Source For Aftermarket Caster/Swivel Gauge Wheels

[npalen]

I'm needing a pair of larger gauge wheels in the 18" to 20" diameter range They would need to caster and be adjustable vertically. Anyone know of a source?
I'm looking at building them from scratch but would prefer to buy something ready made. These would be something like seen on a Harley rake. Thanks

 

[Whatswrong]

Maybe a wrecker ,sounds like you are looking for something similar to what is on old LZB JD drills or a IHC 150 drill.

 

[npalen]

That's exactly what I'm looking for except about 2/3 that size. I'm wanting to experiment with gauge wheels on the back of my 5' KK tiller.

 

[bcp]

Especially for a test, if you are only tilling in straight lines, a rigid axle system may work if it lifts with the tiller for turns.

Bruce

 

[npalen]

I'm planning to mount the tiller on the 3PH at a 15 degree angle. The "rigid axle system" would work provided the angle is built into the mounting.
Should mention that I'm planning on "tilling backwards" in an attempt to mimic the results achieved by a harley rake, ie, pushing the rocks out into a windrow. A reversed rotation tiller would allow driving in the forward direction but my tiller is conventional rotation.

 

[bcp]

Are you looking for crank adjusted wheels, or would bushing adjusted rotary cutter wheels work?

Bruce

 

[npalen]

The bushing adjusted would work fine for what I'm doing. Crank adjusted would be "over the top" but would work great too. I enjoy doing experimental work with tractor attachments so the gauge wheels might end up on another project someday.

 

[Cord]

It's expensive, but would 28035T12 at McMaster-Carr work? Maybe you could get by with just one? My old Yanmar Japanese tiller had a pair of gauge wheels with a central adjustment. Might be a design you could try copying?

 

[boggen]

tail wheel/s for rotary cutters tend to be larger diameter caster wheels. also caster wheels for zero turn mowers. zero turn front wheels that are "bald" / flat no tread on them. might be more advantage and not leaving tracks.

google keywords
caster tire
caster wheel rotatry
caster wheel cutter
below phrase brought back the following...

http://www.gaequipment.com/Tailwheel_Assembly_Complete_with_1_1_4_Fork_for_R_p/lml316.htm
Toro TimeCutter Z Attachment index

googke keywords..
tail wheel

returned a lot of air plan wheels.
laminated tire,laminated tyre,laminated wheel,laminated tail wheel,rotary cutter parts,rotary mower parts,grass rotary cutter parts,tire,tyre 4x8x15,6x9x21 ((looks to be primary doing is selling caster wheels / making them))
Bush Hog Wheel Assembly - 50069839 - 64421 ROTARY MOWER TAILWHEEL Rotary Cutter wheel yoke hub Rhino Land Pride Landpride Howse Kodiak Woods rotary mower Bush Hog parts Mower Tailwheels (( looks like they sell multi rotary cutter parts err gauge wheels))

Electronics, Cars, Fashion, Collectibles, Coupons and More | eBay keywords
tail wheel assembly
bush hog wheel

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you need to be careful when using turn buckles or other type of threaded rod to hold "adjustment" i have seen way to many turn buckles / threaded rod bend and become nearly useless in trying to adjust things once it becomes bent.

i am purely guessing but folks mis judge amount of force placed on the threaded rod, so it bends, or they hit a stump or rock or something that caused weakest link (aka the threaded rod) to bend. or perhaps put things up in a bind trying to backup.

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i don't really remember "caster wheels" getting destroy. well i have... 1 reason, there were not sized to actual weight being placed on them. completely crushing the tire, or rim, or fork / metal going over the wheel. the only other time i have seen them fail is just pure ran to death for years on say a finishing mower deck, were bearings might of went out, and bearings were not dealt with and just left to point of destroying the wheel and rim.

caster wheels by nature have kinda of a "slanted" fork going over them. so they tend to do a 180 degree turn. helping to reduce force placed on them in the wrong direction. and once turned around correctly for direction rolling, tend to roll over stuff easier, vs putting a large stress on the frame work.

EDIT: i have seen the rod coming up off the FORK mangled up pretty good. the spacers / washers used to adjust height on caster wheels. the inside hole needs to match the rod pretty good. or the rod just becomes bent piece of mess. and then the caster will not turn at all.

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there is also "roll over wheels" you might see on some newer rotary cutters. one hill hits a tree branch on ground, forcing another tire to swing up and over the branch, once this other tire swings down, the one tire initially hitting the tree swings up and over the branch.

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and then you have something like "skies" or skid shoes. basically a metal ball cut in half. you might these type of skids on snow blowers that attach to tractors or 3pt hitch rear blades and like. so folks do not damage there concrete or paved driveway. you might also find them on the "push weed whackers" think push mower, but front deck cut off, and a string trimmer replacing the blade. below the string trimmer head is a half a ball metal skid thing.

 

[npalen]

Ryan, thanks for all the good links.