Front wheels on old tricycle tractors

John Fulton · Jun 4, 2014

I was just looking at an old Silver King tractor on the photo ads and I have always wondered why they designed the front wheels way out in front of the chassis, instead of directly underneath. Was it to increase wheel base? Seems like it would be terrible strain on bolts holding them in place.. Why did they not just extend the frame out more? They are awesome looking tractors, but a little weird at the same time!!

donjr · Jun 4, 2014

While I'm not an engineer and not privy to the thoughts of the old timers that designed the earlier tractors, it would be my opinion the longer wheelbase made the ride easier and it helped the machine turn more readily. The front bolster's weight may have also played a role in helping to keep the front end down. There are a few reasons they may have extended them other than those, but it's my guess that those are the primary ones.

rustyfarmall · Jun 4, 2014

(quoted from post at 09:03:32 06/04/14) I was just looking at an old Silver King tractor on the photo ads and I have always wondered why they designed the front wheels way out in front of the chassis, instead of directly underneath. Was it to increase wheel base? Seems like it would be terrible strain on bolts holding them in place.. Why did they not just extend the frame out more? They are awesome looking tractors, but a little weird at the same time!!

Try to understand, if you will, that farm tractors were/are designed to do a variety of tasks. The older farm tractors, such as that Silver King, were expected to be able to accomodate a front mount cultivator, for weeding corn and other crops. The front wheels were mounted out in front to allow room for that cultivator.

gene bender · Jun 4, 2014

If you would have cultivated corn you would have found out with the wheel out front allowed better steering for staying on the row and when crossing the first rows were staggered due to the check wire. Its hard when setting the stake to get the same tension on the wire each time because every two rows would not have been in a straight line.

rrlund · Jun 4, 2014

My cousin always said Case just forgot to put the wheels on and put them out front as an afterthought.

JMS/.MN · Jun 4, 2014

The basic construction of those tractors with the wheels out front so far was a low-slung tractor.....as opposed to those like AC that had a drop box final drive. It was the only way to mount normal sized front wheels.

Arnold Layne · Jun 4, 2014

The wheels out front are to allow a lower centerline of the tractor, has nothing to do with a cultivator.

Anonymous-0 · Jun 4, 2014

They may look a little funny, but they're perhaps the easiest manual steering tractor.

Glenn F.

Dick2 · Jun 4, 2014

Longer wheelbase made for a better ride. The short wheelbase DC4 Case that we had was a good tractor but a real "Teddy Roosevelt" to ride over rough ground.

redtom · Jun 4, 2014

Cheaper! A lot easier to tack on a casting with a vertical shaft and wrap a chain around as is the Silver King. Than to make a complicated bolster casting with worm gear and rad mount etc. Like a JD or IH.

rrlund · Jun 4, 2014

I'd have to argue with you there. I had 2 SCs and a DC. Easy,yes,but not as easy as an Oliver.

Front wheels on old tricycle tractors

John Fulton

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donjr

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rustyfarmall

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gene bender

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rrlund

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JMS/.MN

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Arnold Layne

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Anonymous-0

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Dick2

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redtom

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rrlund

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