gauge wheels on a box blade

[suncoast]

I have seen a few projects here where people have built hydraulic controlled gauge wheels on a box blade. My question is how do you attatch the hub to the axle. I really don't want to use small wheels with a 5/8 hole. I don't know if these would stand up. If I use a 4 or 5 bolt hub, do you weld a spindle into the axle. If so how do you make up the difference in size. I.E. the axle might be 2" round or square tube and I have not seen a spindle that size. What suggestions do you have?

 

[2manyrocks]

You might look on the Northern Tools website for weldable axle stubs in their trailer supply area. You would have say a 1" round axle stub machined from a larger round or square blank of steel. The larger piece welds into an axle tube leaving the machined stub sticking out for you to mount your wheel hub.

I bought a set of stub axles once a few years ago, and they were not cheap. Someone else might know of a less expensive supplier.

Although this is one way trailer axles are built, I'm not familar with how others have built hydraulic controlled gauge wheels. If you want the wheels to be independently adjustable, looks like it would be more simple and less expensive to use a pivoting wheel assembly such as used on bush hogs. By the time you buy the hubs and the axle stubs, you can get some $ invested.

 

[Racer71]

I am thinking about this same project. I am looking at using trailer jack(s) with wheels for the height adjustment.

My design would attach steel tubes to the top of the box extending backwards with the trailer jacks at the far end.

Thoughts?

 

[srjones]

FWIW, I made a set of guage wheels that for my landscape rake and boxblade, and so far, the steel parts have held up very well. (HF Lot 38944, currently on sale @$9.99 each)

However, one thing I would change is using solid tires instead of pneumatic since they 'give' more than I would like, even at full pressure.

However, don't let me discourage you from building it to last...nothing wrong with that.

 

[2manyrocks]

SkunkWerx and some others have several posts about using trailer jacks and swivel wheels from HF in this Build It Yourself forum. They just weld a square tube to the top of the box and a smaller tube to the trailer jack. The small tube slides into the larger tube so the wheel assembly can be removed or adjusted in/out. The swivel wheels are bolted or welded to the bottom of the trailer jack.

Just search "gauge wheels".

 

[SkunkWerX]

SkunkWerx and some others have several posts about using trailer jacks and swivel wheels from HF in this Build It Yourself forum. They just weld a square tube to the top of the box and a smaller tube to the trailer jack. The small tube slides into the larger tube so the wheel assembly can be removed or adjusted in/out. The swivel wheels are bolted or welded to the bottom of the trailer jack.

Just search "gauge wheels".

Look at the recent post by Lhfarm, he has pics of his gauge wheels (using trailer jacks) attached to his box balde, and he he says it works great.

 

[Reg]

I am 3/4 way through this.

1) I have VERY little skill in metal working.
2) I have only a few tools - probably as well, more tools would just lead me to more injury and damage.

Given the above;
Stuff has to be simple cut, drill, bolt together - Yeah, I can weld, sorta.
KISS principle throughout.

In reading MANY of the threads here about gauge wheels I decided early on that I wanted WIDE tires.
Kicking tires at a local tractor place revealed that Harley rakes have 18.5x6.5x8 inch tires on them - that became a goal, none of the landscape rake 2 inch wide stuff.
I had looked at castor wheels, hoping to come up with a pair off a junked LARGE zero turn mower, no luck.
I knew I wanted TWO wheels, but I wanted to use them to minimize and not magnify the effects of bumps.
If I put them say 4ft apart on a 6ft wide box blade and one found a 1 inch low spot or lump that would multiply up on the opposite side.
Eventually I decided on a short straight axle for simplicity of mounting the wheels, it is about 3 1/2 ft from hub face to hub face and came complete with hubs and bearings - no-fab reqd. This is typical of an axle for a single jet ski, snowmobile or fishing row boat.
I was able to get a pair of 20.5x8.0x8 tires and wheels for this axle - even phatter than Harley Rake tires.
Then I needed a trailer A-frame front end to allow following and side to side rocking.
The axle happens to be 1 1/2 inch square section and because it is a pre-fabricated axle it has holes through it at about 30 inches apart to mount the spring pads - convenient, just where I decided to bolt my A-frame arms.

Ahh, so far that will just follow the box blade around and do nothing but leave neat little tire tracks.
A method of attachment to the box blade was needed and I wanted to make it detachable so I could put it on (maybe) rear blade, rake or whatever. A 2 inch receiver seemed a natural choice and of course presented the opportunity to use the weight distributing hitch (misnomer) principle. Back to harbor freight for a step bumper hitch receiver. This also allows following in turns, with just a standard 2 inch trailer ball and coupler.
So far the box blade isn't drilled, but with a single bar WDH set-up (drawtite # 3205) it shows a noticeable lift to the back of a Dodge Durango.
I am confident that if I set it to hold the cutting edge just off a level driveway when the 3pt is say 1/2 way up.... I should have enough adjustment to achieve level and a bit in reserve for skipping over what needs to be skipped over, or skimmed lightly.
Detail tuning and playing with the top link, etc will have to be done.

More later, pics too - maybe.

 

[3RRL]

OK, sounds like a cool project.
Can't wait until you get it done with photos.

 

[Reg]

Thanks Rob,
Until I get pics here are a couple of the off the shelf items I have used so far;

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
As many of you will know, Harbor freight has rotating sales on just about everything and my local store will honor whatever sales flyer I can show them, whether it is nominally expired or not. I got this for $49.xx plus 5% mass sales tax.
So that is my A-frame & coupler all in one package, I just needed a couple of 2 inch bolts to attach it to the axle.

Draw-Tite Single Arm Weight Distribution Hitch Kit for A Frame Trailers 3205

I have WDH stuff hanging around the place and wouldn't have bought YET ANOTHER ONE but for the fact that I just happened to be in the local trailer parts place for a friend and got fascinated by the display model - I called them the next day to enquire about price and was told he had far too many on hand - $159.xx.

Now, there is the whole question of whether or not a WDH with a "spring bar" will become "bouncy" and I have considered that.
If it leaps around I will substitute something more rigid. The "something" solution will be crude, perhaps as crude as a couple of ft of black pipe sized to slip over the spring bar.
OTOH, it might just absorb bump shocks better than something too rigid.
An experiment is required here.

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices
I just need to drill a few holes in the rear lip/edge of the box blade to attach this with 5/8 bolts.
I am a little concerned that the edge might be a bit too flexible so I might add a bracket.
I have some shipping brackets that look about right for this & will decide once the receiver is on and I get an idea of how much static flex there is.

One other thing about the axle and wheels; I got them at a place that basically assembles boat trailers from a range of stock parts.
GOOD NEWS - GALVANIZED axle and rims, these should last without rusting.

 

[Reg]

I have a minor problem and one that is probably common to all gauge wheel on box blade projects.
Top link adjustments are made to change blade angle (obviously) and that changes the angle of the whole box (also obvious), so gauge wheels need to be adjusted - OK, that is my current problem and the WDH approach seems very susceptible to it.

I'm not sure how I will do this, but it seems I will need to either;
a) Make the 2 inch receiver adjustable for angle - so that it can be set parallel to the ground to compensate for box angle.
b) Provide for a LOT of vertical lift range to the WDH spring bar - by building almost a "tower" over the A-frame.
c) Only use this when the box blade is being used at one particular angle, e.g. FLAT for final grading.
This may be a reasonable usage limitation, i.e. I might only "need" gauge wheels for final grading/smoothing.
d) Some combination of some of the above.

I would LIKE to just throw a lot of cylinders on it, but I'm still clinging to the KISS principle.
Besides, cylinders need mounts and stuff... skills and tools issues lurk on THAT path.
(-:
{The project plan calls for a flash of brilliance at this point in the schedule}