Maineman

Member
So, I recently purchased a 1950 8N. The rear tires show very little wear, B.F.Goodrich. The front tires are one single rib (marker tire) made by Firestone. And one three rib made by US Royal.

The guy I bought this tractor from bought it 28 years ago. I"m sure he never changed the tires. US Royal stopped production in 1958? So, the single rib front tire is original 1950?
Are those rear tires original equipment?

Joe
 
Around late 1949/early 1950 it could have B F Goodrich on the rear with a long bar/short alternating 45 degree tread and say 10-28 for the size, late in 1950/early 1951 the tread looked like a checkmark and said 10-28. Firestone 4-19 single rib was used on the front.
 
Joe.........does it really matter??? Unless yer a sphincterly challenged originality inspector, be thankful they hold air. Many rear tires are also loaded with rust inducing calcium chloride (CaCl) water for added traction. They usually leak from the innertube valve stem. There are other alternatives to CaCl, such as RV toilet anti-freeze (non-poisonous to dogs which like the sweet poisonous automobile anti-freeze); sometimes you can gitt "buys" on windshield washer squirt'em water (contains alcohol so it doesn't freeze) There is also "beet-guard" made outta sugar beet pulp. Unless you're plowing; you probably don't need the added traction inducing fluid in yer rear tires. And unless yer ag-bar tires are sloughing their bars ...or... you are besotted by the smell and look of $500 tires, save yer money.

As fer the 1-rib vs 3-rib front tires; most came from the factory with 1-rib for eazier steering; 3-rib has a little bitt more "capacity" and were often fitted for N's with front loaders. ........HTH, tireless Dell
 
My 9N still have the orig. FIRESTONES. Henry insisted that FIRESTONES(tm) be installed on HIS product. WHY? Well ......? :) :)

I guess because Henry had some stock in Firestone Rubber Co.

John,PA
 
First, Ford tire suppliers were from Firestone, Ford, and Goodyear with B.F. Goodrich later on. The N-tractors began on the 9N with 8 x 32 rears and the single rib 4 x 19 fronts. Soon, 10 x 28 rears (now labeled 11.2 x 28) were offered and stayed as OEM up through the NAA. Harvey Firestone and Henry Ford were good friends ever since they first met when Henry was building his first auto and Harvey was making bicycle tires. They remained friends their entire lifetime and began the "Four Vagabonds" a "millionaires" club though they didn"t call it that, with their buddies Thomas Edison and John Burroughs, taking numerous camping trips around the USA for many years. Henry Ford"s only [legal] offspring was Edsel Ford and he had four children. Henry Ford II and William Clay Ford were two of them. One got a car company, the other got a football team [Detroit Lions]. William Clay Ford married Harvey Firestones daughter, Josephine in 1947. A son from them, William Clay Ford II is the current Ford CEO, known as Bill Ford Jr. and he is now the owner of the Lions as well.

Tires -well if your BF"s are good and match, stay with them. I"d get the fronts to match too so either get a pair of single ribs -if you intend to do some plowing -or go with the three rib style but the better they match the better on your steering and front end. New ones can be found at places like Miller Tire and often the 4 x 19 fronts are sold at TSC.

Tim "PloughNman" Daley(MI)
 
So, the answer is yes. Three of the tires are original and the forth is from the fifties. Hard to believe anyone could have lived with those mismatched front tires that long! The rears are in really good shape, little wear and no weather checking. Unfortunately, one rear rim is rusted pretty bad from cc leaking out.

Thanks for the info!

Joe
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top