Bleeding tractor

don white · Mar 22, 2015

So we had another snow storm here in southeastern Pa. Had about 6' here in upper Bucks county. I was out Friday night on the B26 plowing and noticed some strange looking water under the snow I just plowed. Yea it wasn't water. I puked about 3 gallons of Super UTD all over my driveway. I guess I was lucky it happened in the paved area of my driveway. My driveway is 1100' long and only the area at my home is paved. I am lucky because if it would have happened on the long section I would not have noticed the oil until the tractor stopped moving. I got it back into the garage and put some light on the area. Right rear down by the axle a hose came off. There is a valve body there and a return line popped off. I guess it was a return line it was not a pressure line. What was sweet is that I was done plowing anyway. However it is always a sickening feeling when you puked oil all over.

So I got some Super UTD Saturday. I had to pull the wheel off to get to the line. Put it on and made it good and tight. It only had hose clamps. The only thing that bothers me is I could not get to the other end of the hose as it is behind the valve body. I checked it out visually and it looks tight.

Putting the wheel back on was interesting. I don't think I have ever seen a posting on how to do this and I came up with a pretty good method. Them wheels are heavy. I lowered the axle until it was just a little higher than the wheel hub. Then with the two studs on the axle parallel with the ground I rotated the wheel holes until I could get one hole on one stud. Then I started one nut. Then you just have to lift up on the outside of the wheel (using the tire lugs) which will rotate on the stud and get the other hole on a stud. It was surprisingly easy and turned out to be a one man job. My tires are not loaded.

Maybe a lot of yuns know this trick but it was new to me. Plus I figured it out all by myself which is always a surprise. My guess it this is why there are two studs on the axle hub to start with.

Egon · Mar 22, 2015

A pry bar under the tire is another way.

k0ua · Mar 22, 2015

My guess it this is why there are two studs on the axle hub to start with.

I am betting your 100% right.

oosik · Mar 22, 2015

That's the way I do my truck tires now. When I was younger - and had less sense - I would lift the entire tire. Good way to find out if you can blow a nut and get a hernia.

I don't even think of changing my rear tractor tires - they have 750# of Rimguard in each plus the weigh of the tire & rim - probably real close to 1000# each.

newbury · Mar 22, 2015

don white said:
<snip>

Putting the wheel back on was interesting. I don't think I have ever seen a posting on how to do this and I came up with a pretty good method. Them wheels are heavy. I lowered the axle until it was just a little higher than the wheel hub. Then with the two studs on the axle parallel with the ground I rotated the wheel holes until I could get one hole on one stud. Then I started one nut. Then you just have to lift up on the outside of the wheel (using the tire lugs) which will rotate on the stud and get the other hole on a stud. It was surprisingly easy and turned out to be a one man job. My tires are not loaded.

Maybe a lot of yuns know this trick but it was new to me. Plus I figured it out all by myself which is always a surprise. My guess it this is why there are two studs on the axle hub to start with.

I've had my son help me put my rear tires on. They are loaded and weigh about 650 lbs each. If I had my druthers I would have used a hoist but about all we had was a farm jack and some 2x4's. We lifted the tire by hanging the rim on the farmjack, then oriented it to get a nut started, then another. I hesitate to try it by myself.