BX23S Shims = More Pressure - Better/Worse?

[BX23S-1]

You could get 1.25" spacers and still be just less than the 48" box blade. That extra inch and a half on each side does make a difference in stability. You can get them on Amazon for $41.99 for the pair. Here is a link if you are interested.

Amazon.com: ECCPP 2x 1.25" Wheel Spacers Hubcentric 5 lug 5x4.5 to 5x4.5 70.5mm 1/2" Fits for Ford Bronco Ranger Mach Explorer Sport Trac for Ford Edge Mustang: Automotive

Buy ECCPP 2x 1.25" Wheel Spacers Hubcentric 5 lug 5x4.5 to 5x4.5 70.5mm 1/2" Fits for Ford Bronco Ranger Mach Explorer Sport Trac for Ford Edge Mustang: Wheel Adapters & Spacers - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases

smile.amazon.com

Thank you soooo much armylifer! I`m going to look into those right now! Are those the exact ones i need? Correct hole spacing for the BX23s?

 

[leveraddict]

Just an FYI. That will still cause claerance issues on the MMM deck wheel. Turning the left rear scalping wheel to be specific. Its darn aweful close to the tire! Even without spacers my LR deck wheel hits the left rear tire when I turn it so I can roll the 54" deck out. In fact I have to raise my deck to a certain height just to turn it. That being said you dont have to turn those deck wheels if you just drag the deck out by force but my body is too beat up to play that game anymore!

 

[BX23S-1]

Just an FYI. That will still cause claerance issues on the MMM deck wheel. Turning the left rear scalping wheel to be specific. Its darn aweful close to the tire! Even without spacers my LR deck wheel hits the left rear tire when I turn it so I can roll the 54" deck out. In fact I have to raise my deck to a certain height just to turn it. That being said you dont have to turn those deck wheels if you just drag the deck out by force but my body is too beat up to play that game anymore!

Our BX23s has a 60" MMM deck. Do you still see that being a problem for me? I also have a FEL, and when i pull the deck, (if i use it) i just pop the bucket on, pick the front wheels off the ground, slide the deck right out. Actually, we dont even use the MMM hardly at all with our BX. We still use our JD420 to mow the yard. I`ll have to look into all this and decide what to do i guess. Thanks for the shout out though!

 

[armylifer]

Our BX23s has a 60" MMM deck. Do you still see that being a problem for me? I also have a FEL, and when i pull the deck, (if i use it) i just pop the bucket on, pick the front wheels off the ground, slide the deck right out. Actually, we dont even use the MMM hardly at all with our BX. We still use our JD420 to mow the yard. I`ll have to look into all this and decide what to do i guess. Thanks for the shout out though!

I have the 54" deck on mine and I remove it the same way that you do. I never slid it sideways.

 

[leveraddict]

Ahh you have a 60"'' deck I would guess you have more clearance? Bigger spacers? BUT then its a totally different deck! than my 54" for the BX23S and its different than armylifers 54"deck!(older model) Only you can tell if it will work by looking at it closely.

As far as lifting the front end to pull the deck just make sure when you put it back under its in the correct spot or you may drop the tractors weight on something its not supposed to.

For me turning the deck wheels and rollling the deck out is the correct way and its easy peezy! I used to just drag it out but the concreet floor just chews up the wheels.

I wish I could put spacers on mine but its a no go sadly Good luck to you and keep us posted!

 

[BX23S-1]

Ahh you have a 60"'' deck I would guess you have more clearance? Bigger spacers? BUT then its a totally different deck! than my 54" for the BX23S and its different than armylifers 54"deck!(older model) Only you can tell if it will work by looking at it closely.

As far as lifting the front end to pull the deck just make sure when you put it back under its in the correct spot or you may drop the tractors weight on something its not supposed to.

For me turning the deck wheels and rollling the deck out is the correct way and its easy peezy! I used to just drag it out but the concreet floor just chews up the wheels.

I wish I could put spacers on mine but its a no go sadly Good luck to you and keep us posted!

Yes, i have the 60" deck. It is just a touch wider at the rear deck wheels from what i`ve seen when i looked at the 54" decks. Not much, but just enough to make a slight advantage from what i`ve seen & measured.

Mine has lots of room, but i like hearing from others that have put wheel spacers on theirs. I think its a good idea anytime you can widen the stance as long as it dosent effect other things.

As for pulling my deck in and out, i have a low profile dolly i put under the deck when i take it on/off. That way i can move it to and from the tractor real "easy peezy" too, without changing the deck wheels sideways.

Yup, you gotta watch out lowering the tractor back down and make sure the deck clears underneath. A little common sense goes a long ways, there. Never an issue yet, to date. I`m very careful & take my time

 

[Tornado]

Messicks did a video on the subjecte of shimming and raising pressure. The video was jus published yesterday so thought I would share:

Basically, if youre just raising 100 to 150 psi, youre only adding maybe 50 to 75lbs of lifting capacity. If you jump the BX up to around 2,000psi like some do, and you were sitting at 1700psi, so a 300psi in crease, then you do technically add over 100lbs additional lifting capacity. The guy in the video who ran the test gained 150lbs of lifting capacity, at the pivot pin, and at 40inches height, with an increase in pressure from 1750 to 2000psi. So, not some massive jump, just a little bump, and you void your warranty to gain this. I may bump my L2501 up at a future date but after researching decided not to mess with it for now - the tractor does everything I ask it to do right now.

Also remember that increasing pressure and lifting more loads and pushing the limits means added weight on the front axle and other parts as well. so I wouldn't go too crazy. My L2501 for example can still lift the back end off the ground with loaded tires and a box blade, under certain circumstances.

 

[BX23S-1]

Messicks did a video on the subjecte of shimming and raising pressure. The video was jus published yesterday so thought I would share:

Basically, if youre just raising 100 to 150 psi, youre only adding maybe 50 to 75lbs of lifting capacity. If you jump the BX up to around 2,000psi like some do, and you were sitting at 1700psi, so a 300psi in crease, then you do technically add over 100lbs additional lifting capacity. The guy in the video who ran the test gained 150lbs of lifting capacity, at the pivot pin, and at 40inches height, with an increase in pressure from 1750 to 2000psi. So, not some massive jump, just a little bump, and you void your warranty to gain this. I may bump my L2501 up at a future date but after researching decided not to mess with it for now - the tractor does everything I ask it to do right now.

Also remember that increasing pressure and lifting more loads and pushing the limits means added weight on the front axle and other parts as well. so I wouldn't go too crazy. My L2501 for example can still lift the back end off the ground with loaded tires and a box blade, under certain circumstances.

Thank you for posting the video, and you`ve said everything i`ve touched on earlier, whether it was in this forum or others. There is a reason there is a limitation... going above it ALWAYS taxes everything else in the system, including the rams and the FEL framework. I set mine to the top of the factory setting and stopped. Anything more than that is just trouble coming, its just a matter of time. Not to mention, wear things out that much faster. If i need to do jobs that my tractor cant do, well then i need a bigger tractor. Right tool(s) for the job is a must.

Neil nailed it. That was why i was posting and commenting all about the shim ordeal. I couldnt get myself to believe that it made the difference that people were saying it did when they did theirs compared to what i was seeing when i did mine. All i wanted to gain was setting mine to OEM spec, and piece of mind knowing where it was running at, which is now running at 1850psi (hot). Now that i have a gauge, i can check mine periodically.

 

[Tornado]

Thank you for posting the video, and you`ve said everything i`ve touched on earlier, whether it was in this forum or others. There is a reason there is a limitation... going above it ALWAYS taxes everything else in the system, including the rams and the FEL framework. I set mine to the top of the factory setting and stopped. Anything more than that is just trouble coming, its just a matter of time. Not to mention, wear things out that much faster. If i need to do jobs that my tractor cant do, well then i need a bigger tractor. Right tool(s) for the job is a must.

Neil nailed it. That was why i was posting and commenting all about the shim ordeal. I couldnt get myself to believe that it made the difference that people were saying it did when they did theirs compared to what i was seeing when i did mine. All i wanted to gain was setting mine to OEM spec, and piece of mind knowing where it was running at, which is now running at 1850psi (hot). Now that i have a gauge, i can check mine periodically.

I think Neil makes a very valid point in the video; that often times when people do something like this, a little tweak to "make something better" you get a big placebo affect. What that means is that people tend to perceive something is better, even when its not. This perception can be very strong as well "That used to would never do this before!" but there are often so many variables at play that they dont consider. You see this same placebo affect in everything, even down to medical research, which is where the term placebo is most often familiar to most people. When companies test new drugs, they give a set of test participants the real drug, and another set a "placebo pill" - a nothing pill, with no drugs actually in it. If you every look at these studies, you almost always see "reports of improvement from the patient" from even those on the placebo pill. It is the power of the mind. You expect something to improve, you are looking for it to improve, so you essentially birth that improvement into existence purely from the power of your mental perspective, anticipation, and expectation. Some even believe in the power to cure physical ailments with nothing more than the power of your own mind. I'm going deep down this rabbit hole here, but it is because the issue of the mind, placebo, echo chambers, and how they affect a persons perspective is a topic I've thought about deeply for a number of years now.

 

[BX23S-1]

I think Neil makes a very valid point in the video; that often times when people do something like this, a little tweak to "make something better" you get a big placebo affect. What that means is that people tend to perceive something is better, even when its not. This perception can be very strong as well "That used to would never do this before!" but there are often so many variables at play that they dont consider. You see this same placebo affect in everything, even down to medical research, which is where the term placebo is most often familiar to most people. When companies test new drugs, they give a set of test participants the real drug, and another set a "placebo pill" - a nothing pill, with no drugs actually in it. If you every look at these studies, you almost always see "reports of improvement from the patient" from even those on the placebo pill. It is the power of the mind. You expect something to improve, you are looking for it to improve, so you essentially birth that improvement into existence purely from the power of your mental perspective, anticipation, and expectation. Some even believe in the power to cure physical ailments with nothing more than the power of your own mind. I'm going deep down this rabbit hole here, but it is because the issue of the mind, placebo, echo chambers, and how they affect a persons perspective is a topic I've thought about deeply for a number of years now.

You nailed it! I call it "the feel good effect". It must be true, everybody on the internet said so (lol)
When i did my shim adjustment, i couldn`t understand what other were saying/seeing, because i didnt see where this shim kit set my world on fire, thats for sure. I would have to truly say, it was pointless doing it.

 

[leveraddict]

I bought a kit two years ago. I checked it and the pressure was within spec so I left it go! Its still nice to have and will check my pressure periodically. I imagine after some time the pressure will need to be adjusted and Ill be ready!

 

[NHSleddog]

A lot of these guys BX's are set low or became low after use. So you should not run your tractor at the factory spec? You will break your tractor if you run it at the factory spec? The factory spec is wrong? I don't see any problem with adjusting your machine to THEIR specification. So if you bring it to the dealer and HE adjusts it to the factory spec, it will be ok? Or will the tractor fall apart because he adjusted it to Kubotas spec? SMH

Niels math was fuzzy at best. A 160lb increase over 600 is a lot more than one or two percent. Watch Biffs whole video and not Niels edited version.

Placebo? 160Lbs is 2 bags of concrete. Feelings aside, even if you are only talking about 50lbs, it is still real.

Math, it does a tractor good.

 

[BX23S-1]

A lot of these guys BX's are set low or became low after use. So you should not run your tractor at the factory spec? You will break your tractor if you run it at the factory spec? The factory spec is wrong? I don't see any problem with adjusting your machine to THEIR specification. So if you bring it to the dealer and HE adjusts it to the factory spec, it will be ok? Or will the tractor fall apart because he adjusted it to Kubotas spec? SMH

Niels math was fuzzy at best. A 160lb increase over 600 is a lot more than one or two percent. Watch Biffs whole video and not Niels edited version.

Placebo? 160Lbs is 2 bags of concrete. Feelings aside, even if you are only talking about 50lbs, it is still real.

Math, it does a tractor good.

I did the math. I set mine at 1850psi (fully warmed up) and i`m not going to go above the factory spec. There is no need to be above the factory spec of 1850psi for such a small tractor. Anything above what the engineers designed this tractor to run at, is not only a risk to the tractor and its components, AND you, it will also easily void your warranty should you need it if hydraulic issues arise. And guess what they will test first to diagnose a hydraulic problem.

Now, if people dont care about any of that, thats on them. I`ll keep mine set at what the factory specifies because i plan on owning this tractor a long time. If the engineers wanted it to run at 2,000+psi, they would have set it at that. I think some people get just a little to carried away with these BX`s in thinking they can turn it into a monster tractor.

If people want to modify their tractors hydraulics, fine, its their tractor, their money. But if & when it breaks, because they over taxed their tractors, i`m the guy that wont be crying here. I`m perfectly fine with mine, stock at 1850psi. My BX23s dosent need to move mountains, and i dont expect it to do so.

There is also a power to weight ratio. These BX tractors are light duty tractors. But damn the mountains!

There`s lots of tools & fools out there. I`ve seen some pretty dumb things people have done in my 70yrs.

Sometimes, less is more. But if people think it will make them feel good, they can have at it.

 

[BX23S-1]

And you can bet, that kubota corp watches those youtube videos. They see whats going on out there. I`ve talked with a couple different local kubota dealers, and they are well aware of people turning up the pressure above factory spec`s. They both told me that they`ve had customers get pretty mad when the warranty wouldn`t/wont pay for the damage they`ve done to their own tractors. One dealer took me out back in their shop and showed me what one customer did by turning up his pump... he bent both bucket cylinders and tweaked the boom arms. Not my money paying for his damage, have at it, turn`m up!

 

[BX23S-1]

I bought a kit two years ago. I checked it and the pressure was within spec so I left it go! Its still nice to have and will check my pressure periodically. I imagine after some time the pressure will need to be adjusted and Ill be ready!

There ya go! Same thing i did. Now i can check it once in awhile, and do what i need to do, if needed.

 

[armylifer]

I bought the gauge and shim kit because I did not know what pressure my tractor is operating at. When I did the check my tractor was within specification so I let it alone. Right now my tractor is at the low end of specification listed (1780 - 1840) in the WSM. Since I do most of my loader work in the 2200 - 2400 RPM range it does not make sense for me to increase hydraulic pressure because I am not operating at an RPM that I would even feel an increase in performance.

I do have a general question though. Since the transmission is operated by the same hydraulics and the rest of the tractor, would increasing the pressure result in more ground speed when pressing the go pedal to it's fullest? Man, if I could realize an additional 1/2 MPH out of this machine I would have a hot rod!

 

[whitetiger]

I bought the gauge and shim kit because I did not know what pressure my tractor is operating at. When I did the check my tractor was within specification so I let it alone. Right now my tractor is at the low end of specification listed (1780 - 1840) in the WSM. Since I do most of my loader work in the 2200 - 2400 RPM range it does not make sense for me to increase hydraulic pressure because I am not operating at an RPM that I would even feel an increase in performance.

I do have a general question though. Since the transmission is operated by the same hydraulics and the rest of the tractor, would increasing the pressure result in more ground speed when pressing the go pedal to it's fullest? Man, if I could realize an additional 1/2 MPH out of this machine I would have a hot rod!

Raising the hydraulic relief pressure has no effect on the Hydrostat operation. The Hydrostat gets its charge oil from the steering return at about 160PSI, which feeds the Hydrostat pump.

 

[armylifer]

Raising the hydraulic relief pressure has no effect on the Hydrostat operation. The Hydrostat gets its charge oil from the steering return at about 160PSI, which feeds the Hydrostat pump.

So there is no benefit to me by increasing the pressure, at least not unless I start operating at 100% of the power I have now.

 

[BX23S-1]

So there is no benefit to me by increasing the pressure, at least not unless I start operating at 100% of the power I have now.

lol... i`m going with that statement right there ^^^^

 

[BX23S-1]

Raising the hydraulic relief pressure has no effect on the Hydrostat operation. The Hydrostat gets its charge oil from the steering return at about 160PSI, which feeds the Hydrostat pump.

Not to steer this thread off course, but....
how is it that when you use the joystick while turning the steering wheel, the steering wheel locks up.