Tires Flipping or dishing out front tires?

[KrisHansen]

I had to fix a nail hole in one of my fornt tires over the weekned... and I noticed that the rims were such that you could flip them.. the 'extra' lug holes had the proper seats on the reverse side.. Of course, my overactive imagination got to work.. I remember seeing something in the manual, but its buried under a pile of stuff in the garage at the moment.. anyone remember anything about it being unwise to dish out front tires?

 

[PineRidge]

Kris my OM says: "IMPORTANT: Never attempt to widen the tread setting by reversing front wheels on a front-wheel drive system."

Can't tell you what the NH reasoning is, unless the wider stance would put more stress on the front axle assembly?

 

[California]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( wider stance would put more stress on the front axle assembly? )</font>

I think that's the problem. With stock wheels the load is carried as the designer intended, equally on the inner and outer wheel bearings. After reversing the wheels, 100% of the load rests on (or beyond) the outer bearing and the inner simply stabilizes it.

Also with reversed wheels, leverage on the hub is increased when you hit an immovable obstacle and that produces stresses clear back up to tearing the steering wheel out of your hands. I would follow the manual's advice.

 

[KrisHansen]

thanks Mike, I knew I read something like that, just wanted a little confirmation without digging for my book... I'll leave them as is.

 

[Rip]

I'd tend to agree that over stressing the fairly light duty spindles and bearings on a CUT are probably the primary reasons for the stern warning, especially with a FEL.

I would be less hesitant to reverse the wheels if only used for mowing steep hilly areas without a FEL.

Large agricultural tractors often dish front wheels out or run duals (even triples!), but have much heavier spindles, bearings and axles.

Rip

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Kris my OM says: "IMPORTANT: Never attempt to widen the tread setting by reversing front wheels on a front-wheel drive system."
Can't tell you what the NH reasoning is, unless the wider stance would put more stress on the front axle assembly? )</font>

I believe you will find that to be on a tractor to tractor basis.. and not 'blanket' NH.

For instance.. my OEM owners manual fro my 1997 Nh 1920, gives you specific instructions on how to dish and flip the fronts.. side to side to maintain tread direction.. as well as the rears.. and even change the power adjust settings onthe rims.. etc.

Gives you minimum and maximum dimensions for use when loading on a trialer.. etc.

I would follow what your manual says though.. even if the rim looked like it could be flipped... as it ight ba a rim that fits many applications..

Soundguy

 

[Propertymaint]

If you do decide to reverse the front rims make sure you check for valve stem clearance on the 4wd hub. I know this may sound dumb but depending on where it is located on the front rim, and the length of the valve stem, on some instances when the front rims are dished in, the valve stem will catch the fwd casing and do a number on it.
Peter

 

[dougberg]

Hi Soundguy,

New NH 1920 owner here. I recently purchased a 1996 with FEL and it needed new front tires. I just got the wheels/tires home from the tire shop and installed them with fronts flipped. It seems to make more sense to me that I have a wider stance up front and the outer wheel base is nearly the same on both the front and rear tires. When you had your 1920 did you ever flip your fronts?

I know this is a really old post, but your above statement is the only one I've read which says flipping the fronts is acceptable. I'm thinking if your OEM 1997 manual says its okay, it should also be okay on my 96.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Kris my OM says: "IMPORTANT: Never attempt to widen the tread setting by reversing front wheels on a front-wheel drive system."
Can't tell you what the NH reasoning is, unless the wider stance would put more stress on the front axle assembly? )</font>

I believe you will find that to be on a tractor to tractor basis.. and not 'blanket' NH.

For instance.. my OEM owners manual fro my 1997 Nh 1920, gives you specific instructions on how to dish and flip the fronts.. side to side to maintain tread direction.. as well as the rears.. and even change the power adjust settings onthe rims.. etc.

Gives you minimum and maximum dimensions for use when loading on a trialer.. etc.

I would follow what your manual says though.. even if the rim looked like it could be flipped... as it ight ba a rim that fits many applications..

Soundguy

 

[buickanddeere]

Dished out will ride a wee bit smoother.

 

[DieselMonk]

I dished or flipped all the front rims on every tractor I own. So the front track matches the rear one. None of them had a warning not to do it.