L3901 Wheel Spacers for stability

IHateHills

New member

Equipment
Kubota L3901
Jan 28, 2021
11
0
1
Georgetown Ohio
My land has some slopes and hills that I just avoid. To add stability am considering adding a Bora 3.5" wheel spacer to each side of rear. Anyone tried spacers? If so, how well did they work and did they cause any maintenance issues. Thanks.
 

UpNorthMI

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3200, L3901, MX5800, SVL75-2, KX040
May 12, 2020
850
566
93
Up North, MI
What type of tires do you have? If R1 ag tires are you aware that they mount at different track widths?
 

85Hokie

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Staff member
Lifetime Member

Equipment
BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
Jul 13, 2013
10,416
2,210
113
Bedford - VA
My land has some slopes and hills that I just avoid. To add stability am considering adding a Bora 3.5" wheel spacer to each side of rear. Anyone tried spacers? If so, how well did they work and did they cause any maintenance issues. Thanks.
Spacers will change your butt-pucker for sure! Great add on - as UP mentioned, AG tires/rim can be moved out and spacers are not needed. R4 and Turfs will need spacers.

They change everything for the better! I would not get so far spread that your tracks are wider than you bucket however.
 
Last edited:

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
10,043
4,135
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
re: My land has some slopes and hills that I just avoid

never,ever drive crossways on a slope or hill !!
leave bucket low to the ground
I drive my stock BX23S up/down a 35* hill ( access ramp to garden ) all the time, no worries......
 

Henro

Well-known member

Equipment
B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex.
May 24, 2019
5,196
2,396
113
North of Pittsburgh PA
re: My land has some slopes and hills that I just avoid

never,ever drive crossways on a slope or hill !!
leave bucket low to the ground
I drive my stock BX23S up/down a 35* hill ( access ramp to garden ) all the time, no worries......
That is easy to say, but if I had to follow that advice 90 percent of the time my tractor would stay parked.

Granted you have some hills where you are...I take it that 35* is percent? But you must have a lot of flat area if you can move your tractor around without crossing a slope. Do not think there is any way I would even attempt going up or down a 35 DEGREE slope!

Wheel spacers certainly do improve stability from what I have seen. How much can be debated though...still, I am a fan of wheel spacers...
 

GreensvilleJay

Well-known member

Equipment
BX23-S,57 A-C D-14,58 A-C D-14, 57 A-C D-14,tiller,cults,Millcreek 25G spreader,
Apr 2, 2019
10,043
4,135
113
Greensville,Ontario,Canada
35 degrees, not percent, it'd be 70 percent slope
not really a big deal
My neighbour's land has some nice 50* degree or more slopes to have 'fun' on. One Spring day, I'll measure them just for a giggle,probably closer to 60...
 

Henro

Well-known member

Equipment
B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex.
May 24, 2019
5,196
2,396
113
North of Pittsburgh PA
35 degrees, not percent, it'd be 70 percent slope
not really a big deal
My neighbour's land has some nice 50* degree or more slopes to have 'fun' on. One Spring day, I'll measure them just for a giggle,probably closer to 60...
Please do measure that slope and report back!

I totally agree driving across a 35 degree slope on a normal tractor larger than a BX would be close to insane, even with wheel spacers of any thickness. Still 35 degrees is really steep, but not as steep as 45 degrees... :)

I will say that my BX with four foam filled tires and the MMM on, is extremely stable on slopes. On the other hand, my B2910 scares me on about any cross slope I have here, after tipping it on its side once when using a box blade on a close to flat area...(built up an area a couple feet, then slid off the edge after becoming inattentive due to the monotony of going back and forth so many times...)
 

NCL4701

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Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Apr 27, 2020
2,554
3,657
113
Central Piedmont, NC
My land has some slopes and hills that I just avoid. To add stability am considering adding a Bora 3.5" wheel spacer to each side of rear. Anyone tried spacers? If so, how well did they work and did they cause any maintenance issues. Thanks.
Before buying spacers you might take a look at the rear wheels to see if they are one piece rims or two piece (outer donut bolted to center dish). If two piece and you’re running R4’s or R1’s you should have multiple width choices based on how you have the outer rims bolted to the centers. If you have two piece I’d check the owner manual for the max width with your tires and compare to current rear width. Obviously, if you have one piece rims, spacers are the only option.
 

NCL4701

Well-known member

Equipment
L4701, T2290, WC68, grapple, BB1572, Farmi W50R, Howes 500, 16kW IMD gen, WG24
Apr 27, 2020
2,554
3,657
113
Central Piedmont, NC
OP has a L3901 so R4's are solid with no adjustment (and majority of these Standard L's are sold with R4's....
My L4701 came with the 2 piece 4 position rims and R4’s. Didn’t know what the L3901’s came with.
 

mdhughes

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3901DT
Dec 10, 2014
1,216
636
113
Ste Geneveive county, MO
My L3901DT has R1's and there were others on the lot when I bought mine. I think the dealer I got mine from sells a lot with R1's.

I don't have my rims set to the widest, but they are set wider then when I looked at the tractor.
 

IHateHills

New member

Equipment
Kubota L3901
Jan 28, 2021
11
0
1
Georgetown Ohio
What type of tires do you have? If R1 ag tires are you aware that they mount at different track widths?
Not ag tires. My L3901 has one piece rims that do not allow for changing width. Bummer. It's either spacers, or nothing. Just worried about breaking something with 3.5" spacers (although I have seen posts where some people actually put 6 on both sides !)
 

IHateHills

New member

Equipment
Kubota L3901
Jan 28, 2021
11
0
1
Georgetown Ohio
Before buying spacers you might take a look at the rear wheels to see if they are one piece rims or two piece (outer donut bolted to center dish). If two piece and you’re running R4’s or R1’s you should have multiple width choices based on how you have the outer rims bolted to the centers. If you have two piece I’d check the owner manual for the max width with your tires and compare to current rear width. Obviously, if you have one piece rims, spacers are the only option.
Thanks for the suggestion. I have one piece rims so spacers are the only answer (other than loading tires which have already done). Not sure what my maximum spacers would be without messing up reliability. From looking at how much can be added to width by changing wheels (on those where it is possible), I think 4.5 inches on each side would be ok. Can't get Kubota to comment on reliability issues though. Not at all.
 

UpNorthMI

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Lifetime Member

Equipment
L3200, L3901, MX5800, SVL75-2, KX040
May 12, 2020
850
566
93
Up North, MI
I’ve never fitted spacers to any of my tractors, I don’t have hills to worry about. If I was looking to fit spacers I think I would look in the 2-2.5” per side, 3.5”+ seems a large change.
 

RB52

New member

Equipment
L2501 HST
Sep 1, 2015
3
1
3
Bentonville,AR
That is easy to say, but if I had to follow that advice 90 percent of the time my tractor would stay parked.

Granted you have some hills where you are...I take it that 35* is percent? But you must have a lot of flat area if you can move your tractor around without crossing a slope. Do not think there is any way I would even attempt going up or down a 35 DEGREE slope!

Wheel spacers certainly do improve stability from what I have seen. How much can be debated though...still, I am a fan of wheel spacers...
My land has some slopes and hills that I just avoid. To add stability am considering adding a Bora 3.5" wheel spacer to each side of rear. Anyone tried spacers? If so, how well did they work and did they cause any maintenance issues. Thanks.
I have the Bora 3.5" on my L2501 along with filled rear tires. I think it's much more stable. Like you, I questioned the size to get and called the company. They were very helpful and suggested at least 3" as I recall.
 

Henro

Well-known member

Equipment
B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex.
May 24, 2019
5,196
2,396
113
North of Pittsburgh PA
I have the Bora 3.5" on my L2501 along with filled rear tires. I think it's much more stable. Like you, I questioned the size to get and called the company. They were very helpful and suggested at least 3" as I recall.
I also will go with spacers about the same width as roybell, if I buy them. Looks like the Bora ones are what I would go with. I am thinking of 4" spacers for my B2910. Being relatively expensive, if I am going to spend around $400 I want to get some real benefit from the purchase. Might be a little off on the cost...did not check in a while...but probably not by much delivered...
 

VT_Kubota

Member

Equipment
B2650
Dec 7, 2020
42
19
8
Vermont
vthomesource.com
The salesman I spoke to about wheel spacers said that he has some guys running 5" spacers with no problems at all. They are working in the woods in steep terrain, so they wanted to go as wide as they could. My land is also very hilly. He recommend 4" spacers for my B2650, so that's what I'm having installed.
 

IHateHills

New member

Equipment
Kubota L3901
Jan 28, 2021
11
0
1
Georgetown Ohio
I have the Bora 3.5" on my L2501 along with filled rear tires. I think it's much more stable. Like you, I questioned the size to get and called the company. They were very helpful and suggested at least 3" as I recall.
Thanks for the comment! Would you mind letting me know about how many hours you have on the 3.5" spacers? Thanks!
 

RB52

New member

Equipment
L2501 HST
Sep 1, 2015
3
1
3
Bentonville,AR
Thanks for the comment! Would you mind letting me know about how many hours you have on the 3.5" spacers? Thanks!
I don't use it a lot, so probably somewhere in the 13-15 hour range. I had the dealership install them and rear remotes at the same time.