Lame as a Lug Nut

[deputyrpa]

So in between downpours, I dash off in the Kioti to borrow forks from my buddy about 2 miles away so I could get my wife that round bale she always wanted. On my way back on the paved road to get to my lower field to fetch a round bale, I noticed some rear wheel wobble while tooling along in road gear. I looked the tire wobble and thought, "geez that sucks" and proceeded through the field, up to the house, and I dropped off the bale by the garden. Since it was so sloppy, and I plastered the Kioti with clay and such, I decided to give it a good rinse why the clay was still wet. It is then when I noticed one lug missing and the remainder of them really loose. The nuts did not loosen - rather the bolts backed out of the flange! The wheel holes were worn larger, and the steel is all cracked.

I religiously check the wheel lugs, and the bolts have red loc-tite on them. That's why I though nothing much of it, other than I may have bent the rim during some serious ground engagement. I had done that to my Jinma. I'm surprised, but glad that it didn't come off at 16mph! Looks like I'll be ordering a new wheel center and a set of lug bolts.....

 

[o2batsea]

"I could get my wife that round bale she always wanted."

My wife seems OK with plain old Frosted Mini Wheats. (crickets)

That's one effed up wheel. I'd complain bitterly to Mr Kioti since it should still be under warranty.

 

[deputyrpa]

"I could get my wife that round bale she always wanted."

My wife seems OK with plain old Frosted Mini Wheats. (crickets)

That's one effed up wheel. I'd complain bitterly to Mr Kioti since it should still be under warranty.

LMAO!!!! Now that's funny!! My gut hurts!!!

I don't know about the warranty thing for lug bolts et al. Sure, I tightened them down but good, but I will always take responsibility for things like that. If my dealer, to whom I explained the series of events, offers coverage, I won't refuse. However, I do not feel that he should feel obligated to.

BTW - my wife found the missing lug bolt, with nut firmly attached, in the driveway in front of her Jeep ( ~50 feet from where I parked the DK). I'm not certain, but she may have been looking for worms after the rain......

 

[ERE]

Glad you didn't get hurt. A new wheel is bad, but it could have been worse.

I had that happen on my old Japanese Tractor. It was a very near miss for me also since that tractor didn't have a ROPS. Ever since then, I back the tractor out, and while it is warming up, I do a walk around inspection. Found a pin that had come out of my loader bucket during one of my first walk arounds, but have never found loose lug nuts again.

 

[IslandTractor]

That sucks. Glad nothing bad happened. Are you tires loaded? I imagine it will be a bit of a PITA to get the wheel/tire changed as you won't have the tractor to load it into you truck (though if you blocked the rear axle out in the drive way you could remove the tire, roll the tire onto the forks/bucket then lift and drive the truck under the loader).

I have honestly never checked the lugs on my wheels. I'll have to add that to my walk around list.

 

[deputyrpa]

Thanks fellas. Yes, the tires are loaded, but I can swap the dish out with a new one with the tire resting upright. No big deal.

I guess when you think about it, there is significant failure potential accrual in two, 2-mile round trips at breakneck tractor velocity.

 

[IslandTractor]

I guess when you think about it, there is significant failure potential accrual in two, 2-mile round trips at breakneck tractor velocity.

Yeah, we've heard the reports of you patching out and popping wheelies with your DK. Don't try to pretend you are just a little old lady driving your tractor to church on Sundays.

 

[deputyrpa]

Yeah, we've heard the reports of you patching out and popping wheelies with your DK. Don't try to pretend you are just a little old lady driving your tractor to church on Sundays.

I use it as if it were my mother-in-law's......

It'll take less abuse now since I am about to take possession of a 1975 Mitsubishi (Cat) MS070-2 15,000# excavator with blade. It looks like it went through WWII, but it runs and operates like a watch. Some tin work and a rattlecan of paint, and it'll be less disgusting. Can't argue with $4k.