JoeL4330
Platinum Member
I didn't see mention of another loader-related reason for weighting the rear: If you are wanting to dig in with the bucket, your front wheels are often off the ground as you try to dig with a combination of curl and forward motion. Front wheels up puts max load on the bucket lip, which is usually good for digging and, with the fronts in the air, your forward motion depends on the traction from the rears (no matter you have 4wd) so you don't want the rears to spin too easily ...but, you do want them to break traction just before something else breaks, of course.
I think the issue about loading rears (via ballast and/or 3ph implement) has less to do with front bearings and more to do with efficiency and safety. Efficiency as per above, and safety having to do with having a rear wheel come up in the air as you try to lift that recalcitrant load slightly off center in the bucket. This will change your lateral stability and your pucker factor will zoom, especially in you are on a side-hill. This unequal lift is why many dealer willing to install a center bucket hook will advise against putting on hooks at each end which, if used singly rather than as a balanced pair, can be startling (ask me how I know ...now, my joystick hand is always pre-programmed to drop the bucket if...)
I think the issue about loading rears (via ballast and/or 3ph implement) has less to do with front bearings and more to do with efficiency and safety. Efficiency as per above, and safety having to do with having a rear wheel come up in the air as you try to lift that recalcitrant load slightly off center in the bucket. This will change your lateral stability and your pucker factor will zoom, especially in you are on a side-hill. This unequal lift is why many dealer willing to install a center bucket hook will advise against putting on hooks at each end which, if used singly rather than as a balanced pair, can be startling (ask me how I know ...now, my joystick hand is always pre-programmed to drop the bucket if...)