Anybody seen cracked front wheels?

[etpm]

My YM2310 has, apparently, cracks radiating from the lug bolt holes on one front wheel. At first I thought it was just cracks in the paint, but I'm pretty sure the steel is actually cracked. I'm gonna mark the ends of them with a sharpie and if they propagate then I'll remove the wheel and investigate further. If the wheel is indeed cracked then I will grind out the cracks and TIG weld them with stainless rod because it is a little more ductile than steel. I'm still surprised that the wheel would crack though.
Eric

 

[ruffdog]

Can you post a picture?

 

[careyo63]

It happens!! My 2wd. Ym2000 done it. The design is for rice patties. JMO.. Both fronts the lug nuts came loose and looked as though there may have been cracks but it was just the paint. Extra thick. Lock washers on all but I use a drop of Locktight to keep it from happening yet 1 lug did come loose and I lost it.
True...........

 

[npalen]

My YM2310 has, apparently, cracks radiating from the lug bolt holes on one front wheel. At first I thought it was just cracks in the paint, but I'm pretty sure the steel is actually cracked. I'm gonna mark the ends of them with a sharpie and if they propagate then I'll remove the wheel and investigate further. If the wheel is indeed cracked then I will grind out the cracks and TIG weld them with stainless rod because it is a little more ductile than steel. I'm still surprised that the wheel would crack though.
Eric

I'm guessing that your tractor has a FEL? The front wheels on my Kubota B9200 had been cracked and crudely repaired when I bought it. I removed the patch job and made some discs out of 1/4" plate with lug holes to match. The FEL can put a lot of stress on especially while turning with a heavy load.

 

[5030]

Ever bother to check the lug nut torque in them? I check all my nut torques at least twice a year. The do loosen up from use. Never had a cracked rim. If I dismount a rim and put it back on, I'll check the prevailing torque again after a few hours of operation and I always use a torque wrench, never the 'good and tight' method. Never an impact on the lug nuts either except when removing them. Why the lug nits and studs are fine thread. Fine thread requires on threadlocker.

 

[PILOON]

I've had both fronts crack badly but then I know why.
I had an angled snow plow and the side forces it exerted made crabbing necessary.
That crabbing side forces simply did the rims in.
Since weight was not a problem I replaced the centers with 5/16 machined stock and no more issues.

 

[California]

Yep.

Both front wheels on the YM240 (YM2000) when I bought it. Cracked, welded, then cracks continuing to grow. One of the wheels has "$20" on it so it must have superceded an unrepairable wheel.

I bought a pair of good wheels from the regional VN import wholesaler and installed one when I had a flat tire fixed. The wheel in this photo was then re-used to make a grinder pedestal base. I'm still running the other one, the "$20" wheel. It hasn't gotten worse in the 18 years I've owned the tractor. I can't imagine what the prior owner did.

 

[California]

The parts catalog for some Yanmars lists optional discs for the wheels to move the stress away from the lug bolts to the outer edge of the disc. Making a disc like that for each wheel and welding them on, might be a solution if wheels are unobtainable.

 

[Thomas]

I can't recall where I read it Kubota L4800 or 4900 front rims had cracking issue,some dill holes for lug nuts weld plate steel to the rim.

 

[etpm]

I'll post pictures when the rain stops. I do have a front end loader. I haven't checked the front lug bolts since I bought the tractor last summer. When it stops raining I will be able to mark the ends of what I think are cracks and will get pictures then. If the cracks get worse and get welded but then continue to crack again then I'll fab up some 1/4" thick plates about 10" in diameter to spread the load.
Eric