The JD Cut Wheel Spacer Answer Thread

[foggy1111]

Spacers on the front typically do little good since the front axle will simply tilt to keep the tires on the ground (up to a point).

And welcome to TBN!

I'd like spacers for the front of my 3320. Reason?.....So I can get tire chains to fit better for use in snow.

My FEL snow plow pushes the front end around somewhat because I have R4 tires. Chains would help....but not much clearance for chains on the 20 series tractors. 2" to 4" spacers would be the real deal. Advice??

 

[greg_g]

I got 2.5" machined aluminum spacers coming from MotorSport, same outfit that made my 4" rear spacers. I need wider fronts so I can more accurately bushhog fencelines. The operator position inside a 3720 cab - coupled with rear fender extensions - makes it unsafe to try and use the rear sidewall as a distance gauge. Adding front spacers to approximate rear width permits closer (and safer) trimming with a trailing bushog.

//greg//

 

[sunnyside360]

I got 2.5" machined aluminum spacers coming from MotorSport, same outfit that made my 4" rear spacers. I need wider fronts so I can more accurately bushhog fencelines. The operator position inside a 3720 cab - coupled with rear fender extensions - makes it unsafe to try and use the rear sidewall as a distance gauge. Adding front spacers to approximate rear width permits closer (and safer) trimming with a trailing bushog.

//greg//

Good to know. Let us know how they work out.

 

[jimgerken]

I'd like spacers for the front of my 3320. Reason?.....So I can get tire chains to fit better for use in snow.

My FEL snow plow pushes the front end around somewhat because I have R4 tires. Chains would help....but not much clearance for chains on the 20 series tractors. 2" to 4" spacers would be the real deal. Advice??

Flip the wheels inside out for winter. Gives more room for chains.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I got 2.5" machined aluminum spacers coming from MotorSport, same outfit that made my 4" rear spacers. I need wider fronts so I can more accurately bushhog fencelines. The operator position inside a 3720 cab - coupled with rear fender extensions - makes it unsafe to try and use the rear sidewall as a distance gauge. Adding front spacers to approximate rear width permits closer (and safer) trimming with a trailing bushog.

//greg//

My opinion also. The front wheels should always match the outside width of the rear tire from both a safety of operation and aesthetic view point. Nothing looks more stupid than a wide in the rear tractor with very narrow front wheels creating a separate inner wheel track.

Wider front also helps in stability even as the front axles does swivel, it doesn't move that far before they hit the frame. They hit the frame a long time before the tractor reaches its maximum tilt angle. If the wider front end had no effect on stability, then a tricycle front end would be as stabile as a wide front and we all know that they aren't. The wide front is pinned in the very middle of the tractor but since they have limited swivel to about 2-3" before hitting the axles stops, they contribute greatly to the stability of the tractor.

 

[jimgerken]

My opinion also. The front wheels should always match the outside width of the rear tire from both a safety of operation and aesthetic view point. Nothing looks more stupid than a wide in the rear tractor with very narrow front wheels creating a separate inner wheel track.

Your comment makes me wonder which technique would result in less soil compaction. Both wheels taking the same path, or front taking their own path.

 

[greg_g]

Depends upon what's important to you I guess. When the fronts track inside the rears, you get four compaction trails. When the front track equals the rear, you get only two. Seems a toss-up to me.

//greg//

 

[foggy1111]

Flip the wheels inside out for winter. Gives more room for chains.

Hmmm....didnt think flipping the wheels made any diff on the 20 series. Gonna check that out. Thanks Jim.

 

[Tony M]

I believe it does.

IIRC, my dealer couldn't widen the front track on my 3720 because of the drive-over mid mount mower. So I've got the spacers at the back (4" per side) and standard width at the front. This has not caused me any problems.

 

[JDRULES]

I finished the install of the wheel spacers Sunday afternoon. These are the ones from the Ebay store, here's the link again. They have 9/16" studs, very close to the 14mm size the 3720 tractor came with.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Skid-Steer-Whee...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4a9de39be2
Had help from 2 nephews, so I had plenty of time to take pictures while they did all the heavy lifting.
Fit was excellent. The centering features worked fine with both the tractor hub, and the rim. The male feature on the spacer could have been a bit longer, to penetrate the hole in the rim further, but it is certainly good enough. It would be even better if I flipped my rims back to the narrow position. I may do that, but will run it this way for a while first.
One dissapointment was the fact we had to remove the wheel weights to be able to put a socket on the nuts to hold on the rim. I had machined the ID of the inner weight to make socket clearance for the original 22mm screws, but since the nuts that came with the spacers were 1" wrench size, the proper socket was way bigger than the 22mm socket for the stock screws. Oh well, good exercise.
I locktited everything with blue 242. And torqued everything to 140 foot lbs. I used both 2" spacers on each side, for a total of four inches per side. Overall width from outer edge of tread went from about 59 inches to about 67 inches.
I did not have time to go to the steepest part of my property to brush mow for a proper test, but I did mow the lawn and immediately noticed a change. The tractor used to "jerk" side to side as I'd drive, as one wheel or the other would fall into an irregularity, and the side to side motion was very noticeable. That effect is gone. It feels like it rides much flatter on the terrain.
Pics attached...

jimgerken........Are you still pleased with you Skid Steer.com spacers 5 years later? Any concerns or lessons learned with the installation?