3-Point Hitch TC30, R4 Tires, and 3pt Hitch Arms - Not Enough Room!!

[Reg]

For max spread;
a) Pie plates OUT, pie on the outside.
b) valve stems generally OUT, but what really matters is that the rim off sets the tire outwards.
c) Rim mounted to pie plate on outside of the mounting lugs, the mounting lugs are usually part of the inner pie plate.

The difference of an inch and a half that your's is less than someone else's suggests c) above.

Owners' manuals usually detail all this, if you don't have one you MIGHT be able to download a .pdf copy from NH (guessing).

 

[strez]

Owners' manuals usually detail all this

Here's an interesting observation . . . my owner's manual specifies - for R4 tires - that the wheel spacing, measured from the center of one rear tire to the other should be 46.6". Mine measures 44.5". This 2" diffference would make all of the difference in the world if I could find out where it is off . . .

One more datapoint . . .

Measurement from wheel face (the mounting surface where the wheel mates with the hub) to rim edge on the inside of the wheel is about 7.5". Same measurement from the wheel face to the rim edge is about 6" when measured on the outside. Seems like if I swap my wheels (move the left to the right and vice versa) I'll be all set?

 

[Reg]

Here's an interesting observation . . . my owner's manual specifies - for R4 tires - that the wheel spacing, measured from the center of one rear tire to the other should be 46.6". Mine measures 44.5". This 2" diffference would make all of the difference in the world if I could find out where it is off . . .

One more datapoint . . .

Measurement from wheel face (the mounting surface where the wheel mates with the hub) to rim edge on the inside of the wheel is about 7.5". Same measurement from the wheel face to the rim edge is about 6" when measured on the outside. Seems like if I swap my wheels (move the left to the right and vice versa) I'll be all set?

Swapping wheels from side to side while keeping them "facing the same direction" will put the valve stems to the opposite side (inside vs outside) and reverse the dishing of the rim. Remember there are TWO dishings to deal with, the rim on which the tire is mounted and the inner "pie plate".

Then there is the connecting of the tire's rim to that inner pie plate, on some tractors you have a choice to mount the outer rim "inboard" of the inner dish or outboard of it. This usually depends on what sort of spacers are used, and/or if the mounts are welded tubes that the bolts go through, i.e. you may or may not be able to bolt the rim to one end of the mounting bolt tunnels or the other (choice or no choice).

CAUTION:
To swap the tires from side to side you will (obviously) need both sides up at once. OK, I won't lecture on the proper use of jacks and jackstands - just remember that these are also your braking wheels. I would push the bucket down HARD before starting. If the tires are filled they will take some MAJOR handling, I doubt that I would be able to raise a 17.5Lx24 filled tire and rim without significant help or another tractor. The risk of having one fall - and getting hurt trying to stop it, is kinda scary.

 

[strez]

Problem solved. Switched the wheels from side to side thus reversing the "dish" (still not sure if I'm "dish-in" or "dish-out" however) and gained an extra 3" or so of width between the tires. Thanks to everyone for the help/suggestions.

 

[hockeyhead]

That's great, I believe you are now set up just like mine, as my valve stems are on the inside on the rears and on the outside on the fronts. Question, did it come from the dealer this way or did things get mixed up in a tire style change or something like that?

 

[strez]

That's great, I believe you are now set up just like mine, as my valve stems are on the inside on the rears and on the outside on the fronts. Question, did it come from the dealer this way or did things get mixed up in a tire style change or something like that?

Came from the dealer that way. Go figure.

 

[Diesel-ME]

CAUTION:
To swap the tires from side to side you will (obviously) need both sides up at once. OK, I won't lecture on the proper use of jacks and jackstands - just remember that these are also your braking wheels. I would push the bucket down HARD before starting. If the tires are filled they will take some MAJOR handling, I doubt that I would be able to raise a 17.5Lx24 filled tire and rim without significant help or another tractor. The risk of having one fall - and getting hurt trying to stop it, is kinda scary.

I use two jacks - one under each side. You basically only lift enough to roll the wheel off. So you don't actually lift the tire onto or off of the hub.

If you have turf or R4 loaded tires, they are wide enough to stand up on their own. I'm not sure if ags would be as stable....?..

But good point about a falling tire - you don't want to go there!

~Paul

 

[Birdman253]

Came from the dealer that way. Go figure.

TC30's come to the dealer in a "crate." After unboxing the unit, the tires have to be mounted by the dealer. I would guess that the set-up guy just wasn't watching what he was doing, and mounted them on the wrong sides.

Glad you got your problem solved.

 

[dqdave1]

I wonder if the tires are mounted differently when you do different operations; IE; if you mount a mid- mount mower; will it fit as it is now configured? Dealer may have set it up for a mid mount mower.

 

[Reg]

I use two jacks - one under each side. You basically only lift enough to roll the wheel off. So you don't actually lift the tire onto or off of the hub.

If you have turf or R4 loaded tires, they are wide enough to stand up on their own. I'm not sure if ags would be as stable....?..

But good point about a falling tire - you don't want to go there!

~Paul

My point being that even tipping the wheel away from the studs in order to roll it away poses a significant potential fall over risk.
A 17.5Lx24 tire weighs about 200 lbs., the rim a similar amount. I have removed these, laid them down and been able to get them back up again. With another 450 or so pounds of liquid in one I am quite sure that I would not want to pull and tip one towards me to get it off the studs - not even the inch or so that the lowest studs would need to clear the rim.
Getting it back on might be a little safer... not sure, but it is moot if I decide to not take it off (-: