Very old wagon gear

[Doug-Iowa]

I was out spraying weeds today and came across an old steel wheel wagon gear I forgot I had. I had thought about using it for a display piece but then remembered the hubs are extremely loose. It uses a tapered spindle about 3" on the big end and 2" on the small end, maybe a foot long. There is an equally tapered hub in the center of the wheel, but it is probably an inch bigger diameter. The entire assembly held on with a cast washer and a 1/2 inch pin, and it is very loose. All 4 wheels are the same. I think these run on grease no bearings just like the old wooden wagons. But I can't believe they ran metal on metal so long it wore this much. Was there some sort of cone shaped wooden bearing in these that has long rotted away? Any hope for making replacements? Thanks

 

[fixerupper]

The few I have been around were steel on steel. Once in awhile the wheel was removed and heavy grease was smeared on the spindle. Those wagons never moved faster than three or four miles per hour when they were behind a horse.

 

[Jim in N.M.]

I've done a few of these old wagons and To my knowledge, space between was wrapped with thick leather and then was lubed with thick grease just like the old western wagons! I have one now to be restored and am looking for some better old wooden wheels with the "steel" tires. If you ever run across any please keep me in mind! Usually, the front ones are smaller diameter than the back ones. If you need any more info Just email me! Jim in N.M.

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

It's possible there were tapered roller bearings at one point. Usually it's just a steel hub on a steel skein. Deferred maintenance is probably why they're loose. My threshers have the steel on steel setup with grease cups on the hubs. I still pull the wheels every couple years to clean & re-grease them. No signs of wear yet. Though those machines are probably low milage. Would almost think you could resleeve the hubs. With what I'm not sure. Will be interesting to read what others have to say about it.

Mike

 

[37 chief]

I think you are correct. Some where I have an old pail of Standard Oil wagon wheel grease. Stan

 

[jal-SD]

Get some pictures of the wagon gear & send them to Hanson Wheel & Wagon. They are just North of Mitchell, SD, but the address might be Letcher, SD. Doug Hanson likes that kind of stuff and knows all kinds of information about wagons. His shop's information is on the internet. He and his crew restores all types of horse drawn wagons. They built the repcla Wells Fargo Stage coach you see in the Rose Parade every year. (It was a few years back.) Doug & a couple of staff went & measured an original in a museum to make an exact copy. They got a ton of cash to do that one.

 

[Leroy]

What you have is called a skein and they were never tight and there was never anyting supposed to be in there. You pulled the wheel and slathered a special very thick and tough greese in there with a paddle. And yes I have had themthat the botton of the skein was completely wore away. And also that the hub part was wore completely away as well. But for what I did with it I could get by, just parts on flat bed exceped when I took it to a show. And there were dozens of sizes of skeins, some bore or less standard withbigger ones for heavier loads, then there were other manufactories that used their own measurements so standard replacement wheels would not work.