Turfs on front, Insdustrials on rear?????

[BrierPatch]

Phyxer,

Oh yah, by the way maybe some of our lawns just get tore up easier than others. I live in the middle of the woods and growing grass has it's own obstacles, so my lawn is not lush and dense yet. I was curious if your lawn was the same.

 

[Smokin Diesel]

See my post near the top. Been there. Done that. The side of the tires indicated same size, but the turfs were a little taller. I got by with just a front u-joint.

Assuming that the U-joint failed because it was always under load from having a slight disparity in tire size:

Do you disengage 4wd when you turn? That puts the driveline in a bind. In loader ops, you would constantly be shifting in and out of 4wd. Few folks do that,and their driveline stays together.

How about plowing or some other ground-engaging activity? The whole driveline is under load the whole time, to the point of the tires continuously slipping the whole time. How is that different from having one axle scrubbing with a slightly different size - strike that - with a slightly different tread?

With my 2620 w/turfs, if I engage 4wd and roll 10 feet in a straight line, the 4wd lever is tough to pull back out of gear. If I turn the wheels about 10-20 degrees either way to put the front axle in a slightly larger radius than the rear and continue to roll, the lever will slip right out. This tells me that the front tires are turning slightly faster than the rear (ground speed) and that there is some bind even in a straight line, with the factory setup. If a little bind was a terrible thing, I don't think the factory would have released it that way. Or we're gonna see a bunch of Kubota B's with front driveline failures pretty soon.

In an on road vehicle moving at speed, I'd be concerned about heat buildup from driveline bind. A few mph on a tractor, no big deal. You're u-joint probably was on its way out to begin with. They're designed to always be under load, so adding a little drag from a front axle wouldn't kill it.

 

[RobertN]

Assuming that the U-joint failed because it was always under load from having a slight disparity in tire size:

Your mileage may vary.

I only had about 750 hours when the u-joint went. I'd agree with you, if I had lots more hours...

Mine did bind. You could feel it when moving from 4wd to 2wd. Everything I did was on dirt/field, and I used 4wd frequently. I did use it for some time before I was able to afford the front R4's.

When I put mine on, the books noted almost no height difference. And, since I did not get the R4 fronts for a while, what did I know; the books/tire sites indicated they were pretty much the same. Well, they were not. It bound more than normal. I have been around 4x4's my whole life, and understand the lead/lag just fine.

Everything has been fine since adding the R4 to the front, that match the rears.

In hindsight, I would have done a visual with a set of R4 and turf before running them in 4wd.

For the OP's case, they should be fine running in 2wd. If they decide to engage 4wd, it is worth verifying the real tire size, not just what is listed in the book. Manufacturing varies, brand to brand varies.

It only cost me a $20 u-joint.

Again, your mileage may vary

 

[donn12]

I posted this a while back. I have a BX-24 with turfs. Could I put R4s on the back (they are the same size). Everyone said it would cause problems but I think it would work. You guys seem to know more about it.

 

[donn12]

Anyone?

 

[KennyV]

donn12...
have you not read this thread? thats exactly what it is about... It the rolling circumference is the same... do it.

 

[donn12]

I didn't put this in my post. what I meant was if the tires are the same size I should be able to use 4x4. Especially since I will have the turfs in front and r4s in the back.
here is a link to a post where i asked the same question (or tried to)
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/kubota-owning-operating/139963-bx24-dirt-mud-tires-turf.html

 

[KennyV]

if the tires are the same size I should be able to use 4x4.

Yes you are correct...
If the rolling circumference is the same... do it.

 

[easygo]

I would do what RoberN said. Put the two tires next to each other and compare actual size. If one is taller then the other it will mean trouble in 4wd. If they seem very close then grab a tape measure and measure the actual circumference of the tires. If they are not the same again it could mean trouble in 4wd.

I baught a few trailer tires some years back and I needed an extra later for spare. I went to get the same tire as indicated by the numbers on the side. When I got home low and behold the spare I bought was about an inch taller then the other two. Different manufacturer made the tire a different size yet it had the exact same numbers on it. There must be something about the variation in the length of an inch between regions of the good old USA.

 

[Duffster]

It is important to get the correct tire size but getting it exactly the same isn't that big of deal IMO.

If you figure the differnce between identical R4's, one new and one wore out, can have ~1.5" difference in height equating nearly a 5'' differnce in circumference