EricW Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 I pulled all the tires off the JD 430 today because I suspect that the calcium chloride (or whatever the heck it is) in the tires was rusting the wheels from the inside out. It was far worse than I expected. I suspect the likelihood of my finding replacement wheels for the 430 between now and snow season is approximately zilch. So...I'm strongly considering welding them back up. I'm going to have them sandblasted clean. Then, I'll replace metal. After that, I'm going to have the wheels powder-coated and hopefully stop the corrosion-issue for the remaining life of the tractor. What I want to do is to simply weld down a 3/32 to 1/8 strip of steel over the smallest diameter of the wheel, bringing that small diameter up to the diameter of the level of where the bead sits. Any one with any tire experience know if that will cause any issues re-mounting the tires? I don't think I'll have any issues with the stem for the tube. I think I have that all worked out. I may see if I can just buy brand-new wheels for the tractor, but I have to check around Monday. The 430 was made about 1950, so I'm thinking I may have a tough time, but we'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LJE Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 Eric, better ask a tire shop or whoever mounts the tires for you. Every tire I ever helped to mount or watched being mounted, required the tire to be pushed down towards the center of the rim while the other side was being pulled over the rim. I don't think you can stretch a tire hard enough without allowing the opposite side to settle down into the center of the rim. Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 Eric, have you done a search. Lots of parts out there for those old tractors. I ran across a antique JD show and swap meet a few years ago. There were over a hundred tractors there, the newest was a 1954 R series. They had tons of parts and stuff for sale.---------Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
open17 Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 Eric, Look around for some wheels before you start trying to replace the rusted out metal. Farmland Supply in Tangent Oregon is a big tractor wrecking yard. There is a big one in Nampa Idaho, but I don't remember the name. LOTS of original and aftermarket stuff out there for old John Deere's. Another thing to consider, if the centers are OK, is to have the old rims cut off of the centers and new rims welded on. Not that big a job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted September 10, 2006 Author Share Posted September 10, 2006 (edited) The 430 is actually a crop row tractor. So the rims are actually bolted on to what effectively are cam adjusters which then attach to the center wheels. If I can get new replacement rims, I'm home free. I can weld those puppies up myself, no problemo. I had no idea there was the possibility of buying new rims... Edited September 10, 2006 by EricW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry White Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 www.tractorpart.com----------------Larry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wide45 Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 (edited) What they said http://www.tractorpart.com/john_deere_wheel_rim.html Here too http://www.tonystractors.com/jdr.htm Edited September 10, 2006 by wide45 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted September 10, 2006 Author Share Posted September 10, 2006 Holy Crap! Found new rims for $215 a whack. I ain't fixing anything for that. I never would have thought you could buy new rims for any tractor that old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Nesbitt Posted September 10, 2006 Share Posted September 10, 2006 Restoring old John Deere's is almost a cult around here. Should be lots of parts out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Front Man Posted September 11, 2006 Share Posted September 11, 2006 Dreaming of a Model D here. Steel or rubber. FM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted September 22, 2006 Author Share Posted September 22, 2006 OK, I have new rear rims in the shop. New front rims and rubber show up tomorrow. And given the weather lately, who knows if I'll have time to have any of it blasted and powder coated before the snows hit. The gods flipped a switch and we went from Labor Day directly to November. Anyway...the old rims were so badly rusted onto the center wheels that I had to buy a cutting torch and split the rim just so I could pound the center wheels out. Fortunately the adjusters look salvageable. Tomorrow I give the other wheel....the bad one....the same treatment. Might I suggest that anyone with a tractor never use calcium chloride...? This is going to cost almost $1500 before it's all over. What the hell was my dad thinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Sierpina Posted September 22, 2006 Share Posted September 22, 2006 Eric, The wheels corroded that badly with tubes in them? I don't ever remember having that kind of issue on our tractors. Including a 1948 Allis Chalmers that had loaded tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted September 22, 2006 Author Share Posted September 22, 2006 Eric, The wheels corroded that badly with tubes in them? I don't ever remember having that kind of issue on our tractors. Including a 1948 Allis Chalmers that had loaded tires. Yup. The valves in the tubes seeped. I also think that it was probably due to the care, or lack thereof used in filling them and the fact that they weren't kept painted on the insides. This time, I'm going for the beet juice fill....even if it does smell like doody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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