L3301 snow chains

[JWR]

This is where I got my Wheel spacers Tractor Wheel Spacers Hub Extensions, Kubota, John Deere, Compact Tractor, Utility Vehicle for my real wheels. This site has information about the dangers of using spacers on the front end Spacers vs Engineered Axles

Yeah, I spoke with Christian Hansen a good bit before buying my spacers for the B2150. He is obviously super experienced and knows his business well. It was near a coin flip and I ended up buying from Bora rather than him. Do not recall what tipped the scales.

The other article regarding spacers vs engineered axles is far afield from any situation with my equipment (and probably uncommon for most of us on these threads.) For most of us, spacers are a rear-wheels-only topic with one of two motives: Improved stability and rollover resistance on steep ground (my case) OR making space for chains. Front spacers do not help for rollover resistance because the front axles are pivoted in the middle. The "Engineered axles" -- meaning a specially manufactured replacement axle for 4WD tractors is something for which there are rare few customers. Strange stuff. I'm guessing for farm operators with crops where front spacing must be made wider and they have a full-time need (??)

Anyway, I do not see how any of that relates to discussion about tire chains. (Maybe it was just an aside,interesting info, and you did not mean that it was related.)

 

[Iguide]

Yeah, I spoke with Christian Hansen a good bit before buying my spacers for the B2150. He is obviously super experienced and knows his business well. It was near a coin flip and I ended up buying from Bora rather than him. Do not recall what tipped the scales.

The other article regarding spacers vs engineered axles is far afield from any situation with my equipment (and probably uncommon for most of us on these threads.) For most of us, spacers are a rear-wheels-only topic with one of two motives: Improved stability and rollover resistance on steep ground (my case) OR making space for chains. Front spacers do not help for rollover resistance because the front axles are pivoted in the middle. The "Engineered axles" -- meaning a specially manufactured replacement axle for 4WD tractors is something for which there are rare few customers. Strange stuff. I'm guessing for farm operators with crops where front spacing must be made wider and they have a full-time need (??)

Anyway, I do not see how any of that relates to discussion about tire chains. (Maybe it was just an aside,interesting info, and you did not mean that it was related.)

Mostly it was just included for informational and interest usage.

 

[Garandman]

Unjustified hysteria? Obviously you haven't been around a mechanics shop much, I'm just telling you things I have seen and talked about with my friend at the shop he works at. You want to live in ignorant bliss do so. If you only put chains on the front of a 4x4 tractor ///

You are going to do so well here.... BTW my contractor neighbor has a nearly 20 year old Kubota he uses in his plowing business. Think it has 1200 + hours on it. Chains on front only. He has turf tires on the rear, which seem to work better in snow than the R4 we have.

Ofa does not make the Eko chains in a size for the L3200. The dealer suggested ATV studded ladder style chains and that is what we are using.

If you have a floor jack, jack the rear of the tractor up and apply the chains. Most rear tractor tires contain liquid ballast. To get a really tight fit without side wall stretchers, you would need to jack the rear up, place the valve stem at the 12 o'clock position and release some air, install the chain, then re -inflate the tire.

As the chains are too long, not too short, do not see how that would help. No matter - installed the chains exactly as Ofa directs. They are still a bit more than the suggested fist width of slack on the last adjustment link. The adjustment links are quite slick and easy: twist on and off.

We put one bungee cord each on the inside and outside and that seems to draw them up just enough. When they were too loose they walked side to side as we turned. Now they stay centered. This picture shows two on the outside. We moved one to the inside and all good.

The fronts were snug enough without any help. We were concerned this was a waste of money but the tractor is a lot more productive now.

 

[JWR]

"BTW my contractor neighbor has a nearly 20 year old kubota he uses in his plowing business. Think it has 1200 + hours on it. Chains on front only. " That's a good data point and exactly what I would expect (no dire issues.)

By the way, the old automotive tire chains came with fairly heavy rubber tighteners made like a circle with half a dozen open links on them so they could attach to the chains at several points around the circumference of the tire. The purpose was to prevent loose chains flopping around on the tires(esp.at higher speeds of cars) but I think that is a valid objective on tractors too. The rubber tighteners in the old days were about 5/16" or larger in diameter and I would think much more durable than bungee cords as well as providing more tension. Lot better job by attaching several places around the circumference too.

By the way, that looks darn near ideal -- the way you have chains on the L3200.

 

[John_Mc]

Ofa does not make the Eko chains in a size for the L3200.

I assume you must be talking about your front tires. You mentioned you have R4 tires. As far as I can tell, the L3200 rear tires in an R4 were 15-19.5 size. This is the same size I have on my tractor, and I have OFA EKO 8 chains on them which fit just fine.

 

[Chilly807]

You are supposed to have slack in this style chain. About a fist of slack is right where you want to be.

That's how I run mine too. No problems in almost 10 years of using them.

I jack up a rear wheel, start the front of the chain over the tread with a rope through the wheel, then just wind it on using the wheel.

I've got Norse ice chains on my L3400, made by Tellefsdal in Norway I think.

 

[Garandman]

The single bungee on each rear wheel is taking up just enough slack so we have a fist width. Bopped around in the woods today to clear some leaners off the trails, and they worked great and stay centered.

Maybe next season I’ll find a place to take out a few lengths so they are correct without help.

 

[John_Mc]

The single bungee on each rear wheel is taking up just enough slack so we have a fist width. Bopped around in the woods today to clear some leaners off the trails, and they worked great and stay centered.

Maybe next season I値l find a place to take out a few lengths so they are correct without help.

When I installed my Ofa EKO 8 chains, some of the side links near the ends had a shackle so they could be relocated. I had to move them a link further up my side chains to make room to shorten the chain enough for the proper fit. (I did leave an extra couple of links still connected to the ends, since my tread is at about 60% - I wanted to make sure I had enough length on the chain for when I replace my tires. I just zip-tie the excess that is on the inside to the rim chain so it doesn't flop around and catch anything. Since there is nothing to catch on the outside, I let those extra links just flop around.)

If that description is not clear, I can try to take some pictures and point to what I changed - let me know.

 

[Gordon Gould]

I run mine loose just like the instructions and other say. You can see the sag sometimes like in the picture. It comes and goes depending on how the chains are hanging on the R1 tire lugs. There was another fellow on here a couple years ago, OldPath, he complained that his ran off center and kept trying to tighten them. Finally when he listened and loosened them all his problems disappeared. I can see them going off center maybe for a second if you do a steering brake turn but they should return centered if they are hanging loose.

It is hard to believe that a couple bungees, especially frozen ones, can have much influence on those heavy chains when they are moving.



gg

 

[Chilly807]

What I've done over the years as mine either stretched a bit or the tires have worn (probably both) is to use a bolt cutter to remove two links at a time in the side chains, between two cross chains. Once those are out, I replace them with a single screw type quick link. That shortens the side chain by one link.
If I ever need to lengthen the chains, it's simple to add another quick link.