F series F3060 tire chains?

[Chris H]

I am wondering if anyone with an F series has installed tire chains, specifically on the steering tires?
I bought appropriate sized chains for my 18x9.5-8 tires, and was dismayed that they interfered with the hub/knuckle/spindle behind the wheel when installed.
I use my F3060 for snowblowing, and found that last year I was a bit light in the rear end and had limited steering traction. I will add a bit more weight to the rear this year, but really want to get chains on.

Steering wheel/tire data:
-18x9.5-8
-3" backspacing (rear hub face of wheel to edge of steel rim)
-4x100mm bolt pattern with 67.1mm hub

I was hoping to stay away from spacers, but right now these seem to be my best option:

These are 38mm thick (1.5"), and do have the hub centric 67.1mm.
I ran a set like this on my 2000 GMC K2500 to space the rears out to match the track of the front and they did work out well.


Thanks all, I appreciate your input and creative solutions!
Chris

 

[Chris H]

Pictures of my challenge:

 

[Dan W]

Chris,
What I did was flip the wheels around, you get plenty of space then, in fact my dealer advised me to try this.
I did this on my B7800 actually, and I am thinking of doing this on the F3680 as well for this winter. I was sliding around too last year. The only issue is rough ride, also I received warnings by others on TBN not to run chained. On the steer axle at all because of potential wheel end damage, bearings and gears...
So I took the chains off very quickly. What I did was load them up with used antifreeze, worked ok.
Here is what did for added weight this year...

Dan

 

[Chris H]

Thanks Dan,
The F3060 steer tires run with 3" backspace and 5" frontspace, so flipping them is not an option.
I did find these: (attached picture)
18" diameter, 4.00 wide on a 10" rim.
I am semi-concerned about the weight rating on these at 375 pounds each... on the other hand I am not running 75 mph down crowded highways.
Cheap enough to try as an experiment, but would really make me sad to find both of them blown and flat when I need to go snowblowing.
These would not be quite the same as chains, but would be a huge improvement over my semi-slick turf tires!

 

[Dan W]

Chris,
These look like they would to the job, and maybe an added 120lbs of counterweight would help too.
Sorry about the tire flipping suggestion, I had not actually gone out to the shop to check on the rim offset.
Again if you can some weight to what's there already without the cost of having to install a set of 4 suitcase weights, you would be fine, also antifreeze in the tires really works well, deposits the weight on the ground where you need the traction... I am lucky both my driveways relatively flat

Let us all know what you decide on.
There was snow here in. Ottawa this morning...

Dan

 

[3930dave]

If you need chains, I've had good service with these guys:

tractor tire chains for farm tractors

If you are "close" on clearance, increasing tension (high strength bungee's, etc) on the outside of the wheel may buy you the margin you need. If not, taking one or more links out of the cross tire chains (to move the inner circular chain "up" the tire) may do it.

Rgds, D.

 

[Chris H]

Thanks all.
I ordered the spacers and will give them a try when they arrive. I do already have nice chains that fit my wheels/tires perfectly.
Thinking I might build a bit of a rear bumper to hold some extra weight. I do like Dan's twin counterweights, but a bit of rear protection seems like it would make sense. I picture a push bumper of sorts, made from some rectangular tubing and filled with some 4" x 8" x 1" steel blocks I have been saving for a special occasion.

No snow here yet, but will feel better with everything prepped for another winter!

 

[Dan W]

Chris,
Kubota has some limited frame reinforcement and my big concern with adding more counter weight was bending the rear section, this is why I stuck with doubling up of the factory supplied weight, in an effort to reduce the moment arm... My original thought was to fab a box contoured to match the top section of the kubota cast iron weight, this box would have been maybe 5" high and I would have filled that with as much scrap steel bits as i could, then filled the rest up with cement for a flat top.
I also thought of using the existing 1" holes on the vertical part of the counterweight to bolt on a tube bumper... I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
I still like juice inside the wheels though, that works really well.
Dan

 

[TailDragon]

Pleased you are not going with the two ply tires on the steering axle, these are heavy machines.
Since we do not get much snow very often down south could not comment on chains, used in mud more often on tractors.
That odd ball size tire does make it harder to find to find other tread patterns. Have thought about trying the a BX's front tire with a 10 inch rim but not sure about offset.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

These are the tires that I want to relocate to another owner. Keep trying to email the pics on different email servers and keeps kicking me off the internet so let's try it this way. Hoping sizes can be read in pic by zooming ut they are on the original F2680e rims.