Tires How wide to set rear tires.

N80 · Dec 8, 2005

( About the only drawback I could think of that has not been mentioned is when mowing up against posts or trees, etc. If you are trying to get real tight then you might need to lean out over the fender a bit more.

I might also remind you to properly support the tractor when you make your swap. Safety first! )

My 6' mower currently sticks out a little on each side which _is_ nice for cutting close to road edges, trees, etc. I'll probably won't set them any wider than the mower.

Several people have mentioned properly supporting the tractor. I'll do this at my B-I-L's shop but I may be doing it by myslef. Just how do you jack up a tractor and support it safely? (My little Kubota weighs about 4000 pounds with the loader on.) He has the mongo overhead hoist and I've seen tractors 'hanging' from it when he has the transmission open, but I'm assuming all I really need is jack stands for safe support. He has several large floor jacks but I doubt they have the reach necessary for a tractor. I've also seen some big bottle jacks in his shop.

Slamfire · Dec 8, 2005

I'm with Pontiac on this question. However there can be an increased load on the bearings. One thing I learned with dual wheels is to infalate the inner to a higher pressure than the outers. This reduces the bearing load somewhat. My inners are set a 12 psi, and the outers a 8 psi. You have to tip it pretty far to put significant extra load on the bearings. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

rk246 · Dec 8, 2005

My dealer recommends not setting your tires wider than your bucket, for the reason that if you are mowing your bucket should be low and hit a stump instead of your tires and causing you problems, the bucket will let you know whats out in front? seems logical to me.....

beenthere · Dec 9, 2005

Sounds like you have the right equipment to do the job. Just using the chain hoist for a 'safety' net from above will help. Easier to avoid it falling down without wheels than to try to pick it up afterwards (especially if you are under it). /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Blocks, floor jacks, jack stands, chain hoists all will work for you. Block the front wheels as the parking brake will do no good without rear wheels on the ground. Loosen the bolts before raising off the ground. You should be good to go.

daTeacha · Dec 9, 2005

Just remember, those tire/wheel combo's are heavy, especially loaded. Have some help around and don't let them tip too far from vertical when you move them around.

If the chain hoist is movable within the shop, I'd consider setting the tractor on blocks --make some out of 6x6 or 8x8 wood with a "cradle" to fit around the axles -- and using the hoist to handle the tires.

N80 · Dec 9, 2005

Hmm. How heavy are unloaded tire/wheels (14.9x24)?

beenthere · Dec 9, 2005

I agree being careful, but I did mine (while loaded) and they stand up (if R4's) pretty well on their own. This was taken just before I removed the right rear and rolled it around to the left side.

N80 · Dec 9, 2005

I've got Ag tires. I bet they won't stand up.

QRTRHRS · Dec 9, 2005

( My dealer recommends not setting your tires wider than your bucket, for the reason that if you are mowing your bucket should be low and hit a stump instead of your tires and causing you problems, the bucket will let you know whats out in front? seems logical to me..... )If you hit a stump with your bucket at normal mowing speeds, then your tire width might be the least of your problems.

Re: positioning tires safely with a minimum of tools. Assuming the tires are going to be swapped in order to keep the tread direction correct, start with a good stable jack under one side. Remove the tire/rim and flip the center section if required. Once the center is tight, drop that side down on some stout blocking that is unlikely to fall over. Jack up the other side, swap the tire, center, etc. Let that one down then go back to the first side to finish the job.

curt1 · Dec 10, 2005

My dealer told me the reason they set width to the minimum is because their dealership has a small lot. This way they can have more tractors on display.
I would set the tires to the widest position for stability. It might get you out of a "sticky" situation. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif When I set mine to the widest position, I could tell a big difference in stability. Have fun with your new tractor!

Curt