Front wheel spacers for stability, REALLY?

[Shawn T. W.]

Internet "advice" and "myths" abound about this subject, mostly due to the pivoting front axle, but also concern for wheel bearings ... I'm a firm believer that they do help, in certain conditions!

I added 1.3" wheel spacers to the front of my SCUT Massey Ferguson GC 1725 MB, and 3" spacers to the rear axle, also filled all tires to 75% full with windshield washer fluid ... For additional traction and lowering the center of gravity.

The FACT of the matter, is the pivoting front axle can only pivot so far, once it reaches that point, common sense just says it starts to provide additional support. (Some people say you're already going to be tipping over by that point, I didn't find that to be true on my tractor!)

Here is what I did, to prove to myself, with my own tractor ... You don't need to believe me, just try it for yourself!

I had built some small ramps out of 2X12's which are 1.5" thick ... I drove the front tire up onto the second one, so three inches difference from the concrete pad I was parked on ... Still had a small 1/4" gap until the axle stop hits the frame ... No extra support.

Here I drove it up onto the third board, 4.5" of height, on a concrete pad, and look! Tractor is still upright, and frame and axle stop are making contact!

Someone more knowledgeable and experienced than me, on another forum said "you didn't do it right, you need to do the back axle" ... So I did!

I had my backhoe (BH) on, and set it up to "catch me" if it should "tip too far"! I backed it up onto a 8" ramp! Notice the front tire is off the ground by over 2", and it's not tipped over either!

Look at the other side ... With that additional weight if the BH hanging off like that, it still didn't tip over!

Look at the axle, it's bottomed out! Firmly planted on the frame rail!

I was told by the same person AGAIN, "that I didn't do it right"! As I should have used the same wooden 4.5" ramp ... So I did!

Front tire didn't lift off the ground, but axle was touching the frame on the other side ... Sorry I seemed to have lost that picture ...

Now, like I said at the beginning of this post ... It will ONLY provide extra side stability under certain conditions!

Here is when it will not help you! If your just going across a steep side hill, but ground is relatively smooth, no bumps or dips. (In my case a rock, root or dip of 4.5" will start to get extra stability benefit from front spacers) But like this smooth but side angle, will not gain any side stability with front spacers, rear spacers ... DEFINITELY!

I have quite a few rocks in places that jut up out of the ground, and my land isn't all flat ... So I have spacers on!

I currently have over 750 hours on these wheel spacers, no problems with bearings, nor have I ever tipped over, yet!

Once I retire in 23 months I plan to further experiment with actually seeing where it tips over (without me on it!) without any spacers, then only rear, then only front, than both front and rear spacers ... But, at this time as an over the road truck driver, gone most the time, I simply do not have the time to do this! You're more than welcome to in the mean time, let us all know what you find out!

 

[TerryR]

Your tests in a static situation (the tractor not moving) have little to do with what happens when you are driving along and suddenly hit a bump or hole. That's what you really need to test, as it's the momentum of the tractor already tipping that has the potential for it to continue tipping when the front axil hits the stops. Of course testing this could prove hazardous to your health.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Obviously kinetic energy will change results, how much is transfered will be directly effected by how much speed is involved ...

Common sense tells me in rough conditions to go slow, very slow ...

But nevertheless a wider stance will always be more stable in every situation.

 

[bmaverick]

Depending on the tractor and the brand of manufacture, wheel spacer use would be defined in the OPS manuals.

Both Deere and Yanmar for their common machines provide size and material info for wheel spacers to use.

For CUT, Yanmar mentions not to exceed 100mm or 4-inches.

If you were to mow steep ditches or inclines, a dual wheel setup would be ideal.

 

[Jstpssng]

Not quite the same, but I noted a significant difference in stability when I widened the rear stance on my L3301, as well as added wheel weights. Riding that used to be like a carnival ride; rather scary at times.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I put spacers front and rear on the CK2620, primarily to be able to straddle irrigation ditches, but they definitely also help with rollover resistance.

It's somewhat common that a front tire is off the ground with that one, and while using the backhoe as a counterweight sure helps, and the outrigger(s) as a safety net, there's no doubt that even the front spacers do their part in keeping the Kioti upright.

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Yes, spacers (both front and rear) also help straddle a ditch just dug with a BH too, the smaller the tractor, the more noticeable it becomes!

They also give you room to put on tire chains!