Technical New and confused by a loose drum

I’ve got 28 model an and few days ago the LF wheel became loose, luckily didn’t fall off. Felt like loose lug nuts but tightening them didn’t help, I noticed the drum was moving so I tightened the wheel bearing up to no avail. I tryed swapping wheels no help. I took the whole hub and when the lug nuts are tight the drum and wheel are loose. im very new to model a stuff so some insight would be appreciated. Thank you

 

Sounds like a bearing issue if you “snugged” the hub nut and it’s still loose.
Possibly damaged threads.
Maybe something is missing

 

pictures! Maybe one with the wheel on, the other with the wheel off.

sounds to me like it might have the wrong wheels on it? so the wheel is not contacting the hub "flat"

 

A loose feeling wheel assembly could also be a worn king pin.

 

Left to right had the same play in the king pins.

 

I have 30-31 19in wire on it. I’ll post a picture of the wheel and hub in a bit (I’m at work)

 

I have the hub off the car and the drum and wheel are loose in relation to the hub. The hub is tight when in the spindle

 

Generic ford hub diagram

basic king pin diagram

 

Need pics

 

confusing, but it sounds like the lug holes in the wheel may be shot, or the lug nuts bottom out before tightening the wheel. take it apart and give us some pics

 

Bought like this?

or were ya working on it before the issue?

 

Model A wheels ?

 

Bought it shook it down at the shop found nothing and then one day I noted a little shimmy then the he next day the wheel felt like it was gonna come off

 

We need pics

 

Your drum and hub are separate? Is that how Model A’s were made? Later Fords the hub and drum were basically one unit.

 

Juice brakes?

losse if rocking the tire with hands at the 12:00 amd 6:00 position?
Or 9:00 amd 3:00 position.

or both.

 

That was my first thought but the lug nuts don’t

both.
I tryed 2 different wheels on the same hub/drum and have the same amount of play.

 

Are only two of the lug nuts welded?

 

Does this look odd?

 

Lug nuts are bottoming before loading the wheel.

I’m no Model A expert, but seem to remember a spacer was once available for switching from Model A wire wheels to later model disc type wheels.

 

The raised part that is circled is where it would normally be swedged down onto the drum. You can buy the tool from vendors to do that but in this case they welded it. Seen it many times, it works sorta, the welds often crack

 

Also, original nuts are missing a couple threads on the bottom which will clear that shoulder on the stud. Many aftermarket nuts are threaded all the way thru, and those can bottom out

 

I have read the lug holes get wallered out over the years. I would have a close look at the wheels. Of course, I could be waaay off base.

 

Yes, model A wheels are weak in the lug hole area IMHO

 

Stock Model A Lugnut's are closed ended and the Threads begin about .100 inside the open end of the nut. That lets the Lugnut fully seat against the wheel before bottoming out against the lug stud base. If you are using standard fully threaded Lugnut's you're not getting good enough clamp force.

 

This is most often caused by using the Wrong Lugnuts.

 

All are weldes

 

Guess its time to take the other side of , find a straight-edge and compare.

 

A

Does that look right?

 

pictures of the wheel?

looks like it might be seating on the outer part of the drum, instead of the hub?