Tires Wheels and tires

boats123 · Jul 21, 2004

I purchased a new m4900 Kubota in Sept 2003 and currently have 50 hours on the tractor. The problem is it has a rim on the rear that has the bolt loops on the wrong side. If I turn it around and change the tire the valve is on the outside.I hadn,t noticed this but a friend who is a very experienced farm tractor mechanic was doing the 50 hour service and asked me if I saw anything wrong with the position of the rear tires. I had noticed that one wheel set out from the tractor farther than the other but due to sickness nd being out of town just let it go. I called the dealer and he said that they put the wrong rim on the tractor but he could remove the tire and reverse the rim and it would be fine. This would put the valve on the outside and I believe this is an invitation for trouble and I stated as much to him. He said he doubted Kubota could get another rim and if they did it would take maybe a month. My question is,should the valve be on the outside and does it take that long to get Kubota parts? I felt like he should of taken the tractor and made the adjustment without getting upset. This should have never happened but he said that they come in with all types of defects.Help if you can.

chrisjbell · Jul 21, 2004

Well that doesn't sound at all right to me. Unfortunately, you got a lousy dealer if that is the response you got.

The rims should be the same on the two front wheels and the same on the two rear wheels. The valve stems on my Kubota are located on the outside of the rim (front and rear) and don't cause trouble there (on my JD they are on the inside on the front, which is kind of a pain).

It is possible to reverse a wheel to change the offset of the tires - for a while I had mine reversed to get a wider stance but have since heard that is hard on the axles so mine are back in stock position.

If you are running ag tires the tread is directional. If your rears are backwards from one another you aren't doing your tire life (or drivetrain) any favors by leaving it.

I've heard different stories about getting Kubota parts, but I've never had to wait more than a few days, *ever*. You should definately have your dealer fix this, and *stay on him* until he does. You're almost out of warranty and you definately want this corrected before that happens.

Good luck...and stay after them to get it fixed! This is a new, expensive tractor and it should be just right.

Boondox · Jul 21, 2004

I have my valve stems on the outside. Welded a short piece of angle iron as a valve protector. Been logging in the forest for years now and never had a problem.

Pete

tracdoc · Jul 21, 2004

I agree with what has already been said here. There are four large Kubota parts distribution warehouses in the USA, two of which serve WV area. One is in Columbus, OH, and the other is in GA. It should not take more than a week to get a non-esoteric part. I would get back with your dealer and be a "squeaky wheel" (no pun intended!). Also, look at all your Owner's materials to find out how to contact Kubota directly by phone, if the Dealer doesn't get off the dime.

You can also contact Kubota via Internet on their Customer Satisfaction form:
Kubota Customer Satisfaction

Good luck, and keep us posted...

JerryG · Jul 21, 2004

I may be missing something. I am under the impression that the wheel is on backward and that the tire is point the right way on the backward wheel. If this is all right. I don't see what the big deal is with letting the dealer take the wheel off and flipping the tire.

tracdoc · Jul 22, 2004

I think that boats123 is indicating that the wheel (rim) is not the correct one for his tractor. Currently, the valve stem is inboard (correct), but the bolt loops are also inboard (incorrect), and the wheel offset does not match the opposite side ( one wheel set out from the tractor farther than the other ). Even if the wheel were flipped, and boats123 accepted the valve stem placement, there's no guarantee that the wheel offset would then be correct. It's entirely possible that the dishing of the rim for this particular wheel is different that that of the correct wheel on the opposite side, and no matter how the wheel is installed the offsets will not match.
It would appear that the problem wheel was meant for a different tractor, not his. The dealer acknowledged this ( I called the dealer and he said that they put the wrong rim on the tractor ). Now boats123 has to get the dealer off his derriere to complain to HQ and get the correct wheel and reinstall the tire. Problem solved.

boats123 · Jul 22, 2004

Thanks to all who replied. I probably didn't make the situation as clear as I could have. The tire is pointed in the correct direction,the problem is the loops welded on the rim are welded in a different position than the opposing rim. Even if we rotate the tire and put the valve outside which I oppose, {as I have just recently broken two bushhogging with my Ford,never broken one in 28 years until I tried clearing kudzu and saw briars }. The tires will not be the same distance from the center of the tractor. The rim is configured differently.The loops are wlded x distance from the edge on one rim and y distance on the other. The dealer was sincere and I have known him for many years and have done a lot of business with him and he has always been upfront and honest. He was upset with the mfg and his service dept for not catching this on initial inspection and at delivery inspection.Thanks again.