The JD Cut Wheel Spacer Answer Thread

[TC33DA]

So do we think these might be better than the unverferth? They are half the price. I will spend the extra money if the unverferth are better. I got a quote on $280 each plus freight. The weigh 35 pounds each. I thought about adding the rear fender extender if I added the 6" extensions. Does anyone know how they attach? There is not much room on the right side with the fuel tank under the fender.

 

[Nuru]

Emphasis on a "couple guys"! Those filled tires are heavy!
Just jack the tractor (under the drawbar bracket is a good spot) just enough the clear the floor, no higher.

Roy, Oh yeah, I know that routine, I also sometimes use my ramps to get the tires back on the hub too.

 

[jimgerken]

The spacers shipped real fast! Ordered Thursday, received Monday via USPS. Two boxes, each weigh about 48 lbs, two spacers per box. Spacers look good. It was a welcome surprise to see that the nuts are chamfered and the holes in the spacers accept chamfered nuts or cap screws (like my stock screws!). So it does not appear that any modification will be needed, and all the hardware seems correct also. The spacers are cast iron or cast steel (I can't tell the difference without grinding on them). Sure look like serious overkill strength-wise. The current plan is to try to get them mounted on Sat or Sunday. I will post more pics after that. Planning to use blue locktite on every fastener. Another 95 pounds of ballast too!

 

[Nuru]

Good pics, please post more when you mount them. I would not mind having another 4" per side. anyone know what if any reduction in lift can be calculated? I know using the spacers will put more stress on axles when carrying and lifting heavy objects, but is it really going to make the unit potentially weaker totally or just for extended periods of time?.

 

[radman1]

Good pics, please post more when you mount them. I would not mind having another 4" per side. anyone know what if any reduction in lift can be calculated? I know using the spacers will put more stress on axles when carrying and lifting heavy objects, but is it really going to make the unit potentially weaker totally or just for extended periods of time?.

Personally, I would not be concerned about the extra 4" of width. 4" is not going to have any significant issues on the hub or axle. Just consider the extra weight that is not on the rear due to the loader alone. Consider all the weight that gets placed on the relatively small front tires, hub and axle. Pick up a heavy load in the FEL and all the weight of the tractor, loader and load in the bucket is resting on the front.

 

[TC33DA]

I installed the unverferth 6" extensions last night. WOW!! Big difference in handling. Thanks for all the help. Well worth the money.

 

[Nuru]

Personally, I would not be concerned about the extra 4" of width. 4" is not going to have any significant issues on the hub or axle. Just consider the extra weight that is not on the rear due to the loader alone. Consider all the weight that gets placed on the relatively small front tires, hub and axle. Pick up a heavy load in the FEL and all the weight of the tractor, loader and load in the bucket is resting on the front.

Ok, that sounds pretty good. I thought about the Unver's but I thought the cost was too high. plus 6" seems to be a bit too much, but 4" more I think would be fine.

 

[jimgerken]

I finished the install of the wheel spacers Sunday afternoon. These are the ones from the Ebay store, here's the link again. They have 9/16" studs, very close to the 14mm size the 3720 tractor came with.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Skid-Steer-Whee...tem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4a9de39be2
Had help from 2 nephews, so I had plenty of time to take pictures while they did all the heavy lifting.
Fit was excellent. The centering features worked fine with both the tractor hub, and the rim. The male feature on the spacer could have been a bit longer, to penetrate the hole in the rim further, but it is certainly good enough. It would be even better if I flipped my rims back to the narrow position. I may do that, but will run it this way for a while first.
One dissapointment was the fact we had to remove the wheel weights to be able to put a socket on the nuts to hold on the rim. I had machined the ID of the inner weight to make socket clearance for the original 22mm screws, but since the nuts that came with the spacers were 1" wrench size, the proper socket was way bigger than the 22mm socket for the stock screws. Oh well, good exercise.
I locktited everything with blue 242. And torqued everything to 140 foot lbs. I used both 2" spacers on each side, for a total of four inches per side. Overall width from outer edge of tread went from about 59 inches to about 67 inches.
I did not have time to go to the steepest part of my property to brush mow for a proper test, but I did mow the lawn and immediately noticed a change. The tractor used to "jerk" side to side as I'd drive, as one wheel or the other would fall into an irregularity, and the side to side motion was very noticeable. That effect is gone. It feels like it rides much flatter on the terrain.
Pics attached...

 

[Dutch445]

Thanks for your pics.

Feedback from my customer with his
extensions was very positive, feels much
more comfortable on his hills.

 

[sunnyside360]

I finished the install of the wheel spacers Sunday afternoon. These are the ones from the Ebay store, here's the link again. They have 9/16" studs, very close to the 14mm size the 3720 tractor came with.
Skid Steer Wheel Spacers 8 Lug Red 9/16" Skidsteer - eBay (item 320476519394 end time Aug-15-10 21:52:22 PDT)
Had help from 2 nephews, so I had plenty of time to take pictures while they did all the heavy lifting.
Fit was excellent. The centering features worked fine with both the tractor hub, and the rim. The male feature on the spacer could have been a bit longer, to penetrate the hole in the rim further, but it is certainly good enough. It would be even better if I flipped my rims back to the narrow position. I may do that, but will run it this way for a while first.
One dissapointment was the fact we had to remove the wheel weights to be able to put a socket on the nuts to hold on the rim. I had machined the ID of the inner weight to make socket clearance for the original 22mm screws, but since the nuts that came with the spacers were 1" wrench size, the proper socket was way bigger than the 22mm socket for the stock screws. Oh well, good exercise.
I locktited everything with blue 242. And torqued everything to 140 foot lbs. I used both 2" spacers on each side, for a total of four inches per side. Overall width from outer edge of tread went from about 59 inches to about 67 inches.
I did not have time to go to the steepest part of my property to brush mow for a proper test, but I did mow the lawn and immediately noticed a change. The tractor used to "jerk" side to side as I'd drive, as one wheel or the other would fall into an irregularity, and the side to side motion was very noticeable. That effect is gone. It feels like it rides much flatter on the terrain.
Pics attached...

Great feedback for your spacer installation. I was eagerly waiting to see how you made out because I was thinking about using these on my 3720 and 4320 tractors. Thanks for posting your experience.

 

[jimgerken]

Just a follow-up post on the wheel spacers. Now I have used the widened tractor to spray on the steepest sidehills I have, and boy does it feel a LOT more stable. It makes it feel like a much bigger tractor, in a way. Also I noted that when handling loader loads ( I was moving wood), stability seems better. I am hooked and will not be narrowing it up any, that's for sure.

 

[sunnyside360]

Just a follow-up post on the wheel spacers. Now I have used the widened tractor to spray on the steepest sidehills I have, and boy does it feel a LOT more stable. It makes it feel like a much bigger tractor, in a way. Also I noted that when handling loader loads ( I was moving wood), stability seems better. I am hooked and will not be narrowing it up any, that's for sure.

Glad to hear the spacers are working out well for you. I ordered a complete set this past weekend from the same vendor you used. I don't think I would have gone this route if it hadn't been for your experience. Thanks again for posting.

 

[jimgerken]

We owe it all to Dutch445.

 

[Dutch445]

not really
i think a lot of this info was already out there,
but i guess we can call it confirmed now

 

[sunnyside360]

not really
i think a lot of this info was already out there,
but i guess we can call it confirmed now

Confirmed it is. Many thanks for taking the plunge and verifying these spacers work. They are a real bargain when compared to some others.

 

[Wooddust]

Amazing how you can learn from this website...first time poster here.

I too have that awful fear of tipping on my JD3720 and have inquired with Unverferth on the extensions they sell, sizes, etc.

My question is related to changing the front when you add the 6 inches to each side on the rear. Is that necessary or wise and if so are there front extensions available?

 

[kennyd]

My question is related to changing the front when you add the 6 inches to each side on the rear. Is that necessary or wise and if so are there front extensions available?

Welcome to TBN

Since the front axle pivot's, putting spacers on it will not help a whole lot, plus then the tires may interfere with the loader mounts, MMM, or frame. You can however set the to the wide position by flipping them side-for-side if they are not already flipped.

 

[jimgerken]

As Kenny said, since the axle pivots you won't gain stability from widening the front. On the other hand, it would steer better if widened to match the rear. You also may wish to widen the front to match the rear for row-crop spacing reasons.
I know of no sources for spacers for the front.
Another benefit of widened rear spacing: Brake-steering is greatly improved. Just discovered that.

 

[DanD78]

Is there any reason behind using the 9/16 studs instead of the 5/8? I measured the holes in the rim on my 3320 and they are .675" That's .050" slop. Is that enough? The 9/16 stud is about .017" larger than the stock bolt but a 5/8 bolt will go through the holes in the rim. Just wondering if anyone tried the larger stud spacers.

Maybe I should put the calipers away and go with the 9/16.

Dan

 

[jimgerken]

Dan. I measured the original cap screws, they are a little under 14 mm diameter. 9/16" is 14.288 mm. It just seemed like the right answer to use the 9/16". The 5/8 might work ok, the only issue I see is tolerance. As you fill the holes with bigger studs, all the parts must be made to closer tolerances to allow it to fit together without interfering somewhere. The parts may be made this well, I don't know. Give it a try, I think you have a pretty good shot at success. Everthing fit very well for me, so there must be a little wiggle room left.