# Spur gears on front right wheel of 1915 Model T ford **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 10, 2019, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271 "2019-02-10T05:06:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271/1 "2019-02-10T05:06:13Z")
I recently visited a museum which exhibits a [1915 model T Ford](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/wolfstu/1915ModelTFord_zpstsqwzhoz.jpg~original). On the inside of the front right wheel I found [a pair of spur gears](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v723/wolfstu/ModelTFordFrontRightWheelSpurGears_zpsyhqdjat0.jpg~original), and it’s not clear to me what they’re for. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271/2 "2019-02-10T05:10:20Z")
I believe that would be for the speedometer ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271/3 "2019-02-10T05:17:12Z")
Sure enough [http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/242002.html?1319290075](http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/242002.html?1319290075) ---
**Author:** ![wolfstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d6d6ee/32.png) [@wolfstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfstu)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271/4 "2019-02-10T05:21:00Z")
Easy as that! I was guessing an odometer, but didn’t see any instrumentation like that in the dash. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Batano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Batano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batano)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271/5 "2019-02-10T06:36:46Z")
When I read the title all I could hear was Mona Lisa Vitos saying “That is a bullshit question. The Model-T Ford didn’t have a spur gear until 1916”. I just made the last part up. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 9:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271/6 "2019-02-10T09:24:55Z")
You would think that they’d keep it clean in a museum. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271/7 "2019-02-10T14:02:00Z")
> [@wolfstu](#): > > Easy as that! I was guessing an odometer, but didn’t see any instrumentation like that in the dash. Could it be that the speedometer was an option? Put the gears on all that were built but the cable and meter itself could be added later? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2019, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/spur-gears-on-front-right-wheel-of-1915-model-t-ford/829271/8 "2019-02-10T14:05:17Z")
“Speedometers were installed as an option on the 1909 cars and became standard equipment from 1910-1913. Stewart & Clark (Stewart-Warner) supplied the speedometers to Ford at this time. In early November, 1913, Ford ceased installation of speedometers because Stewart-Warner could not keep up with Ford’s assembly line. From November 1913 to at least August 1914, speedometers were not factory installed by Ford. Around September or October 1914, Ford began to install the “Ford-Special” speedometer into his cars.\*\* Finally, around August 1915 speedometers were no longer installed at the factory\*\*. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow” From this discussion board: [Model T Ford Forum: Speedometer standard?](http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/29/47734.html?1202667648) Bolding mine