20 for them after paying $150 for them at a salvage yard years ago.
I do have a pair of the cast centers if you need one.

 

[Bookman]

Thanks, just need the left side steel one and I found one. Never fails that as soon as I get rid of something, I find a need/use for it.

 

[504]

The last one I had problems with was my mower,I round some heavy flat washers. And with the wheel on the hub to use as a centering jig, I tacked welded the washers on,then welded them on for real. Ball peen hammer to reset the convex for the wheel stud. Works great.