L175 2-piece front rim to BX rims

[wayoutthere007]

Hello,
I'm new to the Kubota world. This forum has a lot of great information on Kubota's. I have a circa-mid-70's L175. I've recently learned that getting front tires/rims are next to impossible for my tractor. The fronts that are (were) on it were bald and badly cracked. I picked up a couple of 10" R3 tires for it (tubeless) and the local tire shops would not install them on a 2-piece rim as they said it was hazardous to do. I went to a local Kubota dealership but they couldn't find anything that would help me. They offered that drilling a set of 10" BX rims in a 4.5" pattern should work so I bought a set of BX rims/tires.
In trying to mount, them I learned that the center hole was too small - it's 2.75" - where the tractors original front centers have a 3.5" hole.

Questions:
- Can I buy adapters to install 10" BX style rims on my L175?
- Can I buy 1 piece 10" rims that will fit the front axle of the L175?
- Am I stuck with these 2-piece rims and making tubes work for the tubeless tires?

Thanks for any advice or insight you could offer.

 

[kubotasam]

It seems to me that enlarging the center of the BX wheels should be fairly easy for a machine shop.

 

[wayoutthere007]

I'm not sure how you come to that conclusion. It's a deep dish rim that's not flat. I guess I can ask the local machine shop guy. One thing I was considering is having the 2 piece rim seam welded.

 

[wayoutthere007]

If someone has/finds a set of 2 piece front rims I'd be interested in buying them. Thanks!

 

[Henro]

Just a couple thoughts.

I know there is a difference between the front rims used on my BX2200 and my son in law's BX23s. The reason I know this is my spare front rims would not fit his BX23s, but my spare rear rims/tires fit fine. Maybe the hole in the center of the rims is different sized? Perhaps larger on the BX23S front wheels?

I think there is a simple way to increase the hole in the rim. What I would do is get a piece of plywood, cut a hole in it the size that I needed, and use a metal cutting blade on a hand jig saw to cut enlarge the hole in the rim, if there is enough clearance to get a jig saw in there. Naturally the plywood guide would be positioned properly and bolted to the rim using the lug bolt holes.

If I could not do this, I would use a hole saw on a half inch drill, with the extra handle to give stability, and take my time cutting through. Again, with the guide bolted to the rim. Doing this requires no center drill to position the hole saw. The hole in the guide does the positioning.

I am sure you can accomplish this on your own. But if not, as mentioned before, a machine shop certainly can do the hole enlargement for you. IF they have the time to do a small job, and IF you can afford what they will charge.

Thinking further, a proper sized guide hole could be used to guide a plasma cutter torch around the circle, to cut the hole you need.

There are many ways to accomplish what you need to do...

 

[RBsingl]

Since you don't change front tires on a tractor often, I would spend a little more time looking for a heavy truck shop that will install them even if you have to drive some distance. There are several varieties of two piece rims with the "split rim" being the most common and that isn't the highly dangerous variety. A heavy truck service shop with a cage will likely do the install if you have the split and not the "widow maker" variety of wheels. If you have the widow makers, I don't blame anyone for refusing to work on them because unlike the more common splits you can't see whether the two parts are engaging properly and one that didn't mesh properly can fail unexpectedly during inflation or installation.

A lot of shops will not modify wheels by cutting or welding them because of the liability if anything goes wrong later. So any serious wheel modification is probably going to be a do it yourself proposition or finding a shop that isn't worried about something that their liability carrier isn't going to allow or cover.

Rodger

 

[kubotasam]

It seems to me that enlarging the center of the BX wheels should be fairly easy for a machine shop.

Remove tire from rim.
Clamp rim to table of a milling machine.
Use a boring head to enlarge the hole.

 

[Chanceywd]

Since you don't change front tires on a tractor often, I would spend a little more time looking for a heavy truck shop that will install them even if you have to drive some distance. There are several varieties of two piece rims with the "split rim" being the most common and that isn't the highly dangerous variety. A heavy truck service shop with a cage will likely do the install if you have the split and not the "widow maker" variety of wheels. If you have the widow makers, I don't blame anyone for refusing to work on them because unlike the more common splits you can't see whether the two parts are engaging properly and one that didn't mesh properly can fail unexpectedly during inflation or installation.

A lot of shops will not modify wheels by cutting or welding them because of the liability if anything goes wrong later. So any serious wheel modification is probably going to be a do it yourself proposition or finding a shop that isn't worried about something that their liability carrier isn't going to allow or cover.

Rodger

If you were to weld a 2 piece wheel would you still be ale to mount a tire like a drop center wheel that lets the bead drop in the middle to mount the tire? It is a totally different style of mounting. just a random thought before you commit to welding.

Bill

 

[wayoutthere007]

If you were to weld a 2 piece wheel would you still be ale to mount a tire like a drop center wheel that lets the bead drop in the middle to mount the tire? It is a totally different style of mounting. just a random thought before you commit to welding.

Bill

You're right - we couldn't get the tire onto the rim due to the fact that there is no "drop" in the center for the bead to sit in during installation.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

options ??

5x4.5bc is a common trailer rim pattern ,10"size,might have a 3.5 center hole ?
use a plasma cutter to enlarge the hole ?
use JEEP or BORA(sp) wheel spacers ?

 

[Chanceywd]

options ??

5x4.5bc is a common trailer rim pattern ,10"size,might have a 3.5 center hole ?
use a plasma cutter to enlarge the hole ?
use JEEP or BORA(sp) wheel spacers ?

Also that pattern is used on garden tractor rear wheels like the 12" wheel for the 23x 10.5 tire i think is on my husquavarna. 27/54. Something like that wheel is quite rugged and drop bead. Again you have the center hole to deal with but I think it was henro that talked of using a hole saw guided by a pattern. Might be able to bolt half of the original wheel to the replacement thru the lug holes for your guide then holesaw if you get my idea.

Bill

 

[wayoutthere007]

Unfortunately it's a 4-hole pattern with a 3.5" hole in the middle. I measured it out and made a template. i'm looking to have someone cut a support ring for my front rims - one is cracked around 2 of the bolt holes.

 

[Chanceywd]

Unfortunately it's a 4-hole pattern with a 3.5" hole in the middle. I measured it out and made a template. i'm looking to have someone cut a support ring for my front rims - one is cracked around 2 of the bolt holes.

View attachment 85360

Sorry, I guess I missed that from earlier in the discussion.
Bill

 

[wayoutthere007]

Dropped the rims off at a local fabrication shop. They said they could cut a 3.5" hole no problem. Should be picking them up this week. I'll get a pic once they're on the tractor.