[Farmall] O-12 tires

[Karl Olmstead]

Not at first, Jim, but after I got home, I looked through the -12
pictures I've downloaded from the University of Wisconsin archives. 
I'd have to agree; virtually all of the 9" tires are diamond tread,
looking a lot like a modern turf tire.  Most of the 16" tires were
straight bars at a steep angle.  About half of the 16" tires looked a
lot like passenger car tires; perhaps 5-rib implement with the outer
ribs broken instead of solid.



Looking at millertire.com, there are a couple of choices that look
roughly like the old tires.  I'm thinking about going down to 5.50x16,
because most of the 6.00 wide tires I have are awfully wide.  A good
share of my O-12s have half the drag link gnawed away by overly wide
tires; I'm hoping to avoid this problem.  Tired of hauling drag links
over to my welder buddy's house to have the hole filled.  On the O-12,
it is important to adjust the limit stops on the front axle so that the
right side tire doesn't rub on the drag link.  Of course, the adjuster
bolts haven't been changed for seventy years, and need to be drilled
out...



Come to think of it, this particular O-12 has the wider front axle, so
it could probably handle the larger tires.  I have a set of 6.00 3-ribs
that I could use; pulled them off another O-12 that I'm also working
on.  It has the shorter axle (and had drag link damage).  As you said,
though, the tri-rib design is somewhat newer than this tractor, maybe
ten years or so.



I haven't begun the search for seals for the front wheel bearings. 
They are basically felt rings.  Anybody know a source for them?  I hope
Rice has them; I'm gradually building a substantial order for Gordon.



-Karl

----------------

> I thought they came from the factory with bald car tires.
> 
> Looking at the brochures,   The 9" all seem to be a diamond tread.  On the 
> 16", I've seen the double row of diamonds with bars extending to the side 
> wall.  I've also seen the connected straight bars at a steep angle.  These 
> are both identical to rear treads that were available at the time.  I also 
> have seen 5-rib implement tires.  5-rib seems like a good choice for orchard 
> work.
> 
> These descriptions all make sense?
> 
> Jim Becker