3054 front wheel tread

[ByuBill]

I know what the owners manual says. Front wheel tread is not adjustable.. After doing a balancing act on three wheels twice in one day./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif I am considering turning the front wheels around for a wider stance. Does anyone think that maybe I shouldn't ? Maybe training wheels on the front. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif
All four wheels are loaded and a 6' scrape blade on back that I have added another 200# to. Other than that, it was a beautiful day and I had 6 fun hr of seat time. Well maybe 5hr 59min 30sec of fun. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[woodmills1]

can you describe what you were doing when you got tippy toed. I get out of shape when I try to drive through holes mase by the tires spinning.

 

[ByuBill]

I was just driving down my driveway./w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif Really, I was driving down my driveway with a load of gravel in the fel. Remember, I have a steep driveway. At the top of my drive there is a 'switchback' almost a 'u-turn'. So, I have a steep, banked, switchback in my driveway. When going downhill around this curve forward with a load in the bucket, things get a little tipsy./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif (I know, you're going to tell me not to load the bucket so full.) When going down in reverse, the rear has a tendency to creep to the inside of the curve. I normally carry a load with the bucket 6 in to 8 in off the ground. Probably all that kept it from going over. My question is : What is the downside of turning the front wheels around on the front for a wider stance ???

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Load your tires and flip the fronts. The Kioti can handle it.
Ob1

 

[RobS]

Bill, there isn't a downside to swapping your front wheels unless you get into a clearance issue. Trouble is, there isn't much upside either. The front axle pivots so you won't realize any additional stability until you've already tipped enough to hit the pivot stops. By that time, it may be too late. You're better off loading the tires, using wheel weights or a rear mounted weight of some sort. The real stability comes from keeping the REAR tires on the ground /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[EdKing]

I can't remember where (possibly the compact tractor group on yahoo), but it seems to me I read some where that dishing the front tires out will cause excessive stress on the bearings in the front axle. Some thing about causing the weight to push sideways on the bearings instead of straight up and down.

 

[ByuBill]

From my orignal post : <font color=blue>All four wheels are loaded and a 6' scrape blade on back that I have added another 200# to.</font color=blue>

The rear tire thread is as wide as it will go. With the narrower thread on the front and the pivoting of the wheels, it is almost a 'tricycle effect'. Wow!, I would sure hate to have one of them babys in this situation./w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif If I add much more weight I would have to go up my drive in first gear./w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif 0.87mph, I don't think so. 1.7mph in 3rd with the blade down is slow enough. So, I guess that my solution is to turn the front wheels around, to give me the extra 8 or so inches of thread and don't load the bucket as much when going around this turn. Thanks, I am always interested in the input that I recieve here on TBN. I have learned a lot in the few months.

 

[ByuBill]

<font color=blue>EdKing</font color=blue>
I seem to remember something like that from way back when we used to put reversed rims on our cars. More stress on the bearings. I remember having to change wheel bearings a couple of times back then. On a tractor that is used less that 100hr a year, how long would it take to wear out the bearings? Probably longer than it does on a car with reversed rims that is driven every day? I also would hope that the bearings for a tractor would be of heavier construction. Maybe not./w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif I'll sit back and read everyone's input and then decide. In the meantime, I'll be real careful. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Miklos]

My thinking is that a tractor does not get its stability from its front axle, since it just pivots on it. By the time you have tipped onto the pivot stops, you have already exceeded the limits of your counterweights and center of gravity. Widening the front tires can keep you from going all the way over, but really what you need is to have enough stability to keep both rear tires on the ground. The of the stability comes from the rear axle. With that in mind, have rear tires at their widest width (as you mentioned you did) and for the loads you mention, at least 700 extra pounds at the rear, more if you can get it. Also, keep that load in the FEL as low as possible. This keeps the center of gravity lower.

I know the pucker factor involved, since I learn by experience!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I think maybe you need a trac-loader instead of a tract-tor. /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif I think you may have reached the limits of the Kioti. Maybe a DK35 would help/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif/w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif. Or maybe dual wheels for the rear(loaded).
Ob1