Wheel Spacer Question

[JimDeL]

With all the threads & posts/comments about the benefits of wheel spacers on BX models, does anyone know what the actual tipping angle of a BX2380 is?

Has anybody actually charted the difference/improvement in tipping angle with various wheel spacers installed?

Nearly everybody is extolling the virtues of improved stability, but nothing I've seen has documented the improvement.

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[85Hokie]

Brother Jim,

I have NO IDEA of the angle of the dangle - all I know is the small amount on either side makes the butt pucker go away.

 

[JimDeL]

Brother Jim,

I have NO IDEA of the angle of the dangle - all I know is the small amount on either side makes the butt pucker go away.

But is that real, or just a false sense of security?

 

[85Hokie]

But is that real, or just a false sense of security?

Jim,

It is real, the spacers DO change the machine's handling ability and sense of feeling.

However - as increased confidence builds from hours of experience, so does the ability to do stupid stuff!!!

First time around I bought the expensive spacers - those "made" for BX tractors - second time around I bought the less expensive "jeep" spacers. Both are the same billet aluminum and both helped the feel and handling of the machine.

I would invest in 1.5" spacers for your machine since you have the 54" MMM.

I see you own the PTB - the change that it made is almost the same experience as the change spacers will make.

 

[JimDeL]

the spacers DO change the machine's handling ability and sense of feeling.
...second time around I bought the less expensive "jeep" spacers. Both are the same billet aluminum and both helped the feel and handling of the machine.
I would invest in 1.5" spacers for your machine since you have the 54" MMM.
I see you own the PTB - the change that it made is almost the same experience as the change spacers will make.

I have the spacers on mine, but haven't really noticed any difference. Mine are also the "Jeep" ones.

My original question was just out of curiosity.

 

[85Hokie]

I have the spacers on mine, but haven't really noticed any difference. Mine are also the "Jeep" ones.

My original question was just out of curiosity.

Really - you did not notice on a slight incline any difference?

 

[Henro]

I have the spacers on mine, but haven't really noticed any difference. Mine are also the "Jeep" ones.

My original question was just out of curiosity.

I have spacers on the back of my BX, but only an inch and a quarter I think due to having a MMM. All my tires are foam filled which adds a lot of weight down Low.

Noticing a difference is difficult. How do you notice a difference? The only time you realize that you have a problem is when you tip your tractor over or if you get lucky when you lift some wheels up off the ground on the high side, but recover somehow

So the way I look at it is every little bit helps. My BX is extremely stable on side slopes. But I’m never comfortable even when I know I should be.

I think this is the way life goes. Every little bit that you can do to help yourself may or may not pay off. But doing something to help yourself does increase your odds…

 

[ajschnitzelbank]

With all the threads & posts/comments about the benefits of wheel spacers on BX models, does anyone know what the actual tipping angle of a BX2380 is?

Has anybody actually charted the difference/improvement in tipping angle with various wheel spacers installed?

Nearly everybody is extolling the virtues of improved stability, but nothing I've seen has documented the improvement.

Inquiring minds want to know.

I’ve wondered this too. Obviously wider axels are more stable (basic physics, right?), but how much more stable is two inches wider exactly? Two inches doesn’t seem like much. But every bit counts I guess? I know my L series feels way less tippy than my B series did.

 

[GrizBota]

The increase in stability is about the ratio of the sum of stock distance from center of gravity to wheel mounting surface plus the wheel spacer length (one side) divided by the stock distance from center of gravity to wheel mounting surface. Likely a single digit percentage. Maybe (or maybe not) the difference between a roll over or not on a bad (or a perhaps good) day.

 

[ctfjr]

I tried to figure out the change on mine with 3" spacers a couple of years ago.

By my trig calcs n assumptions it was 2-3 degrees

 

[TheOldHokie]

The increase in stability is about the ratio of the sum of stock distance from center of gravity to wheel mounting surface plus the wheel spacer length (one side) divided by the stock distance from center of gravity to wheel mounting surface. Likely a single digit percentage. Maybe (or maybe not) the difference between a roll over or not on a bad (or a perhaps good) day.

As a comparative datum consider the wheel spacing on my Ford 8N. The stock wheels can be adjusted from 48" to 76". That is 14" per side and I dont need to do any math - the added stability is very noticeable in operation.

The fixed spacing on my L3901 with R4 tires and wheels is 45". A 3" spacer pales in comparison to the spacing on that old Ford and the math says likely not significant.

In the case of the L3901 I see the real advantage of a spacer being increased fender and lift arm clearance. The stock clearance is so damn tight tensioning the lift arm turnbuckles is a struggle and it looks like chaining up would put the sheetmetal in harms way. Probably going to put 2" spacers on primarily for the added clearance. If it gets me some marginal rollover protection it will be gravy. I don't think its going to influence my operating practices.

Dan

 

[skeets]

The BX is low so the tip over angle is pretty high,, Now on the B I put 2 inch spacers total of 4 inches and yes it helps, NOW with that said the B is higher than the BX , and it may well be perception that it feels tippy over the same ground the BX feels comfortable. And yes all the tires are filled

 

[AndyM]

You only need one instance of doing something wrong (dumb) and just about going over to convince yourself of the value of spacers. I speak from direct experience (sorry to say).

 

[GrizBota]

As a comparative datum consider the wheel spacing on my Ford 8N. The stock wheels can be adjusted from 48" to 76". That is 14" per side and I dont need to do any math - the added stability is very noticeable in operation.

The fixed spacing on my L3901 with R4 tires and wheels is 45". A 3" spacer pales in comparison to the spacing on that old Ford and the math says likely not significant.

In the case of the L3901 I see the real advantage of a spacer being increased fender and lift arm clearance. The stock clearance is so damn tight tensioning the lift arm turnbuckles is a struggle and it looks like chaining up would put the sheetmetal in harms way. Probably going to put 2" spacers on primarily for the added clearance. If it gets me some marginal rollover protection it will be gravy. I don't think its going to influence my operating practices.

Dan

Wow, I didn’t realize our 8Ns were so widely adjustable on the width. From 4 ft to just shy of twice that. I’ll bet you don’t need a calculator to appreciate the increase in stability. But it’s about 58% from min to max if you’re curious. Clearly Ford contemplated that in the stock design (I doubt it was just coincidence). Try getting much more than 1/4 of that with wheel spacers on a machine not designed for it and I’ll bet something expensive will protest after a while. But I’m no tractor designer.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Wow, I didn’t realize our 8Ns were so widely adjustable on the width. From 4 ft to just shy of twice that. I’ll bet you don’t need a calculator to appreciate the increase in stability. But it’s about 58% from min to max if you’re curious. Clearly Ford contemplated that in the stock design (I doubt it was just coincidence). Try getting much more than 1/4 of that with wheel spacers on a machine not designed for it and I’ll bet something expensive will protest after a while. But I’m no tractor designer.

I am sure that wheel spacing was primarily intended to match the spacing on row crops - rollover protection was probably not the guiding thought in the minds of the Ford engineers.

FWIW grandad still managed to roll his 8N twice while mowing pasture and his brother was killed when the NAA got loose and ran away on a hill. There is a lot to be said for 4WD and brakes that actually work

Dan

 

[Tioga Tim]

With all the threads & posts/comments about the benefits of wheel spacers on BX models, does anyone know what the actual tipping angle of a BX2380 is?

Has anybody actually charted the difference/improvement in tipping angle with various wheel spacers installed?

Nearly everybody is extolling the virtues of improved stability, but nothing I've seen has documented the improvement.

Inquiring minds want to know.

I am not a math major. But after putting 3" spacers on my B2620, I went from every small incline feeling "this thing is gonna tip over" to "oh, I had better pay attention to the slope". I did roll the tractor once when I first bought it, before putting on the spacers. I had many years experience with large, stable farm tractors and was shocked how scary the Kubota was when I first bought it.

Tim

 

[leveraddict]

With my BX23S and 54" mower if I cant put on 2 or 3 inch spacers then Im not putting them on at all!