B7100 HST lug nut question

[Hotmetal]

I am doing some painting of my rims and wondered why Kubota used flat washers, lock washers and standard nuts rather than tapered lug nuts. The rear rims look like they were made for the tapered type. Is there a reason I am missing? The fronts have the same setup, but, they seem to get centered better on the hubs than the rears and the rims do not look like they were made for tapered. I am assuming what I have is original to the tractor. Maybe that's a bad assumption.

 

[Daren Todd]

They do that so the rim can be turned 180° to shorten or lengthen the width of the wheel base. Some people may need a norrower width so the tires would fit between rows, ect...

 

[Hotmetal]

Thanks for taking the time to respond, but, I don't think you understood my question. I may not have been very clear. Using a tapered nut or a regular nut with washers does not effect your ability to change your wheel base width. It effects how well "centered" your wheel is on the hub. With the holes in the wheels being larger than the studs, if you use a tapered nut, when it is tightened it centers each stud in it's hole. If you use a washer and normal nut it does not. I wondered if it came from the factory without a tapered nut or if maybe it had been changed by someone in the last 20 years. The holes in the turf tire wheel are shaped to accept a tapered nut.

When putting the wheels back on yesterday I realized the nuts ARE tapered on one side, but, were being used with the flat side with the washers. I am going to just use the nuts tapered side toward the wheel and not reuse the flat washers and locknuts, because it just doesn't make sense given the wheel design. Maybe they are used on the wheels for AG tires, but, they sure don't make sense on the turf wheels.

 

[Big Kahuna]

Mines the same way?

Big Kahuna

 

[Daren Todd]

I haven't seen a taper on the lugnuts on my tractor. But it does have a washer and lock washer.

Does your rim have a tapered edge on the holes? If you don't have a tapered edge on the holes on the rim, then you'll run into a serious issue using a tapered lug nut on it. You'll end up with minimum contact between the rim and the lugnut with just a small portion of the taper making contact with the rim. It will cause the holes in the rim to wallow out. You'll have to constantly tighten the lug nut, and eventually work the lugnut through the rim. Costing a ton of money down the road in rim replacement. I urge you to look closely at the holes in the rim before doing away with the flat washer and lock washer. If the nuts are tapered, they could be a mechinical locking nut, and not necessarily a lug nut.

Here's a prime example of using a tapered lug nut on a hole without a taper. In this case the rim was installed backwards

 

[Lil Foot]

My B7100 has tapered lug nuts & tapered holes on the rear rims, but standard nuts, washers, & lock washers on the front rims, which have flat, non-tapered holes.

 

[Hotmetal]

I appreciate the words of warning. Yes, the back rims are made for tapered lug nuts. That is what caught my attention and prompted the question. I had done the fronts and they don't have rims for tapered nuts and used the lock washer and standard nut. The rears had the same lock washer set up but, when I saw the rim was made for a tapered nut, I started the thread. Also bothering me was the fronts are centered pretty well by the hub. The rears not so much. The rear rims have 12 holes which I now realize is also a clue. You would only need 6 if using a lock washer and standard nut even if you flip them to change the tracking width. Obviously, you do need to watch which set you use when mounting. You need to change which ones you use to use the taper feature. 6 have the taper on one side, and 6 have it on the other.

That is one nasty looking wheel!

 

[Hotmetal]

My B7100 has tapered lug nuts & tapered holes on the rear rims, but standard nuts, washers, & lock washers on the front rims, which have flat, non-tapered holes.

Thanks Lil Foot.