Handling Filled Tires

   / Handling Filled Tires #21  
Glad to hear an 18.4-34 loaded is doable. I need to pull the left off my JD 6415 to install a fuel tank guard. My plan is to find out what size the axle hub bolts are and get two more as long as possible and cut off the heads to make guide studs. I am thinking of using a pallet jack and pulling the wheel/tire straight out far enought to install the fuel tank guard.

I have successfully R&R a 16.9-28 that was loaded and had a cast iron center.
I used to have to remove the outside tire from the dual rears every year on a 9000 Ford. Take them off in the late spring after breaking all the ground when starting to plant and then in the fall put them back on. These had the cast iron centers also and they were rolled to a nearby tree where they sat all summer till ready to start turning under the vegetation after harvest in the fall.
2 people work much better than one but as a strong young man I could do it alone, when you are young, you are invincible and nothing can harm you.
 
   / Handling Filled Tires #22  
I did mine by myself. Left the center part of the wheel on the tractor. I removed one, rolled it up to a wall and left it leaning against it, put a jack stand under the tractor, and moved the jack to the other side. Two of the center bolts are actually studs which means you need to get the wheel perfectly aligned. So I decided to left the center on the tractor. Worked real well. All I had to do is get one of the bolts loosely into a hole, the tire doesn't even need to be that straight. Once you do you can just carefully raise and lower the tractor with the jack to get the others to line up and the tire will not fall over.

If you left the center on the tractor and swapped the tires from side to side, what did you accomplish? You have to turn the centers to gain the max amount of distance and by just moving the outside rim you didnt do anything. Also the two studs are there for alignment and you dont have to align perfectly, just get on bolt in the hole then you can wiggle it around on that bolt to get the other bolt aligned and then slide it on. Everything is then perfect for the studs.
If I were going to remove the center hub from the rim, I would just take off the hub then and turn it around, rebolt and then replace the tire on the same hub. That is way more work than just taking off the lug nuts and and swapping sides with the tire.
If your rims are like mine in the photo you can gain a couple inches on each side by moving the hub mount from outside to inside but the major move is in swapping the center hub to gain the cup distance.
This is a photo of the front on my tractor (rears are same type) and you can see how I narrowed the front tires by putting the hub to the outside rather than inside. IT was previously mounted to the holes at the valve stem. They are offset by 2 inches. My tractor came with the fronts wider than the rears and I never noticed till I tried putting it on my 83" wide between the fenders trailer. The fronts wouldnt fit but the rears fit tightly. With the camber on the front, it was not apparent that the fronts were 2 inches wider on each side till I tried to fit them between the fenders on my trailer. Now the fronts match the rear and the rims are mounted the same on front and back. I could put them back as they were on the front and then also change the rears to match and increase the stance by 4 more inches if I wanted but it wouldnt fit on my trailer then.
 

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   / Handling Filled Tires #23  
The Kubota tires, at least the 40 series, mount to the center disc differently.
kubotawheel2_zpsf50866d6.jpg
 
   / Handling Filled Tires #24  
We did loaded farm tiresall the time . Jack itup in the center of the tractor , just enough to get the bulge out of the tires . Now loosen everything up . Jack it up a little more to see which is the high side , the side that comes up first . Remember atractor pivots on the front axle . Now adjust the jack so you can remove bolts/nuts on high side wheel . You never want any space between tire and floor . You will feel when things are right .Keep adjusting your jack until ther eis no interference between wheel and lugs . Grab this tire by the top and walk it out , moving your arms back and forth , the tire will walk out . Lean this tire against something very carefully . Block up that side and move your jack a little bit towards the other side about 1" will do it . Proceed the same way and jackstand it . Walk that tire to the other side and lean it against the hub . Bring your jack back over and take blocks out . Notice the top hole in your hub and walk the wheel in . Always kee p the wheel leaning towards tractor . Adjust the jack until you can get anut started . Jack it up a little more and it will fall on . I could have changed them in the time it took me to type this. If you have any doubts , DO NOT ATTEMPT.
 
   / Handling Filled Tires #25  
Yes you can do this by yourself . Those wheels are only waist high .
 
   / Handling Filled Tires #26  
it's them head high ones that scare ya!
 
   / Handling Filled Tires
  • Thread Starter
#27  
To kevin37b - thanks for that detailed description of the wheel changing process. As I read that, I could envision myself doing it. I have a floor jack under the middle of the axle for extra support, and a bottle jack at each side to allow for "fine tuning" of the height.
It's obvious that wheel assemblies vary widely with different makes and models of tractors, and on this particular one the disk must stay in the same position and the only adjustment is to turn the wheel around, the mounts in the rim being off-center. I'm still mulling over whether to remove the disks versus just unbolting the rim from the disk. Is it really a lot harder to re-align the rim to the disk than matching the disk and rim assembly to the axle? I have broken loose the rim bolts in preparation, but I guess I'll loosen lug nuts and bolts, too.
As far as the height of the tire, these 17.5Lx24 tires stand 48" tall. You must be a tall guy if they only come up to your waist! It's 38" to my waist, and if they were only that tall I'd have more confidence to tackle this procedure.
Still trying to psyche myself up to do it, and waiting for a helper that I can trust to actually help.
 
   / Handling Filled Tires #28  
To kevin37b - thanks for that detailed description of the wheel changing process. As I read that, I could envision myself doing it. I have a floor jack under the middle of the axle for extra support, and a bottle jack at each side to allow for "fine tuning" of the height.
It's obvious that wheel assemblies vary widely with different makes and models of tractors, and on this particular one the disk must stay in the same position and the only adjustment is to turn the wheel around, the mounts in the rim being off-center. I'm still mulling over whether to remove the disks versus just unbolting the rim from the disk. Is it really a lot harder to re-align the rim to the disk than matching the disk and rim assembly to the axle? I have broken loose the rim bolts in preparation, but I guess I'll loosen lug nuts and bolts, too.
As far as the height of the tire, these 17.5Lx24 tires stand 48" tall. You must be a tall guy if they only come up to your waist! It's 38" to my waist, and if they were only that tall I'd have more confidence to tackle this procedure.
Still trying to psyche myself up to do it, and waiting for a helper that I can trust to actually help.

Next time I go to Portland & the mid-coast I can stop in and give you a hand!
 
   / Handling Filled Tires #29  
To kevin37b - thanks for that detailed description of the wheel changing process. As I read that, I could envision myself doing it. I have a floor jack under the middle of the axle for extra support, and a bottle jack at each side to allow for "fine tuning" of the height.
It's obvious that wheel assemblies vary widely with different makes and models of tractors, and on this particular one the disk must stay in the same position and the only adjustment is to turn the wheel around, the mounts in the rim being off-center. I'm still mulling over whether to remove the disks versus just unbolting the rim from the disk. Is it really a lot harder to re-align the rim to the disk than matching the disk and rim assembly to the axle? I have broken loose the rim bolts in preparation, but I guess I'll loosen lug nuts and bolts, too.
As far as the height of the tire, these 17.5Lx24 tires stand 48" tall. You must be a tall guy if they only come up to your waist! It's 38" to my waist, and if they were only that tall I'd have more confidence to tackle this procedure.
Still trying to psyche myself up to do it, and waiting for a helper that I can trust to actually help.

Jim, I'll do your 17.5Lx24 if you do my loaded 18.4rx34 :laughing:
 
   / Handling Filled Tires
  • Thread Starter
#30  
RickB, thanks for the offer, but we're currently at our place in Colebrook, New Hampshire, which is why we now need chains, hence the wheel widening. I was a hero moving snow around on the level going in Yarmouth, but on the hills up here things are getting a bit squirrely with ice underneath the snow.
Zebrafive, you must be one rugged dude to handle loaded 34" wheels, makes me feel like a wimp for worrying about our 24"ers. I guess I'm getting more cautious in my old age, but there's no getting around the fact that they must weigh about 7-8 hundred pounds and have to stay upright throughout the process.
You know, it's kind of ironic. We got the tractor as a labor saving device, and it sure is, but between changing attachments, transporting the tractor, doing maintenance on it etc, I sure have to do a lot of pushing, pulling, prying and lifting!
 
 
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