Matt G.
Archive through April 01, 2009
- Thread starter tmarkle
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PETE McC - For the rears I vote for the Firestones. More money but well worth the price.
Matt's done more swapping around of tires & wheels than I have so His opinion is probably better than mine. I know there are two versions of the wider frt wheel for the 16-6.50X8's. It may be time to perform a spindle upgrade on Your 100 to get the 1" spindles and use SGT wheels. I saw a post on here sometime in the last year where someone added length to a spindle to fit different wheels with wider tires.
The 18-8.50X8 V61's would fit on a 6" wide wheel, but it would probably bulge over the side of the wheel about an inch.
I had 16-6.50X8's on the frt of My 129 years ago and it steered REALLY hard on hard surfaces, I'd like to stay with something narrower. There's a V61 in a 15-6.00 x 6 that I would like to try but I'm having a problem finding a wheel I like. Everything I'm finding has some POS knobby tire attached!
Matt's done more swapping around of tires & wheels than I have so His opinion is probably better than mine. I know there are two versions of the wider frt wheel for the 16-6.50X8's. It may be time to perform a spindle upgrade on Your 100 to get the 1" spindles and use SGT wheels. I saw a post on here sometime in the last year where someone added length to a spindle to fit different wheels with wider tires.
The 18-8.50X8 V61's would fit on a 6" wide wheel, but it would probably bulge over the side of the wheel about an inch.
I had 16-6.50X8's on the frt of My 129 years ago and it steered REALLY hard on hard surfaces, I'd like to stay with something narrower. There's a V61 in a 15-6.00 x 6 that I would like to try but I'm having a problem finding a wheel I like. Everything I'm finding has some POS knobby tire attached!
mgonitzke
Well-known member
Dennis/Pete-
The SGTs that would have come with 18-8.5-8 fronts have a different front axle and spindles than the standard-frame 82 series tractors. I don't know how wide a super's front wheel is, but one thing that *might* work would be to put a WF front axle in with the tires on NF 16-16.5-8 front wheels, which will space them out away from the spindle and hopefully not interfere. However, the front of the tractor will be wider, but that might balance out the 26-12-12 rear tires. DISCLAIMER: I haven't actually done this, but I think it could work.
Honestly, if it were mine, I'd get 8.50 'stones for the rear, and 16-6.50-8 V61s for the front. Then you don't have to worry about any interference issues, and it'll look and work good.
The SGTs that would have come with 18-8.5-8 fronts have a different front axle and spindles than the standard-frame 82 series tractors. I don't know how wide a super's front wheel is, but one thing that *might* work would be to put a WF front axle in with the tires on NF 16-16.5-8 front wheels, which will space them out away from the spindle and hopefully not interfere. However, the front of the tractor will be wider, but that might balance out the 26-12-12 rear tires. DISCLAIMER: I haven't actually done this, but I think it could work.
Honestly, if it were mine, I'd get 8.50 'stones for the rear, and 16-6.50-8 V61s for the front. Then you don't have to worry about any interference issues, and it'll look and work good.
MATT - SGT's have 7" wide frt wheels. The whole axle is swept forward an inch or so to extend the wheelbase. The whole axle is about three times as heavy as a NF frt axle but the spindles are the "J" shaped spindles similar to a NF but 1" dia.
I just measured My 982 with Titan Multi-trac frt tires, 18-8.50X8's and there's only 3/8" clearance between the tire sidewall and spindle housing on the end of the axle.
The other thing about SGT's is IH used 8-1/2" wide rear wheels for the 26-12.00X12's and they really should be on a 9-3/4" or 10" wide wheel. The sidewalls on the Firestones on My 982 suck in pretty good.
Can't remember who made the post but I remember someone saying about a month ago the 23-8.50 Firestones were once again "NLA" with no date as to when Firestone may run any more. Too bad because I really wanted a pair for My "70-soon-to-be-100". Guess I may have to get a pair of 6-12 Firestones for it. Then all I need is ONE good used 13.6 X 38 6-ply Field & Road 23 deg. tire for the '51 M and EVERYTHING in the shop will have Firestones on it.
I just measured My 982 with Titan Multi-trac frt tires, 18-8.50X8's and there's only 3/8" clearance between the tire sidewall and spindle housing on the end of the axle.
The other thing about SGT's is IH used 8-1/2" wide rear wheels for the 26-12.00X12's and they really should be on a 9-3/4" or 10" wide wheel. The sidewalls on the Firestones on My 982 suck in pretty good.
Can't remember who made the post but I remember someone saying about a month ago the 23-8.50 Firestones were once again "NLA" with no date as to when Firestone may run any more. Too bad because I really wanted a pair for My "70-soon-to-be-100". Guess I may have to get a pair of 6-12 Firestones for it. Then all I need is ONE good used 13.6 X 38 6-ply Field & Road 23 deg. tire for the '51 M and EVERYTHING in the shop will have Firestones on it.
1981 price list.
I'm wanting to put some better tires on my cub and I've been looking at various atv tires like I posted about a couple weeks ago. Many have said you cant fit much a larger tire on my machine if its used for mowing. I have a 129 with a 44" deck. Well I finally put the mower deck back on to see what kind of clearance I have. With the rear tires it looks like I have at least 4" of clearance between the closest tire to deck clearance. With that much I dont see any reason 26" wouldnt fit or even 27?
The front wheels are much tighter though, clearence might have been just under 2" at the tightest spot. I havent looked at front tires yet I dont know what people normally do if they put larger ones in back, if the front axle can be spaced or if a larger tire is needed.
I know it will be really close with the fenders, but I hear its easy to space up the rear fenders so that shouldnt be a big deal. Here are a couple pics of the tire clearance I have now with 23x8.5x12. The ones I am thinking of come in 25, 26, or 27" tall 9x12's. I've been told with a 10" plow I want to keep the width to that or less.
The front wheels are much tighter though, clearence might have been just under 2" at the tightest spot. I havent looked at front tires yet I dont know what people normally do if they put larger ones in back, if the front axle can be spaced or if a larger tire is needed.
I know it will be really close with the fenders, but I hear its easy to space up the rear fenders so that shouldnt be a big deal. Here are a couple pics of the tire clearance I have now with 23x8.5x12. The ones I am thinking of come in 25, 26, or 27" tall 9x12's. I've been told with a 10" plow I want to keep the width to that or less.
KRAIG - My 982 listed for MORE MONEY than My First New car only four years before. My '77 Pontiac Firebird Esprit with 301 V-8, A/T, A/C, P/S, P/B, tilt & cruise only stickered for around $5400.
TRISTAN - Your correct, with adjustments made to the rear fender pan You should be able to get 25" or 26" tires on Your 129, maybe even the 27". But on the front tires You have to check for clearance with the front wheels turning left & right also. With the geometry of the spindles the right tire moves closer to the deck on right turns and ditto for the left tire on left turns. Your current tires have a pretty round profile but some tires like My Titans on the frt of My 982 are really square, 90 deg. angles between the tread face & sidewalls.
Far as plowing is concerned, I've plowed with a 10" plow with My 982 with 12.00" wide tires without a problem. I've also stuck 18.4 X 34 tractor tires in thousands of miles of 14" wide furrows. The far right edge of the furrow tire runs on a bit of loose dirt from the last bottom on the last round but really doesn't cause a problem. Sometimes You can see the packed plowed dirt because the first bottom of the plow doesn't throw the dirt far enough but after the next tillage pass with a disc or ???? You can't tell it anymore.
Thing I hate the most when plowing with a CC is the HUGE Boulders that roll back into the furrow sometimes. By Huge I mean anything over 6-8 inches in diameter. With a full size tractor/plow with rear tires 5 to 6 feet tall that would be like driving over a dirt ball about TWO FEET tall. You can't fell the jolt on a full size farm tractor but after 2-3 hours on a garden tractor You can sure feel the rocking back & forth in a 55 yr old back!
TRISTAN - Your correct, with adjustments made to the rear fender pan You should be able to get 25" or 26" tires on Your 129, maybe even the 27". But on the front tires You have to check for clearance with the front wheels turning left & right also. With the geometry of the spindles the right tire moves closer to the deck on right turns and ditto for the left tire on left turns. Your current tires have a pretty round profile but some tires like My Titans on the frt of My 982 are really square, 90 deg. angles between the tread face & sidewalls.
Far as plowing is concerned, I've plowed with a 10" plow with My 982 with 12.00" wide tires without a problem. I've also stuck 18.4 X 34 tractor tires in thousands of miles of 14" wide furrows. The far right edge of the furrow tire runs on a bit of loose dirt from the last bottom on the last round but really doesn't cause a problem. Sometimes You can see the packed plowed dirt because the first bottom of the plow doesn't throw the dirt far enough but after the next tillage pass with a disc or ???? You can't tell it anymore.
Thing I hate the most when plowing with a CC is the HUGE Boulders that roll back into the furrow sometimes. By Huge I mean anything over 6-8 inches in diameter. With a full size tractor/plow with rear tires 5 to 6 feet tall that would be like driving over a dirt ball about TWO FEET tall. You can't fell the jolt on a full size farm tractor but after 2-3 hours on a garden tractor You can sure feel the rocking back & forth in a 55 yr old back!
mgonitzke
Well-known member
Tristan S.-
A couple of things you might want to keep in mind: One, that deck subframe isn't perfectly rigid, and the deck can swing side to side on uneven terrain, while mowing along brush, or can be moved A LOT if you bump a tree while mowing around it. This can force one of the rear gauge wheels into your tire, which won't be very good for your tires. Two, 27" rear tires will make the tractor sit leaning forward, which could do strange things to the geometry of the steering and make it harder to steer, not to mention that the deck will be far from level, and you may have to space off the rear QA latches significantly to make up for the difference, which may or may not be feasible, depending on how tall those are. You'll most likely have to space the fenders up for 26" or 27" tires, and you most likely won't be able to use chains with those sizes either, but I imagine your objective with the ATV tires is to eliminate any need for chains, so that last thing won't be a problem for you, most likely.
A couple of things you might want to keep in mind: One, that deck subframe isn't perfectly rigid, and the deck can swing side to side on uneven terrain, while mowing along brush, or can be moved A LOT if you bump a tree while mowing around it. This can force one of the rear gauge wheels into your tire, which won't be very good for your tires. Two, 27" rear tires will make the tractor sit leaning forward, which could do strange things to the geometry of the steering and make it harder to steer, not to mention that the deck will be far from level, and you may have to space off the rear QA latches significantly to make up for the difference, which may or may not be feasible, depending on how tall those are. You'll most likely have to space the fenders up for 26" or 27" tires, and you most likely won't be able to use chains with those sizes either, but I imagine your objective with the ATV tires is to eliminate any need for chains, so that last thing won't be a problem for you, most likely.
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