Way out in lead, er, left field

[pmsmechanic]

wheel weights and poured ingots would raise holy hell with any tire casing.

I agree. My thinking was to pour the lead into a steel mold that is then bolted to the outside of the tire. I don't think I would put any metal inside the tire. Even with a lubricant it would still grind itself into a slurry over time.

 

[California]

We've seen reports here of poured concrete wheel weights. The owners liked them.

But research how to embed a rebar circle and bolts. Or tubing for bolts where the tubing will be under compression when you bolt them on instead of stressing the concrete. And some way to make clearance so they can be removed easily. I might also add a visible loop for lifting the weight with a crane. Far simpler than pouring molten metal!

 

[California]

Here's an old thread where I modified unknown-origin iron weights to fit on the little YM186D.

Wheel Weights for YM186D

I found a pair of cast iron wheel weights on Craigslist. 75 lbs each, 15 inch diameter. Application unknown. He wanted $20 for the pair. I'm too cheap to pass that up. :D They are a good fit on the YM186D, after I removed some metal to let the valve stem pass by without touching. I also...

www.tractorbynet.com

(with more details in post #6 of that thread).

And that references a photo that is no longer available so here's the lost photo:

 

[ljjhouser]

Way out in left field. Lead is so soft that it would wear and probably turn into a liquid googy toxic mess. Also, lead shot, reclaimed or otherwise, is expensive. I shoot trap and I think reclaimed 25 pound bag is about $50.

 

[etpm]

My question about lead shot in tires was mostly in jest, but after reading the posts here I realized that if I were to do something like this it would be better to use large balls rather than shot because the lead would eventually grind itself into a really nasty slurry. This slurry would still work great but would be terrible to deal with come tire change.
I checked with the local scrap yard and 1/2 inch thick steel plate is 40 cents per pound. So what I'm gonna do is buy enough plate to make 4 ea. 2 foot diameter discs. The corners that get cut off of the rectangular plate to make discs I will weld to the discs, so no metal lost but for the kerf of the plasma cutter.
40 cents per pound seems like a pretty low price for weight. I think it's cheaper than beet juice. Since I already have about 200 pounds of lead I am also considering casting it into a frame that I can then bolt to the tractor using the same holes that the drawbar brackets use. There won't be a ground clearance problem for what I use the tractor for and the extra weight down low will help to lower the center of gravity.
My other tractors are a Ford 9N and a Case 580 CK backhoe. The Ford has calcium chloride and water in the tires, the Case just has air. The Ford has never seemed likely to tip over, but its rear wheels are set at the widest they can be. The Case does not have added weight, it really doesn't seem to need it. But it can get tippy feeling. Lowering the outriggers and swinging the hoe boom around really helps keep all 4 tires on the ground.
My little YM2310, though similar in size to the 9N, feels much more tippy. Even though, like the Ford, I have the rear wheels set for the widest stance, it still feels like it wants to tip over. The added weight will not only add much needed traction, it will also add stability. Especially the lead below the rear diff.
Since I retired recently I still have a complete machine shop along with torches, welders and a plasma cutter just 300 feet from my house. This makes fab jobs much easier. So adding the steel and lead should be cheaper for me than folks who don't have the resources and skills I am so fortunate to have.
Eric

 

[LouNY]

Had a neighbor that was a plumber that acquired a very large amount of lead.
He made some steel housing in the shape of wheel weights, then melted the lead
and poured those forms full they were extremely heavy for there size.

These are my 300# each wheel weights, I had to remove them to adjust the width of my tires then reinstall them,
the last picture you can see that the front wheels on the 574 are just about skimming the ground.

 

[California]

My little YM2310, though similar in size to the 9N, feels much more tippy. Even though, like the Ford, I have the rear wheels set for the widest stance, it still feels like it wants to tip over.

Did I put this in this thread already? When I got my YM240, I read everything I could find about them. One poster on some tractor board said he saw theirs lying on its side occasionally when he looked out his office window and over toward the plant's shop. Because it was too narrow to drive with weight lifted high on loader forks.

I like your idea of cutting ballast discs for your wheels. Put on several!

 

[etpm]

Did I put this in this thread already? When I got my YM240, I read everything I could find about them. One poster on some tractor board said he saw theirs lying on its side occasionally when he looked out his office window and over toward the plant's shop. Because it was too narrow to drive with weight lifted high on loader forks.

I like your idea of cutting ballast discs for your wheels. Put on several!

Each rear wheel is gonna get in essence a 1 inch thick, 24 inch diameter disc. With the corners left over from cutting the discs from the squares welded on so that I use all the steel. That should be about 160 pounds per wheel. I hope it's not too much. I don't think It will be.
Eric

 

[California]

Each rear wheel is gonna get in essence a 1 inch thick, 24 inch diameter disc. ... That should be about 160 pounds per wheel. I hope it's not too much. I don't think It will be.

That sounds just right. I just looked in my (US) YM240 parts manual and it shows three optional rear wheel weights for each side, total 70kg each side. (20+25+25).

 

[Boss 302]

Yep, probably no need to reinvent something just go with what's already available.