Tractor kicked my butt today! Need help and advice - with pics!

[chim]

Unless that center hole is large enough for a substantial piece of steel, it's too late for this:

Make a big squared off "C"-shaped lifting device with a round piece on the bottom as an axle for the weight that is long enough to go past 1/2 way through the weight. The vertical leg of the C needs to be long enough to extend above your fender. The top of the C needs to extend maybe 3/4 of the way over top of the weight. That allows you to position the comealong or whatever you lift it with centered above the balance point of the weight so you're not fighting to keep it level. The weight should even spin so it can be clocked to match the holes in the wheel.

 

[kevin37b]

Hard to tell , would a floor jack on that timber help? You must kill some large deer .

 

[Xfaxman]

This is not a concrete wheel thread, it isn't! I always planned to do a concrete wheel weight thread but after I had them installed and could show the final results. But I made one concrete wheel weight and now I'm trying to get it installed on the right side of my L4330 and so far - it's kicking my butt!!!!
-----------------------------------------------
Basic wheel weight, +260 lbs of concrete, steel and lead. Note that the threaded 5/8"s Grade 8 bolts on the bottom of the weight in this pic.

---------------------------------------------
As hopefully is obvious in the pics, I'm using my deer pole to lift the weight, then I'm trying to get it aligned with the tractor wheel so I can bolt it up. The problem is that the lifting eye leaves the WW cocked at an angle and I'm having trouble moving, aligning and finalizing the WW into the tractor wheel. I knew this operation would be a challenge, I just didn't think 260 lbs would be that hard.

Comments, suggestions etc. for installing this beast?

Thanks,

I saved this picture in my Projects File a long time ago. If you have a floor jack or a furniture dolly, you might be able to rig it to move the weight into the jacked up free turning wheel.

More ideas, these would need more lift height.

 

[Leejohn]

Take that one set it aside. Get a buddy with a sharp pointed round bale hay fork and make the center hole big enough to slide all the way on his fork. Now line up the point with the hub machine center then slide the weight in place. Now make 3 more without the stud and cut off the stud in the one you set aside. Run a shaft thru all of them and make you a lawn roller.

 

[winniedog]

Make an angle iron lifting device that extend up over the fender with a gusseted horizontal angle iron so your lifting point can be centered in the weight.
This will allow you lift it straight up. Get the tractor wheel off the ground so you can rotate it to line up the holes.

 

[FTG-05]

Ok, thanks for the comments and input. In hindsight, making two of the 6 bolts 1"-2" longer would have been smart.

The center hole in the weight is for a 1" bolt. There is a 1" coupler nut embedded and welded to the internal steel of the weight. The two outer holes are for two 5/8" bolts with 5/8" coupler nuts also welded and embedded in the weight. This is so I can install either 45 or 100 lb barbell weights to the outside of these weights at a later date.

I thought about putting a long 1" bolt into the center nut, then putting a pipe on it for leverage, but I think I'm going with the process discussed below.

The six 5/8" grade 8 bolts were installed into the wheel bolt holes, then welded together using 1/2" (see pic below). At various times during construction, but before installing the lead weights and pouring the concrete, I verified the fit: the bolts slid pretty easy into the holes. Easy to do with just 20-30 lbs of steel framework though; not so much when it weighs +260 lbs.

I saved this picture in my Projects File a long time ago. If you have a floor jack or a furniture dolly, you might be able to rig it to move the weight into the jacked up free turning wheel.

View attachment 402501

More ideas, these would need more lift height.

View attachment 402503

View attachment 402502

I think I've decided to make a version of this except using one of my shop lift arms to raise and position the weight for installation. The shop lift is spec'd for 12K lbs, so each arm is good for 3000 lbs. Should be enough to lift and position +260 lbs.

 

[BHD]

here are some ideas with your over head hoist

http://www.lifting.com/images/products/lifting_devices/crane-pallet-lifter.jpg
http://www.herculesslr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/narrowcoil1.jpg
http://www.cranewerks.com/images/large/Below_Hook_Tire_Lift.jpg
http://i21.geccdn.net/site/images/n-picgroup/MWO_14998.jpg

 

[KiotiJason]

I'd head to a local plasma cutter and get 4 2" mild steel discs cut with the the boat holes. It would look a lot better and you you paint them the same color as the wheels. Sorry to say the cement looks ugly. At least with the mild steel you can add extra weight if you need it.

 

[FTG-05]

Yea, concrete isn't as pretty as steel. But pretty costs $$$. If I wanted the checkbook solution, I would have started with that first. I've got better things to spend my money on (like a ZTR and UTV). These are going to end up costing me about $75 each.

 

[Mace Canute]

I certainly don't envy you having to wrestle that weight onto your tractor's rim. I think you might have the best luck handling it if you make up a hook similar to one that BHD linked to and built it to ensure the top arm clears the top of the fender so it will lift it evenly. Get the tractor as close as possible, jack the wheel up, align the holes to the studs and then work the weight over. Maybe have something like rope blocks or comealong to pull on the cable lifting it just to have better control of it in the in/out direction.

That being said, you would have had a LOT easier time getting it bolted up if you had installed lengths of 3/4 pipes where you installed the bolts. Then you could have temporarily used a long length or two of all thread to get the weight lined up and sucked into the rim where you could have installed the permanent bolts. Six 5/8" grade 8 bolts are overkill too. For that weight three grade 5 bolts would be way more than adequate.