Wheel spacers, GC series tractors.

[WranglerX]

Put on wheel spacers today... Center to center of tire in now 38 inches and at outsides its 52 inches......Small cruise around some areas (off level) seems to be a bit more stable.... Time will tell as I do someone more work ...

Found out a 7/8 deep (thinwall) socket worked better with 22mm (MF) wheel lugs bolts... Also found out the if you push socket in to deep they bind.... Suggest you put spacers between wheel bolts and base of deep socket... It's almost like you need to have a bit of the lug bolt hex showing above socket lip before inserting... I think the socket actually binds deep in hole as it hits the taper designed for lug bolts to seat into...

All in all about a hour to grab tools jack up tractor, remove wheels, place spacers, torque, replace wheels, and torque....

Dale

 

[cdaigle430]

Decided that my slope wasnt worth the risk to adding spacers. I leaned from my ATV that when you venture from the origination specs you cause week points elsewhere. Went bigger rims and tires resulted in snapped shafts. Adding bigger Gorilla shafts resulted in broken axles...so I am sticking with OEM.

Especially when using my BH...

 

[GeneV]

Decided that my slope wasnt worth the risk to adding spacers. I leaned from my ATV that when you venture from the origination specs you cause week points elsewhere. Went bigger rims and tires resulted in snapped shafts. Adding bigger Gorilla shafts resulted in broken axles...so I am sticking with OEM.

Especially when using my BH...

So you're of the school that extending the wheels farther out compromises the axle somewhat? That's a worthy conversation to have, methinks.

 

[GeneV]

I dunno exactly what my slope is. I got a walkout basement, with a side drive that follows the grade of main floor to basement floor, and than that gradient just keeps extending downhill a ways.

 

[WranglerX]

Decided that my slope wasnt worth the risk to adding spacers. I leaned from my ATV that when you venture from the origination specs you cause week points elsewhere. Went bigger rims and tires resulted in snapped shafts. Adding bigger Gorilla shafts resulted in broken axles...so I am sticking with OEM.

Especially when using my BH...

Might be ATV thing, but I do not see a lot of people having issues with wheel spacer in TRACTOR forums.... See lots of video of people adding them, but yet have to see any videos of failures (but I have not looked for them)...

Dale

 

[GeneV]

Might be ATV thing, but I do not see a lot of people having issues with wheel spacer in TRACTOR forums.... See lots of video of people adding them, but yet have to see any videos of failures (but I have not looked for them)...

Dale

Hey DL, how wide did you go with them again (sorry if asked already before)?

Yeh, I googled the topic a bit, found somebody having issues with spacers on a car, I didn't find anybody complaining in regards to tractors. And also, that dude was beating the crap outta his car, so...

 

[WranglerX]

Hey DL, how wide did you go with them again (sorry if asked already before)?

Yeh, I googled the topic a bit, found somebody having issues with spacers on a car, I didn't find anybody complaining in regards to tractors. And also, that dude was beating the crap outta his car, so...

I went 3 inch spacers.... BRO-TEK states the max if you have MMM is probably 2 inch...

Yeah, lot of youtube videos of dummies probably not knowing what they were doing...Or bad mouthing all spacers but the one's they were selling...

Dale

 

[cdaigle430]

I went 3 inch spacers.... BRO-TEK states the max if you have MMM is probably 2 inch...

Yeah, lot of youtube videos of dummies probably not knowing what they were doing...Or bad mouthing all spacers but the one's they were selling...

Dale

My biggest fear is using my BH can really manhandle the tractor-will literally ***** slap it around. I think the housings on these GC tractors made out of cast aluminum? I did have issues with an older ATV I had because I went beyond its specs-it caused weaker points down the drive train.

Just saying I would not do it because the size of the slope in my yard where I would need it is just not worth it.

 

[GeneV]

I see where you're going there in regards to the backhoe. Actually, I was thinking adding spacers would help with the tractor getting tossed around while working the hoe, by widening it's stance.

 

[hoguester]

Just an fyi. I installed 3 inch spacers from brotek recently and can confirm they work on my setup with a 60 inch deck. It's tight but they do work. I mowed for an hour and kept a very close eye on the clearance for about an hour and never had an issue with rubbing. I'm using turf tires - not sure if they're narrower than others.