Switching wheels from one side to the other?

[Greg Stolz]

I have a small 17 horse diesel tractor that has a very narrow stance at the rear and quite frankly I dont trust it when it get it on any sidehill at all.
It feels like it is going to tip over.
Because the wheels are much deeper at the hub on the inside than the other I thought I could just move the right to the left side and the left to the right side. The tread direction would remain the same and I would gain about 16 inches of width at the back wheels therofre making it more stable. I hope that it would give me a bit more pulling traction as well being wider.
I included a pic.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I have a small 17 horse diesel tractor that has a very narrow stance at the rear and quite frankly I dont trust it when it get it on any sidehill at all.
It feels like it is going to tip over.
Because the wheels are much deeper at the hub on the inside than the other I thought I could just move the right to the left side and the left to the right side. The tread direction would remain the same and I would gain about 16 inches of width at the back wheels therofre making it more stable. I hope that it would give me a bit more pulling traction as well being wider.
I included a pic.

We did it many times a year on a Ford 600 when planting/plowing corn.
To save time and reduce risk of tractor falling we did not move from side to side because traction was not an issue working on dry ground pulling a light load.

The state tractors mowing the roadsides did this all of the time.

 

[Greg Stolz]

We did it many times a year on a Ford 600 when planting/plowing corn.
To save time and reduce risk of tractor falling we did not move from side to side because traction was not an issue working on dry ground pulling a light load.

The state tractors mowing the roadsides did this all of the time.

Thanks.
Yup. I really cant see any reason why I shouldnt be able to. Just want to bounce it off a few people to see before I jack it up.
Will it get more grab to the ground as well then?

 

[RoyJackson]

There's a lot of folks on TBN who have swapped side to side (or, in my case, reversed since I have turfs).
Not a big deal...just jack them high enough to clear the floor (maybe a 1/4th inch). I do suggest you jack under the the drawbar bracket and use jackstands under the axle.
If those tires are filled, have a friend there to help.

As far as better traction...no, you'll need weight for that. But the tractor will be more stable on slopes.

 

[BethesdaEC]

I am planning to get my tires loaded this spring, I figured that I would use the outriggers on the backhoe to lift the tractor then put some jack stands to hold the tractor. Load the tires in the trailer, hopefully get them loaded while I wait and reverse them for a wider stance when I put them back on. I am hoping I can do this in one day.

 

[PILOON]

Sounds like my MT180D Mitsubishi!
Just looking at it, and it wants to flip over.
My wheels have been reversed since day 1 without any issues.
Go for it.

 

[milkman]

You have several options with the wheels, you can just take the 4 bolts out and move to the outter side of the center wheel disc without moving them both side to side. I circled the bolts in the picture. You can do this by only jacking up one side at a time.

 

[Greg Stolz]

Awesome. Sounds like I can go ahead!!
Thank you all.
This is a great site and I look forward to making some friends from afar through it.
Country livin is where it is at!! Never going back to the city.

 

[RoyJackson]

You have several options with the wheels, you can just take the 4 bolts out and move to the outter side of the center wheel disc without moving them both side to side. I circled the bolts in the picture. You can do this by only jacking up one side at a time.

I didn't notice those bolts...but that is definitely the way to go, if the tractor has adjustable rims.

 

[ovrszd]

You have several options with the wheels, you can just take the 4 bolts out and move to the outter side of the center wheel disc without moving them both side to side. I circled the bolts in the picture. You can do this by only jacking up one side at a time.

Yep, and that's why the centers are designed to allow the brackets on the outer rims to slip over the centers to refasten them on the outside. The brackets will also be welded on the outer rims in an offset manner. Being designed this way gives you several widths to choose from. So now the OP still has a lot more width to gain.

I believe my Kubota has five different widths to choose from.