Request your thoughts please

Today, I'm going to tackle turning the wheels around on my tractor.

I'm gonna take the rim off the wheel first and lean it up against the fender as one old boy suggested, then take my loader and grab that wheel to spin it around.

Both wheel seals are moist, not leaking but they are damp.

Is there a way to check the wheel bearings while I have the wheel off? Like test for movement at the outer portion of the axle or anything?

These are big 38" cast wheels and the 18.4 tires are fluid filled. I don't wanna do this again, so thought I'd try to cover all the bases while I'm at it.

Could you give me your thoughts?

Allan

A good way I find to handle heavy items like this is a pallet jack along with some good hardwood pallets and ratchet tie down straps. You can put a tire like 18.4x38 in upright position on pallet, nail lumber to pallet each side of tire and anchor top every direction to pallet. With 3 pallets you can do same with the cast wheel.

I have taken the entire front of my 560 from clutch housing foreward in one piece, using pallets and a jack. Great investment for older guys with old iron.

Try turning the axle and feel (or listen) for roughness in the bearings, in addition to lifting it. If the seals are leaking, I would change them. They are not going to get any better, and you are most of the way there.

The tires are treaded in the right direction now, but the wheels are "dished in". I want to spin just the cast wheel and was hoping to do so without swapping side to side.

My plan was to just leave the rim and tire standing on the ground, jack the tractor up somewhat on just one side and then to tie the rim/tire over to the tractor with a chain.

After the rim is apart from the wheel, I would then take the naked cast wheel off the axle with the loader.

Does this sound really dumb? I dunno, maybe I should just have "Red Mech" handle this. It is not like I have to have it done right away anyway.

When I was a young man, this wouldn't have even phased me; but then, I never had any 18.4/38s filled with fluid either. These suckers are heavy!

I shoulda stayed down in the flatland.

Allan

Thanks for the hollar.

Yes this one has me nervous. The fluid alone weighs 1100 lbs per tire. Those darned centers probably weigh in at 300lbs.

I'm 60 years old and don't have near the strength I used to have, so I was going to chain the tire/rim to the tractor in some fashion to keep it from falling while I wrestle that wheel off the axle with the loader.

Not looking forward to this at all,

Allan

Dont quite follow you here. If your wheels are dished in now and you want them dished out the easiest way is to swap them side to side. For a minor adjustment cant you just slide them on the axle.

Be careful and better get some help with this.

steve

Hi Steve!

How goes it anyway?

Yeah, I know I don't make much sense...that's the story of my life. Ha.

Yes, swapping side to side would be ideal. The problem is the size of these honkers; they are way taller than I am and they weigh 10 times more than I do.

I've just about talked myself out of this project. The tractor is going into the shop later in the year for a professional paint job anyway, so maybe I should just have them do it in there as they have the necessay equipment and hoists to handle a job such as this.

I remember when I was down on the farm, 16.9X38s without fluid were a handful when they came down off those lugs when handled by me, my brother and the hired man and we were all young and full of vinegar back then. I dunno 'bout this....

Allan