38 inch rear's

[Fixersteve]

Hi Chaps,

Just wondering if it would be possible to fit 16.9 x 38's on my Super? Ive been offered a set for free but will have to change the centers to fit. My 16.9 x 30's are showing the inner tubes through the rubber and i dont think the rims will take a tyre change. So this pair of 38's is the only option i have at the moment.

I have read that fordson did fit R38's to some export tractors.....?

Thanks
Steve

[super6954]

Hi steve
There are quite a few majors in North America with 13x38 tyres on I see them mainly in the states and the odd one in Canada for sale with them.
You can put 16.9x38 on a major lots of the tractor pulling guys do it. The biggest problem is the wheel dish from a major doesn't fit the rim. so you have to use an 8 stud dish then cut the old center out and weld in a new 6 stud pattern or modify the major dish. Ive seen a few different messes that guys have tried there .
Im not sure if you might have to raise the fenders up a bit to for the under clearance I know you do for 18.4x 38 I have heard you can get 8 stud half shafts from a county crawler and use 8 stud ford dishes. From what I can see it's not an easy 5 min swap having done wheels for my Belarus pulling tractor .
Sounds like it might be better to go hunting for another good set of wheels that bolt right on from where I'm sitting .
Regards Robert

[Major Mike]

With 16,9x38" you must have at least 10x16" front tyres. And 11" clutch also easily starts shaking, when you slip clutch at crawling speed.
But with 6 cyl. engine they are OK.

[Fixersteve]

Cheers chaps, think I'm going to give it ago. The wheels have been given to me so got nothing to loose. Unless anyone knows where I can get a good set of 36" rims and tyres???

[arjan_brouwer]

16.9 x 38 will never fit without raising the fenders Max 62" will fit. For example: 16.9 x 34

[super6954]

Cheers chaps, think I'm going to give it ago. The wheels have been given to me so got nothing to loose. Unless anyone knows where I can get a good set of 36" rims and tyres???

Hi Steve
It Kinda sounds to me that Mike is saying it will mess up your gear ratios too I kinda wondered about that as well, but on a 250 plus hp Fordson pulling tractor lower ratios aren't really a problem it either goes or it don't 50 hp might be a bit of a different issue . you have the 19" front wheels so she sits a bit higher at the front. so you might get away without changing them to level it up a bit. But sounds like your fenders might get vertigo when they head for the sky with spacers in .
I kinda just fell off the fence on the side of finding a pair of Fordson wheels and tyres that fit . Yes your other wheels are free but you have to put a lot in them, and if it doesn't work out you have to scrap that whole plan and start again
Good luck
Regards Robert

[Fixersteve]

I can see where you are coming from Robert, At the moment im stuck between a rock and a hard place as the tyres on my 16.9 x 30's are so badly worn that the inner tube is showing through and at any moment it could go pop. And the 36" that she came on are so badly rotted out that i reckon they will collapse. It wouldnt be so bad if she was just a show tractor but because i use her as a working girl i need her back on the road.

Ive been trying to find a decent pair of second hand 16.9 x 30 tyres to replace the ones I have but they seem to be non existant!

So Im stuck at the moment.

[ford5000y]

Hi Chaps,

Just wondering if it would be possible to fit 16.9 x 38's on my Super? Ive been offered a set for free but will have to change the centers to fit. My 16.9 x 30's are showing the inner tubes through the rubber and i dont think the rims will take a tyre change. So this pair of 38's is the only option i have at the moment.

I have read that fordson did fit R38's to some export tractors.....?

Thanks
Steve

Yes, they are fitted to some export tractors.The fordsons here in the Philippines have "38" rims. Sorry I can't get any picture of them yet because the one that was working wasn't here while the other 3 that I knew were parked in places where no one could take a picture of them from the road. "38" rims would look nice on majors, especially on supers .

Any pictures of them would be very much appreciated .

[ford5000y]

Hi steve
The biggest problem is the wheel dish from a major doesn't fit the rim. so you have to use an 8 stud dish then cut the old center out and weld in a new 6 stud pattern or modify the major dish. Ive seen a few different messes that guys have tried there .
Im not sure if you might have to raise the fenders up a bit to for the under clearance I know you do for 18.4x 38 I have heard you can get 8 stud half shafts from a county crawler and use 8 stud ford dishes.

Robert,
There were original "38" rims for fordsons. Fordsons around here still use the major dish. What they have done is that they have deepened the rims, of some sort...

an original fordson "38" rim

[Major Mike]

ford5000y wrote :

Any pictures of them would be very much appreciated .

And here not so original rim, with 18,4x38"

[super6954]

Hi steve
The biggest problem is the wheel dish from a major doesn't fit the rim. so you have to use an 8 stud dish then cut the old center out and weld in a new 6 stud pattern or modify the major dish. Ive seen a few different messes that guys have tried there .
Im not sure if you might have to raise the fenders up a bit to for the under clearance I know you do for 18.4x 38 I have heard you can get 8 stud half shafts from a county crawler and use 8 stud ford dishes.

Robert,
There were original "38" rims for fordsons. Fordsons around here still use the major dish. What they have done is that they have deepened the rims, of some sort...

an original fordson "38" rim

Hi
Thanks for your reply The problem is not the dish on the original major 38. The mounting lugs are taller than the standard 36 ones to allow for the bigger rim, or the rim has an extra step like the ones in your picture I think it depends who sold ford the rim how it's done .
The issue comes with later rims either having 8 rim lugs in 4 pairs and a square dish. or the earlier rims with 8 short eye lugs evenly spaced round the rim. on these the dish is larger so to fit the major dish you have to weld longer lugs on the dish outer or extend the rim lugs in. If thats not done right it causes serious problems with wheels running true and safety issues due to the lugs bending. .
This is why most guys use the whole 16.9x38 wheel and dish, Then cut the original 8 stud hub pattern center out.
Then weld plate in drilled to the major 6 stud hub pattern. some guys also add strengthening webs to the hub plate also.
Regards Robert

[ford5000y]

Hi steve
The biggest problem is the wheel dish from a major doesn't fit the rim. so you have to use an 8 stud dish then cut the old center out and weld in a new 6 stud pattern or modify the major dish. Ive seen a few different messes that guys have tried there .
Im not sure if you might have to raise the fenders up a bit to for the under clearance I know you do for 18.4x 38 I have heard you can get 8 stud half shafts from a county crawler and use 8 stud ford dishes.

Robert,
There were original "38" rims for fordsons. Fordsons around here still use the major dish. What they have done is that they have deepened the rims, of some sort...

an original fordson "38" rim

Hi
Thanks for your reply The problem is not the dish on the original major 38. The mounting lugs are taller than the standard 36 ones to allow for the bigger rim, or the rim has an extra step like the ones in your picture I think it depends who sold ford the rim how it's done .
The issue comes with later rims either having 8 rim lugs in 4 pairs and a square dish. or the earlier rims with 8 short eye lugs evenly spaced round the rim. on these the dish is larger so to fit the major dish you have to weld longer lugs on the dish outer or extend the rim lugs in. If thats not done right it causes serious problems with wheels running true and safety issues due to the lugs bending. .
This is why most guys use the whole 16.9x38 wheel and dish, Then cut the original 8 stud hub pattern center out.
Then weld plate in drilled to the major 6 stud hub pattern. some guys also add strengthening webs to the hub plate also.
Regards Robert

Ohh...
so what you are saying is about fitting a "38" rim that is not original to a fordson, one would need to reinforce them if he's going to weld the 6 stud hub, unless, he wants to see some large visible cracks in the weld. somebody around here in our area tried reinforcing the rear hub of his ford 5000, but it ended up much worse because he did it wrong.

[super6954]

I can see where you are coming from Robert, At the moment im stuck between a rock and a hard place as the tyres on my 16.9 x 30's are so badly worn that the inner tube is showing through and at any moment it could go pop. And the 36" that she came on are so badly rotted out that i reckon they will collapse. It wouldnt be so bad if she was just a show tractor but because i use her as a working girl i need her back on the road.

Ive been trying to find a decent pair of second hand 16.9 x 30 tyres to replace the ones I have but they seem to be non existant!

So Im stuck at the moment.

Hi Steve
so nothing much changes in the U.k then those tyres where hard to find back 13 years ago when I left .
Don't take this the wrong way but Im kinda miffed by the fact you spent a lot of time and effort on the motor sheet metal and paint, but now the wheels literally come of the wagon, due to tyres that are as important as the motor . would it not make sense to buy new ones and not have all these problems, as you seem to be in this for the long run and the tractor will earn the money back .
One last thing you could try is combine wrecking yards for 18.4x 30 tyres. they will fit on your rims as they are. I got them on my power major. they came off a massey 5 or maybe 600 combine before I shipped the tractor over to Canada . The John Deere 955 had them too . They fit under the fenders to I also had new firestone 18's on a super I sold. The only drawback is that they are a fraction wider and squash grass down a bit more cutting our lawn with the brush mower so i went to a super on 16's and its a little better .
Regards Robert

[ford5000y]

One last thing you could try is combine wrecking yards for 18.4x 30 tyres. they will fit on your rims as they are. I got them on my power major. they came off a massey 5 or maybe 600 combine before I shipped the tractor over to Canada . The John Deere 955 had them too . They fit under the fenders to I also had new firestone 18's on a super I sold.
Regards Robert

So,for example, if somebody has put the rear rims of a massey into your ford 5000, be happy!! That's because that means somebody immobilized a massey so that a fordcan be used!!!!

[Fixersteve]

Cheers guys, I've put the wheels next to her and they look far to big so I'm going to carry on my hunt for some 16.9 x 30's to go on the rims I've got. Like you said Robert Its looking like I might have tO get new ones!

[ford5000y]

any pics of the 38 rims??