Changing tire width with wheel weights......

Well, I did it, by myself. Not sure why changing tires is so dangerous to me. This time a bur from the hub went in like a needle under the cuticle on my pinky finger and it tore a 1/2 inch open. :empathy3: No stitches this time :thumbup1gif:

So, I jacked up the back of the tractor and used the bucket to keep the rear level. I had 2 small moving roller boards that allowed me to turn the tire in order to remove them. The pictures suck as I was trying to hold the tire and camera at the same time. Once I rotated the tire about 8 inches it allowed me to pull it out over the hub. I did the same thing to put the tire back on.

I started out at 71" wide and ended up at 66". That should be perfect as the tiller will not ride on the tire tracks and should dig a bit more. 66" is stock for a 4x20 with Ag's.

Your latest cut reminds me of the piece of fake chrome I dug out of my fingernail back in the early 80's. I was driving my parents POS '78 Ford Granada one cold January night when I went to adjust the HVAC to defrost. I wasn't wearing gloves at the time and my fingers slipped off the knob taking off a piece of fake chrome they put on plastic parts and embedding it in my thumbnail. Of course it hurt like hell and the chrome snapped off flush with the top of my nail.

To make matters worse this happened at the end of a long swing shift and I had the flu so I was feeling like crap. When I got home I got out the alcohol, X-acto knife, needle-nose pliers and tweezers. I had to excavate a crater around the chrome to grab hold of it with the pliers and tweezers. Pouring alcohol on it to disinfect it sure stung like hell too.

How come no jack-stands in picture 8?

Trust me, I was thinking about jack stands and how to use a second or third jack. Due to the height I had to raise it to and the limited items to lift on that were not in the way, I was stuck. I had about 800 pounds of Iron in the bucket to keep it level on the ground, but it sucked.

You have a very valid point and it was thought about. I would not suggest anyone do it how I did as safety was not first.

I hear ya on the old plastic chrome. I have built a few SEMA show cars and each one has my DNA somwhere on it..... The metal under the dash on cars is never cut clean and always gets me....

Good job, Brian. The pictures were very good, too... thanks. Noted that you placed the weights inside the wheel - I've seen a number of larger Ag machines fitted with weights like that as well.

Have never considered the pros and cons of inside versus outside. Any thoughts there?

Also, is the external pto shifter (in your pics) for the e540? The "normal" 540 pto is located inside the cab?

Thanks.

AKfish

I love the weights on the inside. The good part to me is that they are not sticking out farther than the tire and they look better. The only con I can think of would be that it would be harder to take one off if I wanted to remove the weights, but I never will.

The PTO lever you see is to shift between 540 and e540. The normal on and off switch is inside the cab. I am unsure why they did it this way, but it works out well as I always decide what I am using when I hook up the implement.

Well done Brian. I can see that being very tricky by yourself.

Brian said:

I love the weights on the inside. The good part to me is that they are not sticking out farther than the tire and they look better.

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I really like the look of the wheel weights on the outside but I hate it when they stick out past the tire as well.

Regards,

Tom

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