Tractor wheels and bolts, not studs

[RayCo]

The tractors that I've owned that are anything bigger than a little lawn tractor, I've noticed that the wheels attach with bolts as opposed to being placed on wheel studs and held on with lug nuts like a car. Can anyone tell me the reason for this? The only thing that I can think of is that this makes for a better design for using wheel spacers, since you wouldn't be limited to the length and strength of studs, although it seems they could be replaced with longer, stronger ones if desired. I figure there's a reason for this.

Luckily, the largest tractor I've owned is my BX24 and I'm able to lift the wheel/tire combo without a problem. I can't imagine trying to mount a wheel/tire on a larger tractor without there being some studs to hang it on. I guess when you go bigger, you don't just sit on the ground and pick it up.

 

[sandman2234]

My JD2555 is a little bigger than your mower(almost seven thousand pounds), and it uses bolts also. My Ford 7710 also uses them, and it is a little bigger, by a couple thousand pounds over the JD.
There is a easy way, just hand one bolt in and then use a bar under the edge of the tire to pick it up just enough to get the next one started. Obviously your not going to want to pick the tire up off the ground more than a half inch and that can be done with a bar.
David from jax

 

[RayCo]

Hey, my BX isn't a mower. My JD LX176 is.

 

[Rara Avis]

Plus if you want to have duals in the rear...you don't have to worry about stud depths...You just bolt them up...

 

[RalphVa]

Studs aren't universal on cars. My Benz and VW both have bolts.

One thing about studs is it would be easier to mess up the threads by rubbing a heavy wheel and tire over them while getting the wheel/tire assembly onto them.

Ralph

 

[vic4news]

I can't imagine trying to mount a wheel/tire on a larger tractor without there being some studs to hang it on. I guess when you go bigger, you don't just sit on the ground and pick it up.

I guess my B3030 can't tell if it's a little tractor or a big tractor because it has 2 studs and 4 bolts on the wheel.

Here is what I use to get the wheel on and off:

[click on thumbnail]


Vic

 

[swines]

Handling tires isn't that difficult if you can jack up the tractor. On my JD 3320, I can easily handle the loaded rear tires if I have one other person available to operate the floor jack. To take the tire off, you simply jack the tractor up far enough to slide the tire off of the center hub - it will roll off the hub when the weight is off the tire but it is still touching the ground..

To put it back on, you lower the tractor hub slightly below the hub opening in the wheel. Then you have the person operating the jack very slowly raise the tractor until the hub catches the opening in the wheel, and then you hold the tire on the hub as they raise the tractor. The wheel will slip down onto the hub. At that point it's not difficult to rotate the tire until the bolt holes in the wheel line up with the holes in the hub.

 

[LBrown59]

Studs aren't universal on cars. My Benz and VW both have bolts.

One thing about studs is it would be easier to mess up the threads by rubbing a heavy wheel and tire over them while getting the wheel/tire assembly onto them.

Ralph

with bolts it's harder to get the wheel lined up.

 

[daTeacha]

VW includes a plastic threaded stud to put in one bolt hole when remounting wheels. The tire guys are always impressed with how that simple little trick helps. One guy made his own from a bolt by cutting off the head and grinding the end a little round. You could do the same thing with your tractor if you move the wheels a lot.

Then just position the stud at the top and hang the wheel/tire from it while you run in a bolt or two.

 

[Villengineer]

Usually difference is between using the studs vs the hub to center the wheel and carry the vertical load. If the wheel is located using the studs the nuts need to have the "acorn" shape and wheel needs to have a counter-sink to match, but the center hole can be significantly larger than any part of the hub that passes through it. Hub-centric wheels have the center hole a fairly tight fit to a boss on the hub. The bolts or nuts primarily just hold the wheel tight against the hub.