Pucker moment
- Thread starter Firstgear
- Start date
Russell King
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
@The Evil Twin - why do you think filling the rear tires will lessen the front axle load and stress? I can see the advantage of the rear ballast box for unloading the front axle but rear wheel weight would only add to the tractor stability (in my experience).
@Firstgear I am not sure what you were moving but it looks like a weight machine. If it was loaded with the weights then the load was heavier on the down hill side. I think it would have been better for the move if the weight was heavier on the uphill side of the loader - if that would have been possible. And I have no idea what the rest of your travel path looks like so you might have been right on how you lifted the load.
what was difficult?
You got big ole west coast mirrors....
maybe next time let the little lady back er up.....
In most cases a tire needing to be changed is no longer filled!It takes 3 men and a boy to change a filled tire...
A tractor isnt meant to ride on the front axle. If the arse of the machine is in the air, the forces on the front axle are not where it was designed to carry / support weight. I didn't say it would unload the axle.
None of which would be this guyIt takes 3 men and a boy to change a filled tire...
GreensvilleJay
Well-known member
Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
gee I'm none of those but did 4 in one day, retiring 4 tractors, 8 in totalIt takes 3 men and a boy to change a filled tire...
I am a Gemini so did that help ?
Rim guard and some ballast does wonders. Most of the time I'm just running without the ballast, I feel like for general work its fine but if I plan on doing any heavy lifting...I will be using the ballast box. Having the extra weight behind the rear end makes a lot safer to handle heavy loads.
The good thing is you didn't roll the tractor over and hurt yourself or anyone!
The good thing is you didn't roll the tractor over and hurt yourself or anyone!
RCW
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
BX2360, FEL, MMM, BX2750D snowblower. 1953 Minneapolis Moline ZAU
The other thing that is important is using 4WD.
4WD actually gives you some "front wheel traction or braking" you don't have in 2WD.
Otherwise, especially heading downhill, your tractor can slide when the rears lose traction. Some members here on OTT have had some serious rides......
NCL4701
Well-known member
Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
If you’re considering wheel weights OR liquid ballast (as opposed to doing both) check the difference between max lb of wheel weights v max lb of liquid ballast. It should be listed in the OM. As an example, max rear wheel weights for my L is 185lb/wheel. Max liquid ballast (75% liquid filled) varies by tire size/type and what you fill it with, but with R4’s calcium chloride (definitely not recommending that but it’s what is listed in the OM) is 585lb/wheel. Assuming there are two rear wheels, that’s a 800lb difference between wheel weights and liquid ballast; not inconsequential IMO.
As has been discussed in several prior threads, wheel weights and liquid ballast don’t transfer weight off the front axle to the back axle; you need ballast rearward of the back axle (backhoe or something on the three point) to do that. However, so long as you have gravity where you live, the heavier the back of the tractor is, the more likely it is to stay planted on the ground. If you have hills and/or slopes, liquid ballast will provide additional stability. Wheel weights will too, but not as much because they will weigh less. Widening rear wheels increases stability IF the tractor is ballasted such that the rear end stays on the ground. If the rear end is in the air, it doesn’t matter how wide the rear tires are set.
Even with loaded rears and/or wheel weights you still need to consider ballast on the three point; weight box or heavy implement acting as a counterweight. Weight behind the back axle transfers weight from the front axle to the back axle, which is generally desirable when using the loader.
As others have mentioned, using 4WD navigating slopes with heavy loads on the loader is also advisable. Without 4WD engaged, front wheels free wheel. No engine braking, no brakes. There’s no differential in the transfer case, so 4WD ties the front and back wheels together, effectively giving you both power and braking on the front.
Utility type tractors are a Swiss Army knife type thing. They can do a wide variety of things but they’re not exactly purpose built for any one task. They can be set up pretty light for tasks such as mowing flat ground and other landscaping duties where weight may not be desirable. They can be ballasted to be much heavier for loader work, heavier draft work, etc. Proper ballasting for the job(s) the tractor will be doing is incredibly important to safe operation. Some of that is learned by experience specific to your machine and operation venue. I know to max out the loader on my L in less than ideal real world conditions requires loaded rears (about 1100lb +/-) and a minimum of 600lb on the three point, preferably more. I don’t know what your machine requires.
With the topography of our land, where only about 5% of the land is anywhere near flat, I would not even consider operating a farm/utility style tractor without liquid ballast in the rear tires. Of course YMMV.
As has been discussed in several prior threads, wheel weights and liquid ballast don’t transfer weight off the front axle to the back axle; you need ballast rearward of the back axle (backhoe or something on the three point) to do that. However, so long as you have gravity where you live, the heavier the back of the tractor is, the more likely it is to stay planted on the ground. If you have hills and/or slopes, liquid ballast will provide additional stability. Wheel weights will too, but not as much because they will weigh less. Widening rear wheels increases stability IF the tractor is ballasted such that the rear end stays on the ground. If the rear end is in the air, it doesn’t matter how wide the rear tires are set.
Even with loaded rears and/or wheel weights you still need to consider ballast on the three point; weight box or heavy implement acting as a counterweight. Weight behind the back axle transfers weight from the front axle to the back axle, which is generally desirable when using the loader.
As others have mentioned, using 4WD navigating slopes with heavy loads on the loader is also advisable. Without 4WD engaged, front wheels free wheel. No engine braking, no brakes. There’s no differential in the transfer case, so 4WD ties the front and back wheels together, effectively giving you both power and braking on the front.
Utility type tractors are a Swiss Army knife type thing. They can do a wide variety of things but they’re not exactly purpose built for any one task. They can be set up pretty light for tasks such as mowing flat ground and other landscaping duties where weight may not be desirable. They can be ballasted to be much heavier for loader work, heavier draft work, etc. Proper ballasting for the job(s) the tractor will be doing is incredibly important to safe operation. Some of that is learned by experience specific to your machine and operation venue. I know to max out the loader on my L in less than ideal real world conditions requires loaded rears (about 1100lb +/-) and a minimum of 600lb on the three point, preferably more. I don’t know what your machine requires.
With the topography of our land, where only about 5% of the land is anywhere near flat, I would not even consider operating a farm/utility style tractor without liquid ballast in the rear tires. Of course YMMV.