wheel spacers for BX23S

[Henro]

Mea Culpa
I have not seen pictures of the wheel spacers you described. Your concerns are valid, I wouldn't use something designed and built like them.
The spacers I am familiar with are just a chunk of iron with an appropriately sized hole for the axle hub and having correctly sized and spaced holes for the lug bolts. I don't know why someone would complicate the design in the manner you describe.

Well, all I can say is that the spacers that both my son in law and I use are perfect.

No failures and none expected.

So take speculation for what it is worth.

Happy users here with actual experience posting.

Make your own decision and spend your own money.

Makes no difference to anybody else...

 

[Johnkn]

I don't know why someone would complicate the design in the manner you describe.

How else would a wheel spacer be employed?

Tractor/car/truck stock wheel studs are generally only long enough to accommodate the stock wheels.

You can't just add a ~2" spacer (without its own studs) , there would be no original stud left to bolt the wheel to.

 

[frogpond]

Another endorsement for Bro-Tek spacers . I installed a pair of the 3" ones on the rear of my BX25D a couple of years ago. Well machined, precise fit, easy to install, good instructions. They have increased stability amazingly, and show no signs of loosening, cracking, or otherwise failing. And I work that tractor hard on hilly, rough land. Buy the real thing, and work your tractor with confidence.

 

[Massey convert]

Ok, enough is enough. If you replace the original studs, or lug bolts with longer ones, you don't need the extra complication of adding a stud into the spacer. Keep It Simple.

 

[rScotty]

Ok, enough is enough. If you replace the original studs, or lug bolts with longer ones, you don't need the extra complication of adding a stud into the spacer. Keep It Simple.

No. It may seem right to you, but it doesn't work like that. Longer bolts are not the answer. Wheel spacers are expensive for a reason.

 

[Garandman]

Bro-Tek. Made in USA. Guaranteed for life. Do not run cheap Chinese spacers on your tractor....

Made in Canada. They faked me out too.

 

[Henro]

Acceptable quality for the application is all that matters.

Spend more for acceptable quality, be my guest.

Just my opinion as far as specers for a BX tractor goes.

IF I were driving on highways at 70 MPH plus, would probably think differently.

But my BX and the son in law's BX do not approach those speeds or the mechanical loads that hitting a pot hole at those speeds might apply.

In any event, we are happy users of the cheap alternative.

 

[rScotty]

Acceptable quality for the application is all that matters....... SNIP.....

I disagree, but there's enough room in this for everyone to find their own comfort zone. My own feeling is that if I am going to do something I do it as well as I possibly can. It's craftsmanship vs currency.

My feeling is we all are born with limited time. And I like it that Bro-Tek boys would rather compete on quality than on price. It isn't the most popular way to look at the world. I bet they know that.

A lot of people would agree with you that acceptable quality is what matters.
All day long I hear people saying, "Time is money".

I don't think that way myself, but it's fine with me when others do.

It's good that we aren't all the same.
rScotty

 

[Henro]

I disagree, but there's enough room in this for everyone to find their own comfort zone. My own feeling is that if I am going to do something I do it as well as I possibly can. It's craftsmanship vs currency.
rScotty

We may actually be on the same page. Acceptable quality for me means something that will work without normal possible failures.

A normal mode failure would be when using the tractor in its normal fashion.

An abnormal failure would be something like the tractor falling off the trailer when being transported, and having a wheel spacer break when the tractor is hit by an 18 wheeler coming from the opposite direction...

In my mind, making something stronger than standard mechanical design safety margins, and charging more for it has no value in reality as far as safe use goes, for the application the product was designed for.

But at the end of the day, how can we know for sure? Price does not tell the tale, because the product just might cost more but be the same. Difficult to figure out really. Maybe impossible.

Craftsmanship VS currency(price) is not a given relationship. Both sets of spacers we got, the 2" and the 1.5"(or 1.25" don't remember) looked to be excellent products as far as fit and appearance goes. Analysis of the metal they are made from? Does not exist, and I don't expect that it is available for the higher priced spacers either.

One thing that struck me is in the literature for the higher priced American made spacers was their saying they used "American Sourced" material. Buying imported metal from an American supplier would make the material American sourced. They DO NOT say "American Made material".

Anyway, Chevy, Mercedes, Rolls Royce...price is different but they all will get you where you are going safely. Kind of like that with the wheel spacers for the BX...I think.

It's only money though...

 

[PILOON]

I've wanted spacers for my Mitsubishi CUT and even have the rim designations but every shop I tried wanted me to send them a rim to machine me a set.
Sure, with shipping costs both ways they'd cost a fortune plus my rims have tires mounted.
Shucks I know the rim designations but I suspect the shops do not have them and only measure and copy.

I'm thinking my best bet now is to simply buy suitable aluminum stock and drill and machine my own. I do have a small lathe and my rims would actually serve as a template so just add longer graded bolts.
Meanwhile I simply trust my pucker meter and keep my rt hand on the 'dump valve'.