BORA vs Kubota wheel spacers

scootr · Mar 1, 2023

Even 45º is pushing the safety limits.
I spoke with the owner/machinist at BroTec.
He advised me on 2" front and 3" rear. I've had the fronts on for a couple of months now.
Getting the forklift repaired here soon so I can put the rears on.
Pros;
Quality and fit is excellent. Bolts included.
Cons;
A costly upgrade

Additional options for increasing stability is liquid filled tires and wheel weights.

5030 · Mar 1, 2023

Aftermarket part that Kubota carries. Just like their filters and lubricants. Might be Kubota labeled but they don't make them

JWR · Mar 1, 2023

rm tractors on 45 degree slopes !

scootr said:
Even 45º is pushing the safety limits.
I spoke with the owner/machinist at BroTec.
He advised me on 2" front and 3" rear. I've had the fronts on for a couple of months now.
Getting the forklift repaired here soon so I can put the rears on.
Pros;
Quality and fit is excellent. Bolts included.
Cons;
A costly upgrade

Additional options for increasing stability is liquid filled tires and wheel weights.

One of my pet peeves. NO ONE operates ordinary farm tractors on 45 degree slopes nor could they. A 45 deg slope is a 100% slope. Tractors with best tires and ideal soil will slide to the bottom (if lucky enough not to upset) on 45 deg slopes. You probably mean 45 percent slopes. Forty five % slopes are roughly 24 degree slopes referring to my handy chart. And they are NOT pushing any safety limit at all. I totally disagree with 45% as any safety limit. I operate 2 different kinds of tractors on 45% slopes that I cut several times a year. Never any reason for safety concern and certainly not for traction or for rollover.

For example a Kubota B2150 with fat turf tires is uncomfortable (and nearly risky) sideways on a 45% slope and VERY comfortable and safe when using 6" spacers on each side of the rear with those same tires on the same slope. A MF 2660 with rear tires set at 8' apart outer edges on those exact same slopes is totally comfortable and such that you never even give it a thought as to the slope being very steep.

I am disappointed to hear that anyone at Brotek advised you to buy front wheel spacers. They do nothing for you. Your front axle is pivoted in the middle and by the time the front wheels might limit turnover rotation you are already well on your way to turning the machine over !! They are fairly costly and the front ones are a total waste of dollars.

Neither liquid nor wheel weights will affect your stability very much. The weights will not affect it at all because they do not change your c.g. above the ground. Fluid will affect stability very slightly in the good direction, only because there is some air space above the fluid in the rear tires so the c.g. is very slightly closer the ground. Nothing worth paying for on that basis. Good to pay for in terms of pulling traction only.

scootr · Mar 1, 2023

JWR, I was disappointed to see you quoted me and read your remarks.

The post I read said 45 degrees. I'm a retired carpenter I know what 45 degrees is.
The B-T owner and I had that pivot axle discussion and he agreed that the only time that front spacers would come into play is when you hit the pivot limit.

JWR · Mar 1, 2023

5030 said:
Aftermarket part that Kubota carries. Just like their filters and lubricants. Might be Kubota labeled but they don't make them

Lots of parts like starters, fuel pumps, radiators, bearings, etc. are listed in Kubota's parts books. Why would one care whether Kubota actually manufactured it or not? "OEM" has some inconsistent definitions these days since no manufacturer of any vehicle literally makes every single part of it. Selling something in their parts book is at very least a form of endorsement of the item.

scottap · Aug 13, 2024

I also own a lx2610 and was going to go with 3" spacers, then I measured my bucket and snow blower width and decided to go with 2". So do your self a favor and measure your wheel width without spacers and then your attachment width and do the math.

5030 · Aug 13, 2024

Not something I've ever required actually.

My philosophy concerning wheel spacers is simply this..

The farther out the wheels are from the transmission, the more stress is placed on it when the tractor is loaded. That, as well as the axle itself. Not something I'd ever consider doing.

5030 · Aug 13, 2024

JWR said:
Lots of parts like starters, fuel pumps, radiators, bearings, etc. are listed in Kubota's parts books. Why would one care whether Kubota actually manufactured it or not? "OEM" has some inconsistent definitions these days since no manufacturer of any vehicle literally makes every single part of it. Selling something in their parts book is at very least a form of endorsement of the item.

Fair statement and I imagine that most of their outside the block parts are subbed out. Having said that, I'm reasonably sure, those subbed parts and assemblies are made to their specifications, unlike the stuff sold on places like Amazon where those parts may or may not be produced t0 Kubota's specs. Myself, I prefer using Kubota sold parts whenever possible. The issue with that is simply, Kubota's parts prices are getting stupid lately.

5030 · Aug 13, 2024

Inflation has really impacted a lot of what used to be reasonable parts prices.

I needed a brass Street Ell and went to the hardware store and got sticker shock. A 5 cent to produce brass Street Ell was 10 bucks. That is crazy. Sometimes I wonder if retailers are just gouging or if inflation has really caused that so I also went to the local NAPA and they were even more.

Of course at both places, the street Ell was made in India.

LouNY · Aug 13, 2024

5030 said:
Not something I've ever required actually.

My philosophy concerning wheel spacers is simply this..

The farther out the wheels are from the transmission, the more stress is placed on it when the tractor is loaded. That, as well as the axle itself. Not something I'd ever consider doing.

Spacers on the one piece turf, R4 or R14 rims are no different to me as far as stressing the axles and rear end housing then the R1 rims which can have the rims mounted to the inside or outside of the center piece which also can be flipped either way to adjust the rear and or the front width. That is mainly for row crop or tire chain clearances.

inner fender clearances before,