TC40D Rear Tire Positions

[Tractorganic]

Are there really 4 positions (tires, rims and "dishes") for my rear tires each with their own separation as measured from outside of tire to tire?
Anyone know what the distances are/ position?
My trailer only allows 82" useable deck width and I need a tire position using most of that so I can get more axle room with the snow chains. As is now I have to remove rear PTO equip., then close the sway bars. Not good if I need rear equip. In the snow.
I'd experiment but these filled tires weigh in at over 600 lbs each and I'll have to set up serious jack stands and an overhead chain fall to pull them.
I'll be flat if I screw up so I just want to do it once.
Thanks,
Chris

 

[RickB]

Got an operator's manual? You might be surprised to find all the good info it contains. Yes, you can change your track setting. The wheel centers can be dished in or out, and the rims can be mounted in any of four positions on the center. If you are careful, one jack and one jackstand is all you need. If you are not careful, it won't matter how much equipment you have at your disposal.

 

[Tractorganic]

Oh boy. Yes I have the users and repair manuals and refer to them before I post. Now, said users manual lists Rear Axle Outside to Outside for TC40D/R4 tires: Dished in 84.5" (too wide for trailer) or Dished out 68.3" which is what I have now and the chains are hitting the sway bars so I'm looking for a median combination not to exceed the 82" trailer bed width. If anyone has actually done this or made fact based calculations please let me know. If anyone has actually jacked and stabilized a TC40D and moved 600 lb tires around by themselves please let me know how it was done.
Thanks,
Chris

 

[JerryK]

On my JohnDeere, 16.9X28's, I get 8 inches difference by just swapping them from one side to the other...which requires blocking up the rear of the tractor so you can remove both tires at the same time. Not that hard to do, but they are not filled. The safe way is to remove the fluid.... fluid cheap, mutiple leg fractures expensive... I have put tubes and tires on tractors this size several times by myself, and it is not big deal...again, no fluid... The big tractor tires are usually easier to work on than a little riding tractor tires..... The center of the wheel hubs on mine can be removed and reversed for another 8", but I have two 100 pound cast weights on each side, and don't want to mess with them unless I really have to. So, they stay permantly dished in.

 

[RickB]

If anyone has actually jacked and stabilized a TC40D and moved 600 lb tires around by themselves please let me know how it was done.
Thanks,
Chris

I've done it unassisted with a decent jack and a jackstand more times than I can count with loaded rear tires up to and including 16.9x30 R-1's as found on TN75's. When you go out to do field service and need to change a transmission solenoid or temperature sender, the left rear wheel has to come off most of the time. The key is to keep the wheel assembly upright. It isn't like you have to lift the whole thing off the ground.

In your case, the dish can not only be reversed, but the rim can be positioned on the disc in 4 different positions. If your OM doesn't describe each increment, I apologize, it certainly is unlike most other NH manuals for tractors with flange axles and two-piece wheels.

 

[Tractorganic]

Thanks Jerry. I'm having trouble visualizing the way swapping tires L to R moves them out. Is the 8" you gain overall on each side? 8" altogether would be perfect for my trailer yielding 76" width. Also; is the orientation of the treads, and consequently traction, backwards when you swap the tires?
As to pumping the tires out, I'd have to have the service shop do it with their equipment and they said they don't usually pump out the tires they've filled. So, I'd end up giving them the whole job.
I do have a chain hoist I set up outdoors suspended from 6000 lb. cable and solidly suspended from a spread of 2 stout maple limbs 40 ft. up. It works well and has lifted my 1200 lb. backhoe no sweat so a tire would be easy. The trick would be walking the suspended tire around the rear to the other side without giving the tractor a good bump. 6 ton jack stands are only so stable in dirt. I don't have an adjustable height gantry crane so my pick point is directly beneath the hoist.
Tomorrow I'll pull of the chains (that'll make it snow) and look at the treads.
Thanks,
Chris

 

[barbqranch]

I believe the idea of swapping the tires from side to side is to keep them rotating in the same direction, but have a different side of the hub facing the tractor. Your car tire hubs aren't made for this, but the tractor hubs are. It is possible you can just change the disc and keep the tire and rim on the same side and get the width you want, I don't have this tractor so I don't know.

 

[nickel plate]

I recently added a second set of remotes to my TC40S, drained the rear tire solution and it rolled off and on very easy. In my case the solution was plain water-thanks local NH dealer so I just ran it out. I see no reason you can't capture a costly mix and add it back when you finish the job.
BTW: I didn't find a rear or front axle jack position in my manual.

 

[JerryK]

The outer rim [with tire] has offset tubes welded on it that bolt up to the inner dished disk. When you take the tire from one side and put it on the other, keeping the the rubber tread pointed in the right direction, this offset gives you a different wheelbase. You can actually get a bunch of different wheel bases if you want to swap around the inner disk and outer rim....

 

[Tractorganic]

I'm caving in. I just couldn't get a handle on the specific steps to achieve my desired wheel base. Please don't anyone feel bad 'cuz check this out:
I called the service dept. today and they looked at the rear wheel side view pic' I e-mailed and they said I'd need to remove the wheel and the dish and "play around with it" meaning of course flip 600 lb. wheels around and play games with torque wrenches and different positions until I get the right wheel base or bust my legs.
So I'm gonna trailer it over there next week and let the pros do it with big wheel dollies, impact wrenches and big torque wrenches.
I really wanted to learn something; but, I"ll be lucky to get to watch so it's pic's before and after and I'll share 'em here.
Thanks everyone!
Chris