Rear Wheel Weight adaptation

[ovrszd]

My neighbor gave me a pair of John Deere rear wheel weights. 140 pounders. For the price I decided I could take the time to convert them to fit my M9540. Well, I don't have the equipment necessary to redrill the weights so I had to cobble up some brackets. Took a lot of head scratching because I'm not mathematically inclined.

My centers are cast iron and have a set of 4 holes and a set of 3 holes. The JD weights only had 3 hole mounts but they were wayyyyy off in dimensions from mine. I took 4 5/8x6" crs thread bolts and cut the heads off. Inserted them in my 4 hole pattern. Then using 2"x1/4" angle iron I built a square that fit around the outside of my four bolts. Centered it in my cast wheels and welded the bolts to the angle square. Then I removed the square and laid it on the back of one of the weights. Got it centered with one of the three weight holes lining up to go thru my angle iron. The other two were outside the angle iron about 1.5". Built tabs to those holes and welded them to my angle square, then drilled three 5/8" holes. Stuck bolts in those three holes so they would be pointing outward when the square was bolted to the wheel and welded them in place.

First attempt at mounting was with the angle bracket bolted to the tractor, then try to lift the weight onto the 3 bolts coming out of my bracket. That didn't work so well. So I took the bracket off the tractor wheel and bolted it to the weight. Then lifted that assembly into place and fastened it to the tractor wheel with 4 nuts/washers from the back side.

Turned out pretty good. Hope I never have to remove them. Including brackets and hardware, gained 148lbs on each wheel. I would have never paid $1 per lb to gain that much. Shucks I don't have that much invested in my 1500lbs of tire fluid. But the price was right so I went for it. Gave me a shop project on a couple crappy weather days.

In the first picture you can see four little blue pieces of tape, that's marking the four holes I used in the tractor wheel.

 

[Bluegill2]

Very nice work man! Looks great.

I have a couple sets of old weight, one is a JD set. I have been planning to do the same on my lil tractor and will do it soon. Your photos are helpful...

 

[AStanton]

Pretty slick job. Even though my rear tires are loaded with beet juice, I think wheel weights are a good way to go--then foaming.

 

[Wolfy]

Awesome job!

 

[ovrszd]

Pretty slick job. Even though my rear tires are loaded with beet juice, I think wheel weights are a good way to go--then foaming.

The worst thing about weights is their expense. If buying new they are always $1 per lb or higher. In my case I added 1500lbs of weight at a cost of $212 (14 cents per pound) using Windshield Washer fluid. To get the same benefit with weights I'd have to add five weights on each side. They'd be clear outside my tires!!! And I'd have spent $1500 or maybe a little more!!!!

I only did this because the weights were free. If buying, I wouldn't have paid more than $50 for these two weights (18 cents per pound).

 

[ovrszd]

Awesome job!

Thanks for the compliments guys. It was fun!!!

 

[ovrszd]

Very nice work man! Looks great.

I have a couple sets of old weight, one is a JD set. I have been planning to do the same on my lil tractor and will do it soon. Your photos are helpful...

Don, I think your problem might be that your rear wheels are too small??? These weights measure 23.5" across. You can how they nicely fit inside my wheels. My wheels/tires are 30".

When I had my L4400 I looked all over for some weights but couldn't find any small enough. Finally found and used a pair of front tire weights. They were too small, but at least added 130lb to the rear of the tractor.

 

[fieldman12]

Looks great!

 

[Bluegill2]

Don, I think your problem might be that your rear wheels are too small??? These weights measure 23.5" across. You can how they nicely fit inside my wheels. My wheels/tires are 30".

When I had my L4400 I looked all over for some weights but couldn't find any small enough. Finally found and used a pair of front tire weights. They were too small, but at least added 130lb to the rear of the tractor.

The JD weights I have are smaller, but still don't fit inside the center of the rim on the L3800. I've thought about mounting them anyway, they would not stick out passed the sidewall of the tires. But I'll probably just keep looking for smaller and continue using these on my counter weight rig.

 

[wmonroe]

Looks good. Between the cast centers, fluid and now the weights you must have 2500 lbs, I bet it is pretty stable on slopes.

 

[Bluegill2]

I was mistaken, the JD weights I have will fit with about one inch clearance. It's the larger weights underneath the yellow ones in this picture that wont fit. Bummer too because the bolt holes line up nice. I'll make a bracket like you did, paint em up and install...





I also found a problem. Supposed to be some type of alcohol mix in these tires. One frozen, one not? Third winter with this rig and this is a first. Been cold as **** here though. Way below normal!

 

[Bluegill2]

Closer look I don't think the tire is frozen. Just weird the other one didn't frost up?

 

[xtn]

Is that just frost on the outside? Probably just condensate that froze up when warmer, moist air hit the tire that was still full of cold liquid.

xtn

 

[ovrszd]

Looks good. Between the cast centers, fluid and now the weights you must have 2500 lbs, I bet it is pretty stable on slopes.

Yep. I run my fronts at the widest setting recommended in the manual. I run my rears so the insides of front/rear are in line. With just the loader bucket on I don't need any 3pt ballast. Only need that when using the Grapple. When I most notice the weighted rear is when backing uphill in 2wd. It'll back up a pretty steep slope without rear wheel spin.

Before I added these weights my tractor's total weight was 9910lbs with FEL, cast centers and filled rears. The surprising part was the split was 4860 front/4850 rear with FEL and factory 7' bucket. I was really surprised by that. Thought it would have been heavier in the rear. So now, I'm a little heavier in the rear. I think this is a big difference between a Utility Tractor and an AG Tractor.

 

[ovrszd]

Don, I have a pair of old Oliver tractor rear wheel weights that I originally was gonna use. But they too, like yours are just an inch too big. Didn't want to stick them out enough to fit. Luckily my neighbor hooked me up!!! :thumbsup:

 

[Bluegill2]

Is that just frost on the outside? Probably just condensate that froze up when warmer, moist air hit the tire that was still full of cold liquid.

xtn

Yes frost. But the other one is just wet.

 

[dwk121]

Oversized Looks like a professional did that job. Nice neighbor to.

 

[ovrszd]

Oversized Looks like a professional did that job. Nice neighbor to.

Thanks for the compliment, but in person it don't look that good...

I've lived here since 1978. My old neighbor that I've had all that time died two years ago (91). His Grandson (30 something) moved in. The Grandson and I were drinking a Beer in my shop one evening and he mentioned the weights. I said sure, I'd see if I could use them. He said "Grandpa would want you to have them". I was touched. And determined to use them at that point!!!

 

[wmonroe]

Thanks for the compliment, but in person it don't look that good... I've lived here since 1978. My old neighbor that I've had all that time died two years ago (91). His Grandson (30 something) moved in. The Grandson and I were drinking a Beer in my shop one evening and he mentioned the weights. I said sure, I'd see if I could use them. He said "Grandpa would want you to have them". I was touched. And determined to use them at that point!!!

It seems like you have genuinely good neighbors, a thing that is getting harder to find these days.