The purpose of the gauge wheels is to hold the rake at the same height regardless of the terrain your tractor is diving over. To accomplish this, the wheels must ride on the ground that the rake just leveled out. By putting the wheels in front of the rake, it would basically render the rake useless since the wheels would just ride up and down on the unleveled ground and the rake would be just along for the ride. The rake would do nothing. If your rake is digging in, then you have to either make the top link longer, raise the three point, lower your gauge wheels, or a combo of all the above. I always try to position the three point hitch so the main beam part of the rake is parallel to the ground while the gauge wheels are also on the ground. If the rake is too high at that point, raise the wheels. If the rake touches the ground before the wheels, then lower the wheels. This way you can set the height of the rake at petty much any height you require. It takes some playing around with all the adjustments. What nice is when you lower the 3 pt. hitch all the way, the top link holds the gauge wheel on the ground and the rake is parrallel to the ground.
