Question on wheel sizes

[Glenn]

I am new to the world of Cubs, I just purchased two really stuck and rusty ones while I was out looking at an old Cat RD4. Casting numbers indicate there of simular vintage (1960 & 1961), but one has short wide rear wheels and tall wide front wheels, the other is just the opposite, was this some kind of option??? Don't know if this made a difference but the one with the short wide rear wheels has the deluxe seat, bent shift level, and metal hood side trim instead of decals.

Thanks, Glenn

[Marion(57 Loboy)]

Glenn,

Sounds like the one with the deluxe seat; bent shift lever and wide(probably turf tires) tread is a Loboy. The turf tires give away the most probable use...lots of hours on it mowing. The Loboy is about 9" shorter than a regular FCUB and has a shorter wheelbase as the rear final drives are turned toward the front of the tractor instead of straight down.

The other one is a Farmall Cub with AG/Bar tread? for working in the dirt/fields mostly, but I mow with AG tires anyhow on my Loboy.

Welcome to the Cub family!....You'll be hooked on 'em before ya know it !!

Did you get any implememnts or accessories with them ??

[Jim Becker]

You are probably just seeing differences in tire options. What size tires are they?

The deluxe seat was an option, bent lever was used with that seat and on Lo-Boys. Metal emblems (a couple versions) were used in certain years. Look at the FAQ for pictures of the different versions to help you sort out what you have.
http://www.antique-tractor.com/CubFAQ/cub_faq.html

This is one of the several things pointed to in the "New Members and Visitors, Please READ" post.

[Glenn]

Thanks Marion, the one with the bent shifter has the AG tires too, not to surprising though, I bought it from a farmer. Yep, got a few attachments as well, from what I can see it looks like I got a fast hitch, draw bar with swing arm, misc cultivator parts, some kind of fertilizer/seeder, and I few things I can't ID as yet. I don't think any of attachments are complete, most seem to be missing an item here and there, I have to go back to the farmers place to pick up the CAT RD4 and I am going to look around and see if I can find anymore stuff. As to being hooked, to late, I was a goner as soon as I saw 'em, they should come with a warning label !!!

Glenn[/b]

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

glenn, welcome to the board. You'll find more help and friends here than you new existed. When you get time, post some photos of your new find if you don't mind.

[Glenn]

Nothing like a little info to really confuse things, I cleaned the serial numbers plates and got the tire info:

#36301 with 7-30 R1 & 4.00x12

#196324 J with 8.3x24 & 5.60x15 (Mc Cormick metal decal)

When I looked up the casting numbers I got 1960 & 1961, the sn's seem to indicate 1948 & and 1956 if I read the chart right. IF they are 48 and 56 models how interchangable will the parts be? One other thing, I looked at the front spindle and rear transfer case, they're the same, both look like the pictures of the Cub not the Lowboy. If I can figure out how to post pictures through a host site I'll get them on here right away.

Thanks for all the help, this is a great forum!!!

Glenn

[Matt Kirsch]

If neither is a Loboy, then '48 and '56 is probably accurate. The one with the 30" tires is probably a "high clearance" model. 4.00x12 is the right size front tire for a standard Cub, or at least that's the size mine has.

Perhaps the front tires have been swapped from the "high clearance" to the standard model? Does the one with the 30" wheels seem like it's running downhill a bit? How about the one with the 24" wheels? It's probably running a bit uphill.

When you said "wide," you weren't talking about the tires were you? You were talking about the tread width. That's adjustable.

[Jim Becker]

The 30" rears were part of the high-wide option. It also came with 15" fronts. The standard sizes were 24" and 12". The option also included spacers to set the rear wheels out and a wider center section in the front axle. Measure your front axles and see if one is wider than the other.

[Glenn]

Yep Jim that's it, I measured the front axle and one is wider than the other, the funny thing is the tire sets are mixed up, big rear with small front and small rear with big front tires. My guess would be; the tractor with the best front tires died first and they were swaped when the others wore out, but who knows?

The casting and serial numbers are almost begining to make sense now;

s/n 36301 - engine casting number of "R" and a "A" on the hydraulics, so it looks like a 1948 with a 1955 hydraulic part

s/n 196324 J - engine and hyrdaulic both "B", 1956

Thanks to all for the help, I am sure I'll need more in the future,
Glenn