Wheel Spacers

   / Wheel Spacers #1  

LWB

Member
Joined
Mar 16, 2007
Messages
42
Just a lame question. I've noticed so many threads here discuss members desire to order wheel spacers :confused: for stability/tire clearance. One person even wrote that if he ordered a 3x20 or 4x20 with a cab he'd order them for sure. I can't speak for any 3x20 owners but I own a 4720 with a cab. My tractor has 8 poition rear tires (spaced in 4" increments). They are R1's. I'm pretty certain the Industrial tires are similarly attached. I'm not at all certain about the turf tires. Are some of the current model JD CUT's set up different?
 
   / Wheel Spacers #2  
Hi:

I'm not sure about the 4x20 series but on the 3x20 series the Ag's come with 8 position wheels but the Turfs (R3's) and Industrials (R4's) come with only two position wheels that only buy you an inch to an inch and a half.

On the Special Turfs I think they are two position also but there is a 6" difference between the in and out position.
 
   / Wheel Spacers #3  
I could not get the special turks on with the valve stems on the inside as it looked like the axle was gona clip that stem. However, with the stems out I still got an extra 4 inches of width overall and the stance seems to be pretty wide
 
   / Wheel Spacers #4  
See.

But on the front, the width is the same as the R3 4 plys, but the amount of tread on the ground is much more.
 

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   / Wheel Spacers #5  
Your question is not lame... a good thing to pursue further. You'd like some additional feedback regarding why anyone would have a problem with the tire configurations and stability of the newer cab models --- 3000 and 4000 20 series.

I believe that even with the widest setting available with R1's you will likely only gain about 4-5 inches per wheel (at least that's the case with my 14.9x24's R1's). And I think you'll find that the valve stem will be on the inside next to the axle.

That said, having the wheels extended out does improve stability and with fluid and/or axle weights the tractor is definitely a more stable, safer platform.

However, if you'd like the convenience of the valve stem being more accessible and having the wheel plate mounted in a center-alignment (not offset) with the rim/tire assembly, then wheel extensions are the ticket.

AKfish
 
   / Wheel Spacers
  • Thread Starter
#6  
AKfish said:
Your question is not lame... a good thing to pursue further. You'd like some additional feedback regarding why anyone would have a problem with the tire configurations and stability of the newer cab models --- 3000 and 4000 20 series.

I believe that even with the widest setting available with R1's you will likely only gain about 4-5 inches per wheel (at least that's the case with my 14.9x24's R1's). And I think you'll find that the valve stem will be on the inside next to the axle.

That said, having the wheels extended out does improve stability and with fluid and/or axle weights the tractor is definitely a more stable, safer platform.

However, if you'd like the convenience of the valve stem being more accessible and having the wheel plate mounted in a center-alignment (not offset) with the rim/tire assembly, then wheel extensions are the ticket.

AKfish
AK: Thanks for your interest and input. My configuration must be a bit different than yours, however, if I follow you right because my 4720 came with the valve stems on the inside :mad:. My rear tread is 51.3" and when I reverse (L/R) wheels and rims, leaving the flanges as they are, I gain 4" per side according to the manual; which is about all that's practical because of the loader width, etc. The valve stems would thankfully then be on the outside. :) The front tires should still fall within the rear track. I'll update this if it turns out to be different.
 
   / Wheel Spacers #7  
Hmmmm, stems on the inside and that is the narrow position? I actually like that, as putting your tires to the wide position is so natural for stability, it would be great to have the stems on the outside at the widest position.
 
   / Wheel Spacers #8  
That is unusual. The dealer must have mounted the tires differently (reversed the tread direction on the rims).

I reviewed the info in my owner's manual and the greatest distance from the narrow setting to the widest with 8-position rims and 24" R1 tires is 12" (6" per wheel). With 28" tires it jumps another inch -- 13". But 2 of the 8 settings are not recommended.

Of course, chasing this question around leads the discussion away from the real question --- are the cab models top heavy and less stable than the non-cab models with identical wheel/rim configurations?

I didn't get any "seat time" working the cab 4320 at the local dealer; but after climbing in and getting a perspective on the layout as well as how the tractor "feels". IMHO, I think the cab models are a less stable platform than a comparable open station model -- straight up (literally).

If I were to buy a cab model (and I might do just that...) I'd want the 8-position rims AND wheel spacers.

For any number of reasons -- I would try to stay away from filled tires and wheel weights. The extended ballast box and I-match hitch and/or a box-blade-tiller, etc. on the 3pt would be my choice for ballast.

AKfish
 
   / Wheel Spacers
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Certainly everbody has their own comfort zone, but I used this 4720 w/cab and an 84" box blade this spring to pull down snow (ice) piles to hasten their melt with no scares. The back tires were as high as 3'-4' above the ground on uneven terrain and there was no feeling of instability, even when backing onto the piles with the blade raised (51" tread setting). The tires are loaded at about 475# each. So far I'm very pleased with this set up, though it just makes sense to move the tires out when the option is available. I agree with everyone else as to the importance of taking safety factors into consideration. But in my case the cab just hasn't been a detriment from that perspective. There are times that I would like it to be removable :rolleyes: because they're definitely a nuisance when trying to maneuver around tree brances, etc.
 
   / Wheel Spacers #10  
LWB, I have not been around one of the 4720 cab tractors, but I know my 3520 with out of the box setup was way to narrow and unstable for my application. I ended up putting 4 inch Unverferth wheel extensions on. Which help a lot. The 3520 is still not as stable on side hills as my old JD 870. If I get time one of these days I'll measure some of the slopes to see what percent or degree they actually are. Also Deere must have recognized that there was a need for a wider rear wheel footprint because they came out with 4 inch extensions themselves.

Sincerely,
Dirt
 
 
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