Ferguson Wheels/Rims Rusted out - can they be repa

[dourobob]

I have a 1952 Ferguson TEA 2085 with 11.2 X 28 back tires and it is limping badly. Today I was attempting to put air in one of the tires and the whole valve came out in my hand - fluid all over the ground. The rims look pretty rusty to the eye but I am hoping they can be repaired. Any tips on what to look for when checking for soundness of the rest of the rim? Should a good welder (I am hoping a friend of mine will try this 'cause I am just starting to learn about this welding stuff) be able to cut out pieces and replace them on a rim like this. Am I just asking for more trouble than it is worth and should I just buy new rims (or sound used rims) if I can find them?

Thanks for any ideas.

Douro Bob

 

[bgott]

You can repair anything given enough time and money. Is it feasible, probably not. I would buy new rims if I was working the tractor. You can move over to new metal and drill a new hole for the valve stem but I bet the wheel is rotten all the way around. Pull the tire and sandblast the wheel and see how much is left. You might not want to have to repay the favor if it takes you friend a month to fix your old wheels!

 

[jinman]

I went through the same decision on my 1954 Ford Jubilee with the same size tires/wheels. I had a wheel "let go" while mowing and took a calcium chloride bath./w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif/w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif/w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif I replaced the outer rim ring after having to cut the bolts to get the rim apart. The ring was around $100 at a local tractor shop and the tube was about $25. Changing the tire to the new rim ring was another $25 and the new bolts were about $8. That's $158 total. Now if I'd paid a welder and gone the "fix-it" route, I'd have probably spent less than $100, but all the tire dealers told me I would probably end up with a rough chafing spot inside the rim which would cause me more trouble in the long run. Also, you never know until you get the tire off, but if you have rust around the valve stem, you probably also have it many other places inside the rim. Just two years ago, I replaced both rear tires on my Jubilee and at that time, I bought another rim ring for the opposite side tire. I just could not see putting a brand new tire and tube onto an old rusted rim. Now, I don't worry about it and I haven't had to add air to my tires in over two years. My recommendation is that you replace your rim. It'll cost a few dollars more, but in the long run you will save money and a lot of grief. /w3tcompact/icons/clever.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif

 

[RichZ]

This is quite a coincidence! I was looking at the wheels of my Ferguson TO-20 the other day, and noticed one rim is getting very corroded. I thought it might be time to think about replacing it. I posted a question on the Harry Ferguson board on yesterdaystractors.com, and asked how much the rims cost. I was told they're $85 each, for brand new rims. If that is correct, it doesn't pay to have them repaired.

 

[s1120]

No for $85, I would just replace. By the time you sand blast, and weld you would have over $100 in it. Plus the rest of the rim would be old, and ready to fail.

 

[dourobob]

Thank guys - that of course is $85 US which is about $400 Cdn /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif - actually my local tire guy was of two minds - he can get me new rims for $145 each Cdn. (pretty competitive) Another $40 to change the tire and rim, about $30 for a new tube plus $1.35 a gallon for calcium to re-load the tire. He is ordering the rim today but he suggested I take the old rim and see what my welding buddy can do with it. If the weld is done and buffed and the rest of the rim is sound he sees no reason not to use it. Once the old rim is off we will be in a better position to make a decision. . . but I think I would always be wondering when the next shoe (tire valve) was going to pop.

Douro Bob