Fill Em yourself wheel weights for 12" wheels

[SkunkWerX]

I wonder how well a plastic weight bolted to a wheel will hold up with all that weight inside will hold up with the rotating and bouncing the tractor will do not to count the branches etc. that could bump these weights.
I picture a cement mixer with wheel weights inside turning slow.
Jim

Mr. Jimi, we won't have to wonder much longer.

I picture a solid piece of cured concrete with a plastic covering. I don't picture the plastic doing too much work once the concrete has set-up.

The cured concrete won't be all that fragile.
Picture a piece of concrete, 12" in diameter and 6 or 7 inches thick.

On the flip side, here is something that could cause a problem.....
If for some reason you drove close to a high enough street curb, or brick or concrete wall, and scuffed the weights against it, then it could probably do some damage to the weights due to the sheering forces.

I'll report back if there are any issues or failures.

With all of the garden tractors out there that have had plastic filled concrete weights strapped to them, I am a bit suprised at the amount of concern.
But, I do appreciate the concerns. Just didn't expect it.

 

[2manyrocks]

A friend who restores garden tractors dismissed plastic covered wheel weights saying that they crumble if you hit anything with them. I haven't hit anything yet, and I'm trying not to. But I probably just jinked myself writing this.

 

[bobodu]

I guess you talked me into it!!
However;I'm gonna save myself a bit o'green and not go with the plastic.I've decided to just fill the rims with concrete.Planning on welding up a cage from 3/8 round rod that I have an ample supply of.I'll put some sort of cut down plastic butter tub or something similar over the bolt holes to allow room for the lug bolts and lining the rim with waxed cardboard.To allow room for the valve stem,I'll cut a length of PVC pipe in half the long way and tape that over the stem,leaving a "keyway" for lack of a better word.1/2 inch black pipe is a dandy fit over a 5/8 inch bolt,so I'll use four pieces of that for attachment bolts.
The Missus (very kindly) pointed out an expensive mixer that she would like for Christmas and (also kindly) mentioned that she still didn't know what to get me.
I told her that I'd really love a pair of bar lug AG tires for the Wheel Horse she doesn't know I have !!!

 

[Bedlam]

I saw a post awile ago of how someone laid the wheel on the ground, and used a heavy plastic for a base, and set some sort of bolts and bracket in, and used the wheel and the plastic for a form for cement. Not sure just how deep your wheels are. but it sounded like a good idea. the weight would be formed to the wheel contours.
Al

 

[2manyrocks]

I had a walk behind David Bradley once that the prior owner had done that way. He didn't use any plastic. He just poured the concrete in the wheel. After a while the lime in the concrete will eat at the steel.

Looks like it wouldn't be too hard to find some plastic that you could roll into the right diameter for the rim. Then put a pop rivet or two in the plastic to hold it to the right diameter and then you'd have your form and a break between the concrete and the wheel.

 

[SkunkWerX]

A good thing to use is laminate material. It can be curved into a circle very easy, and is rigid enough to hold the concrete. Maybe some foam insulation at the base, just to keep the cement from contacting the steel wheel.

I too saw the post of the guy who poured his own concrete weights into his JD rims, he did an excellent job. Even painted them JD Yellow to match. A quick forum search will find it.

Some "car wash barrel" plastic would work, cut it, slice it, and then use a ratchet strap to squeeze it down to the correct diameter.

 

[diyDave]

Defective, that is good thought, coating them really good with mix will allow it all to pour and settle better. I was thinking about ways to make sure there were no air pockets or voids. thanks.

bobadu, torsional stress, meaning twisting of the axle?
they make wheel weights up to 75# for smaller machines, all of them have 12inch wheels. In essence, I am simply putting garden tractor weights on a BX. I'm thinking we create exponentially more torsional stress on axles pulling box blades, grader blades, full trailers and such.
I appreciate your concern, but, I don't think the manufacturer would spec wheels with proper holes for mounting weights, unless they intended for the possibility of weights in certain applications.

Many snowblower and snowplow kits come with weights and chains as part of the whole package.

I've got some folks beating the streets for some more used wheel weights, might be able to pour in a few days.

Skunkwerx- try to find a vibrating surface, of some sort, to place the plastic forms on, while you are pouring the lead/concrete mix into them. A cheap idea would be an old appliance motor with a pulley that is weighted badly off balance, attached to your workbench. You won't need to run it any longer than it takes to fill your weights.

 

[SkunkWerX]

Skunkwerx- try to find a vibrating surface, of some sort, to place the plastic forms on, while you are pouring the lead/concrete mix into them. A cheap idea would be an old appliance motor with a pulley that is weighted badly off balance, attached to your workbench. You won't need to run it any longer than it takes to fill your weights.

Dave, thanks. I have my own mixer, poured a few forms here and there.
For small forms, a trick I learned years ago, is to use an old pad sander, with no paper in it, just the rubber pad.

Otherwise, the old method of hammer tapping works.

As my uncle would say; "We aren't building a Piano".

 

[2manyrocks]

But if you strapped a piano to your tractor, you wouldn't need any wheel weights.

 

[Leejohn]

I think I would make me a 2 part mold out of casting plaster. One for the inside half, after it dried coat it with wax and then cast the outside half. When you take it apart take out the inside, put back together and fill it with lead. You could put in some pipes in for your bolts. Just make sure the ends are pluged before putting the lead in.

Lee