MTFCA Forum

Would anyone know the Factory Number for a 1912 Front Wheel Hub or know how to tell the difference from the earlier and later Front Hubs.

J1MGOLDEN wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 11:05 am

Would anyone know the Factory Number for a 1912 Front Wheel Hub or know how to tell the difference from the earlier and later Front Hubs.

Well for one thing the later hubs have a wider "shoulder" I'll call it just inwards of the hub cap threads. Real early hubs were also smaller diameter I believe.

J1MGOLDEN wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 19, 2025 11:05 am

Would anyone know the Factory Number for a 1912 Front Wheel Hub or know how to tell the difference from the earlier and later Front Hubs.

Well I had to look it up...factory number is 291 but its the same for the later hub with the wider shoulder.

I thought that shoulder started in '18 but it was in '17.

Rather than call the hub a 1912, why not call it an early front hub which was probably used through 1917? The outer part of the hub which holds the race is weaker than the later hubs, and that is why they were redesigned. I have taken later hubs, and had the thread area extended to look like an early hub with no problems. You don't even have to move the threads back further either, because there is enough of the existing threads to hold the hubcap on. This way you can still use the taper roller bearings.

219 is the Factory Number for the 1909 to 1927 replacement hubs.

If you are doing an exact 1912 restoration, the 1912 hub is required.

They are not all the same and Gail missed the different 1912 hub.

Here is an old thread discussing front hub changes that may be helpful.
https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/8 ... 1239905425