BX2380 wheel weights with filled rear tires

[Old fart]

My 2380 has a Curtis cab, so the center of gravity is higher than the norm. I have 2” wheel spacers and filled tires. That combination helps immensely. We are logging about 40 hilly, bumpy acres and was thinking of adding the G8100A wheel weights to help plant the tractor to the ground even better. I’ll be working with a grapple, FEL and back blade to clean up. The Kubota manual says not to run both weights and filled tires to prevent transmission damage. I find it hard to believe that adding another 50 pounds to each wheel is going to put the transmission at risk. I don’t want to damage anything or put the warranty at risk, but I don’t want to end up on my side either. Any thoughts?

 

[JeepinMaxx]

I'm curious on this too - my manual for my BX2660 says the same thing about wheel weights and filled tires. I have 1.5" spacers and a 70lb wheel weight on each side... For loader work I have around 420 lbs of ballast which is what my LA243 manual recommends

 

[Old fart]

This post doesn’t seem to have sparked much interest. As I continue to research, it seems that using both filled tires and wheel weights is a common occurrence with tractors. All the weight goes to the ground and doesn’t stress the axles or bearings. If you load the three point or FEL to capacity your putting much more weight on the tractor, so is Kubota just doing a CYA thing by saying no to this in the manual?

 

[SDT]

My 2380 has a Curtis cab, so the center of gravity is higher than the norm. I have 2” wheel spacers and filled tires. That combination helps immensely. We are logging about 40 hilly, bumpy acres and was thinking of adding the G8100A wheel weights to help plant the tractor to the ground even better. I’ll be working with a grapple, FEL and back blade to clean up. The Kubota manual says not to run both weights and filled tires to prevent transmission damage. I find it hard to believe that adding another 50 pounds to each wheel is going to put the transmission at risk. I don’t want to damage anything or put the warranty at risk, but I don’t want to end up on my side either. Any thoughts?

If the owner's manual advises not to do so, you should not expect Kubota to repair any transmission damage under warranty if you do.

Adding wheel weights to your BX will do little to improve side hill stability but the added weights of cab, liquid ballast, and weights will increase rear wheel traction significantly. The increased traction might be beyond the design specifications of the transmission in some situations.

SDT

 

[Yoder409]

I guess I'm taking a risk for the safety of keeping my machine firmly planted.

I run the rear tires on my BX1850 loaded with beet juice and 100# iron weights on each wheel (along with some really HD tire chains).

For FEL work and mowing some of the foulest, steep places one can imagine, it helps...... BIG TIME. Some of the work I do on the BX does not allow for any error or second chances. I'll take MY chances and weight the machine to suit the usage.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

As I have the 'sister' BX23S I was curious....
You've already got a lot of additonal weight on the tractor and 100 extra may not seem like much....eventually there is a 'straw that breaks the camel's back'.
While the wheelweights may not stress the axles and bearings, They DO impact the HST ! The HST has to move all that MASS, and well, it does have a 'design limit'. Follow the knowldge presented by Kubota.
It's well known that Allis-Chalmers model 'G' tractors will destroy their right axle shafts when over stressed and they are NOT fun to repair. I would not like the bill for an HST R and R.

Jay

 

[skeets]

I dont understand this, filling the tires and wheel weights put no load on the transmission, as it is rolling stock, what difference would it make if you were dragging something like a plow, rear blade, box blade, logs they would all load it up and the hydro bypass shouldnt allow any damage. but then maybe Im looking at it all wrong

 

[GreensvilleJay]

You need to talk to a 'physics' guy or an A-C G owner. I imagine the math is pretty 'intense' and I have seen several busted G axles over the years. I've got 3 'centers' from D-14s that were destroyed due to pie weights.
I look at the easy to understand part...
if you overload something, bad things WILL happen.