Tire Chains, Home Made Anyone done it?

[smiley]

There's a couple good threads over at the Cub forum getting right down to the how to nitty gritty of making chains if anyone wants to check them out.
Farmall Cub • View topic - My Duo-Ladder tire chains
Farmall Cub • View topic - Rear tire chains?

 

[David Devuono]

I just made a set of chains for my new Silverado (ya I know the manual says chains are not recommended, but lug tires were $900) but when you custom make them they can be made tight. I have made chains for my Kubota subcompact and various other small tractors. For my pickup I bought grade 30 1/4 inch chain for cross pieces (1.99 ft) and one size heavier for the ends.(2.99ft) What I will say is that my larger tractor has chains that I cannot lift and I believe it only has 12.8x 24 tires. Even with 1/4 inch chains your 4ft plus dia tires will have heavy chains and awkward to assemble. Without a plan you are going to screw up some connections. I have not decided yet if it is easier to attach all the links to one side first or connect links to both sides, one at a time. What I do is have two hooks on the ceiling spread appart about the width of the cross link. Using two extra chains with hook links, connected to the side pieces (all position directly above my vise) I do one link at a time and start raising the assemble up as I finish a link. This way you can keep all the links lined up. Also what makes it easier is if you attach a cross link an even number of links along the side pieces so that its easy to line the links up. Sorry if I repeat something as no time to read all the posts. Make sure when cutting grade 30 chain to twist it open, you cut it at the weld. If you cut the other side, well you will see how brittle the weld is.. You are going to need at least 100 feet of chain, maybe 120feet depending on how many cross links. (buy extra, it will never go to waste.)

 

[simplicityguy92]

get some old semi truck chains a set of chain pliers and hammer down. i helped modify a set to work on the skid steer at work. they work good i also made my own for a garden tractor out of 3/8 link chain from the hard ware store

 

[crazyal]

I want to thank all of you guys for your info! Much easier to tackle this kind of stuff with help from everyone here.

rScotty I read your post, and I'm going to take a little trip to Murdoch's and get a looksie at some lighter chain that I was expecting .. If it's signicantly less expensive I'll go the DIY route... otherwise I'm going to go with tirechain.com ladder type and then modify them for a duo-grip type setup.

What about the clearence on the inside of the tire / tractor. Man when I look at my DK40 it's pretty tight down by the rim... a bit more up by the tread ... has anyone out there put chains on a Kioti DK40 ??? Pics....???



Hey SensibleNick... I have to admit when I think of Sweeden ... and "nipping out" ... I don't think of tire chains!!!!!! :laughing:

But I'd love to see your project as it comes along.. I'll do the same for mine.

Thanks again everyone for your input!

Tractor on

Are your wheels set to the widest position? I had to tun mine around because it was close, once I did I got about 4" of clearance now.

FOr my Kubota it's only about $30 difference between the ladder type and the duogrip type.

 

[crazyal]

Does anyone know how well a 275-80 24.5 truck tire chain would fit? If you're not going to be doing much more than snow blowing then a lighter set of chains would work just fine.

 

[beenthere]

.............What about the clearence on the inside of the tire / tractor. Man when I look at my DK40 it's pretty tight down by the rim... a bit more up by the tread ... has anyone out there put chains on a Kioti DK40 ??? Pics....???
..........

More room up by the tread is precisely why I custom built my own chains with longer side chain and shorter cross links to keep the chains off the side of the tire by the rim.

And they have worked well as planned. There is not much spare room on the JD 4300 with R-4's either.

 

[David Devuono]

Does anyone know how well a 275-80 24.5 truck tire chain would fit? If you're not going to be doing much more than snow blowing then a lighter set of chains would work just fine.

Doing the Math, 27.5cm x .8 (aspect ratio)=10.8in x .8= 8.7inche off the tire

X by two for top and bottom, plus rim 24.5 inches= 42 in tire.

So the truck chain is for a 42 inch tire that is approx 11 inches wide. Measure the width and dia of your tractor tire from side to side.

 

[David Devuono]

So if your tractor tire is a bit taller and narrower then 42x11 then it might fit or if your tractor is bit wider and shorter then 42x11 it might fit. The main point is the width though as you can always add something to the lenght and add more cross links, you just don't want to modify all the cross links. Or maybe its free chain and you can modify the cross links and length.

 

[HSSC]

Last fall, we had some early snow storms that put some heavy wet snow on the ground and I had my, new to me snow blower, that ( of course ) I wanted to play with. Well pushing wet snow with the blower caused the chainless tires to break loose quiet quick. Chains were in order.

Spent the next few days searching chains for tractors and the prices.

Work was real slow and money was tight. I had seen a long handled chain tool in my research. I had also seen alot of broken chains on the side of I-80 headed west and east just west of Reno in the foothills. Ding Ding Ding. There were the chains for my Yellow MF right there in the road. Buy the tool and have at it.

With the ideas from Tractor By Net people, I came up with a plan. Gather up as many of those chains from the side of the road as I dare and see what I could come up with for chains for the tractors 17.5 L-24 rear tires and 16" fronts.

First on the list was the chain tool witch I purchased at the Peterbuilt dealer cause we have a good discount thru my work. Next was gathering up the chain material from the side of the road. All chain material was off on the side as the DOT snow plows had work the roads and sent them there for me to harvest.:laughing: Lots of Highway Patrol people were give me the I :confused2: but they were on the otherside of the road and snow was impeading their comming to my side and see what I was up to. I had to work fast. I was on a mission. :confused2:

I'll have to take some pics and show everyone what I came up with. They are on the tractor right now, praying for a big deep snow storm cause they have been sitting around all summer with nothing to do. Bored to death.

 

[beenthere]

Clever idea, and sure would like to see the pics.