My poor wife

[Bob999]

Bob, mine are 1/2" 3.25 Fine Thread. I have checked the internet and cannot find a source. Hate the thought of calling PT on this one. I also have to figure out how to get the broken ones out. Seems like the have loctite on them.. Ug.

Oh, and the wife took her tale of woe to the neighbor. He brought up his dozer and leveled the dirt in about 15 minutes...

Use an easy out. Very carefully drill hole in center of broken stud, starting with a small drill and gradually enlarging the hole.

In my experience these things don't happen in one use but over many hours of use. A bump on a wheel weakens or breaks one stud and then gradually the increased stresses on the remaining studs weaken and ultimately break more studs. I never actually had a wheel fall off--I always noticed a loose/woobly wheel before it actually fell off.

I recently converted to single wheels because of the continuing problems with broken studs. I found some wheels on the internet that would mount a 24 x 13 x 12 tire and would fit the PT with a 3 inch wheel adapter. It reduces the overall width a couple inches and I find that is enough to significantly reduce the bumps on tree trunks but not so much that I don't still have adequate side slope capability.

 

[ptexer]

I don't know how you put wheels on, but an air tool can apply to much force to lug nuts and weaken or even break them. I turn my air flow down when putting nuts on then torque to specs.

 

[woodlandfarms]

This is all great info. Yes, I use an air gun. Will use my torque wrench this time around.

I am complete garbage at drilling bolts out. I get how it is done, but I NEVER do it right. So I ground the studs down and am going to leave them and use the alternate stud holes. Also I need more MAP gas so I can heat up the locker on the bolts.

Which brings me to my final story. So I am moaning that I can't use the tractor all day. And will have to wait for PT to come through with the bolts as I cannot find them on the internet, and then BAM. I realize I can just bolt on one tire..

I am such an idiot. I won't run on the slopes until I get the dualies back but will run on singles for that wheel

Also, in looking at the damage, I think that there was some dirt behind the flange and the tire was never properly tightened down (Either by me or by another person). The flopping around must have torqued the heck out of it.

 

[Bob999]

This is all great info. Yes, I use an air gun. Will use my torque wrench this time around.

I am complete garbage at drilling bolts out. I get how it is done, but I NEVER do it right. So I ground the studs down and am going to leave them and use the alternate stud holes. Also I need more MAP gas so I can heat up the locker on the bolts.

Which brings me to my final story. So I am moaning that I can't use the tractor all day. And will have to wait for PT to come through with the bolts as I cannot find them on the internet, and then BAM. I realize I can just bolt on one tire..

I am such an idiot. I won't run on the slopes until I get the dualies back but will run on singles for that wheel

Also, in looking at the damage, I think that there was some dirt behind the flange and the tire was never properly tightened down (Either by me or by another person). The flopping around must have torqued the heck out of it.

You are fortunate to have alternate stud holes available--my 1845 does not. The availability of alternate holes, along with my experience, suggests that broken studs are a fairly common occurance with the PT dual wheel design.

When I have had broken studs in the past I have found problems on other wheels when I inspected them. Hopefully you won't but you might want to check. Over the years I have had my PT I have purchased about 40 studs--they were $6 each when I started and I think $7 each the last time I purchased them.

 

[MossRoad]

Have you ever considered drilling everything out and then tapping for a larger, standard sized stud?

I had a friend with a mud bogger truck back in the 80's that was constantly snapping studs, so he went up to a larger size. That never happened again. But he then started spinning the centers out of the rims! :laughing:

 

[American Bulldog]

Bob, mine are 1/2" 3.25 Fine Thread. I have checked the internet and cannot find a source. Hate the thought of calling PT on this one. I also have to figure out how to get the broken ones out. Seems like the have loctite on them.. Ug.

Oh, and the wife took her tale of woe to the neighbor. He brought up his dozer and leveled the dirt in about 15 minutes...

Maybe McMaster Carr has something that will work for wheel bolts. Sorry about the run of bad luck.

 

[Bob999]

Have you ever considered drilling everything out and then tapping for a larger, standard sized stud?

I had a friend with a mud bogger truck back in the 80's that was constantly snapping studs, so he went up to a larger size. That never happened again. But he then started spinning the centers out of the rims! :laughing:

1. I don't have the confidence that I could drill and tap without problems; and
2. There has to be a weakest link somewhere and it could certainly be worse than studs.

 

[woodlandfarms]

Same here, I couldn't drill straight even with a drill press. And how I would get the hub to the press.....

These are the 1st to snap on me ever and I have beat the tar out of this machine. I do think it was related to an installation issue.

Finally Spoke to PT to order new studs. They said that my machine has a "newer" design featuring a 1/2" stud instead of 7/16. And my studs go through both tires. PT was not surprised per-se but they said they have seen a drop in broken bolts since this design.

When I have a steadier hand I will drill out the broken bolts.

Carl

 

[wasabi]

we all need someone we can lean on.....good thing she has you