Converting from Crop to Wide wheel Front End

Hey!! I would like to change my tractor from a narrow crop front end to a wide (same as my rear wheels front end. I have a '62-'63ish Ford 4000. Can this be done? IS it easy to do? Any idea where I can get the parts to do this or should I start looking for a broken down tractor that has all the parts that I need to do this already?

Is this doable?

R

Personally, I like my narrow front end, as it is much more maneuverable than a WFE. You won't get much more stability with the wide front, because you're stuck with the row crop's high center of gravity.

what about using one of those rear wheel extenders, that puts the rear wheels out farther. Would this work?

Do they have the same for the front wheels? Would that give me a little better stability?

Or how about adding dual wheels to each side? Wouldn't that give me more stability?

Or am I just grasping at straws here?

Anyway, I will keep my eyes open for a junk Ford Tractor that has the front end needed.....

Certainly moving the rear wheels out will help the stability, but there's no way (other than ballast) to lower the CG.

I operate my row crop on moderately steep sidehills with no problem. But I am very cautious about operating on soft or slippery ground. If a tractor starts sliding sideways on a slope, it will most likely roll when it hits the bottom. That goes for standard as well as row crop.

By ballast, you mean something like wheel weights? This tractor has the large 400lbs weights mounted on the back wheels, but nothing on the front. Do they make front wheel weights or should I look at something like a front grill weight system. If I could find a front grill mounted weight system that was as low as the front wheels, it might do the trick.

I have to mow both sides of an earth dam and while it is easy to mow up and down the back side of the dam, the water side is obviously not so easy to mow. The first time I tried to mow it, I got too close to the water and slipped into the nice soft muddy slope. I used the brake system to try to whip myself to point up the hill but it was too late..... I sank into the soft mud and got stuck. It took my neighbors and their tractor to pull me out. I think I posted this picture already in one of my other posting....

Anyway, I bought a sickle mower so I wont be so close to the waters' edge when I mow. I hope to be back there soon to try it out.

I think I should invest in a roll cage system for my tractor. Anyone know if they sell one or will I need to have a good welder fabricate one for me....???

Roy....

Any other ideas would be welcome.

Like you said, lower my COG.

Im also adding the fluid to the front tires to make them heavy (heavier) as well.

That should take improve my center of gravity issue and allow me to mow the back side of the Dam without worrying so much about tipping. Right?

The real drawback that I see is that I am able to squeeze between the trees when I mow and with duallies on the back, I wont fit between them any more and Ill have to mow around these areas differently.

Do they sell duallies for the front, also?

What do you guys think??

By ballast, I meant to pump liquid ballast (calcium chloride and water) into the tires. The advantage of liquid ballast is that it is lower in the tire and will lower the CG even more than weights. You can add ballast (or wheel weights) to the front tires as well. Your wheel weights are a good start. Of course extra weight will make your tractor sink even faster in soft ground.

Really, the best solution is to stay away from uncertain ground. I nearly stuck my 4000 in a pond doing exactly what you did.

I'm not aware of a roll bar available for the hundred series tractors.