Wheel Spacers…need source advice

Henro

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B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex., Beer fridge
May 24, 2019
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Hi Guys,

I’d very much like to buy cheap wheel spacers off of eBay like I did for my BX 2200, but I don’t think that’s easily done, if even possible.

This is for my B2910.

I remember there were two American made products available. One I think bolted directly on, and the other one if I remember correctly required that the existing hub bolts be removed and something different put in their place.

I really want the plug-in play version. Can you guys point me in the right direction? Or at least Tell me what the current sources for wheel spacers might be for my tractor? I’m thinking to go with 4 inch spacers. That would put my rear wheels out at close to the width of my 60 inch rotary cutter.

Appreciate any thoughts/ideas/guidance anyone can offer!
 

Henro

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B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex., Beer fridge
May 24, 2019
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PS…After tipping my B2910 on its side once about 12 years ago, in a situation where I never thought that would happen or even be possible, my pucker factor on the B2910 grew exponentially!
 

DustyRusty

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2020 BX23S, BX2822 Snowblower, Curtis Deluxe Cab,
Nov 8, 2015
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You need to determine the bolt circle and the number of bolts. With this information, it will be a lot easier to find spacers. The most common are 5 & 6 bolt wheels. You can get a tool at Harbor Freight that will measure bolt circle if you don't know how to do it.
 

RMS

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LX2610HSDC, RCR1260, PFL1242, LX2963, RB1684, WC-68,Flail Mower,Grapple, Z421
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Look at Bora wheel spacers. I used them and they bolted right onto the existing hubs with provided hardware and then the wheels bolted to them with the original hardware.
 
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Henro

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B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex., Beer fridge
May 24, 2019
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Look at Bora wheel spacers. I used them and they bolted right onto the existing hubs with provided hardware and then the wheels bolted to them with the original hardware.
Thank you for that.

I remembered the Bora name but didn’t have success trying to find the other name that I remembered being out there. Turns out I found it this morning: Bro-Tech.

Looks like they both are easily installed. The Bro-Tec spacers are supplied with different bolts that must be used in place of the originals, but that is simple enough. Original 2 studs remain in the hubs. What I thought I read in a post years ago was probably referring to that. My impression at the time was that the poster was referring to the two studs, which it is obvious to me now he was not.
 

Showmedata

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LX3310
May 18, 2022
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Boulder CO
Thank you for that.

I remembered the Bora name but didn’t have success trying to find the other name that I remembered being out there. Turns out I found it this morning: Bro-Tech.

Looks like they both are easily installed. The Bro-Tec spacers are supplied with different bolts that must be used in place of the originals, but that is simple enough. Original 2 studs remain in the hubs. What I thought I read in a post years ago was probably referring to that. My impression at the time was that the poster was referring to the two studs, which it is obvious to me now he was not.
I have Bora 3" spacers for my LX3310. I remove them every winter (so the track isn't wider than my snowblower) and re-install them every summer (for working in the hilly forest). They're doing the job just fine.
 
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Henro

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B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex., Beer fridge
May 24, 2019
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You need to determine the bolt circle and the number of bolts. With this information, it will be a lot easier to find spacers. The most common are 5 & 6 bolt wheels. You can get a tool at Harbor Freight that will measure bolt circle if you don't know how to do it.
This is true, but with my B2910 the wheels are hub centric, so there’s another piece of the puzzle. The spacers must have an indention on the back side, that slips over the hub pilot, and an extension that sticks out and passes through the center of the wheel and fits properly.

I suppose if they were available, cheap lug centric wheel spacers would work on a tractor, but the Kubota design is hub centric and that’s what I want to maintain. Also, I want 4 inch spacers. Another complication…

I decided to go with Bro-tec. They were $350 a pair while Bora was $480. This is for aluminum spacers. I believe that either aluminum or steel will work equally well on the tractor. Steel would be better as it adds more weight. But steel is more more expensive and aluminum keeps my wallet a little heavier.
 
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jaxs

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B1750HST
Jun 22, 2023
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Texas
Hi Guys,

I’d very much like to buy cheap wheel spacers off of eBay like I did for my BX 2200, but I don’t think that’s easily done, if even possible.

This is for my B2910.

I remember there were two American made products available. One I think bolted directly on, and the other one if I remember correctly required that the existing hub bolts be removed and something different put in their place.

I really want the plug-in play version. Can you guys point me in the right direction? Or at least Tell me what the current sources for wheel spacers might be for my tractor? I’m thinking to go with 4 inch spacers. That would put my rear wheels out at close to the width of my 60 inch rotary cutter.

Appreciate any thoughts/ideas/guidance anyone can offer!
I can't offer ideas or guidance to spacers any cheaper or better than those you've found but I do have thoughts about installing wheel spacers. I wouldn't put wheel spacers on anything unless the need outweighed potential damage they will likely cause to axles and bearings.

At one time it was fashionable to reverse wheels and install wheel spacers on low riders and ghetto cruisers. It wasn't long before added stress caused hub and bearing failures. Kids doing the same to 4x4 trucks to make them look like Tonka Toys and Monster Trucks had similar damage occur.

What improvement to mower performance do you expect from widening wheels? It might be worth the effort while mowing but weight-bearing chores cause lots of stress.
 
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Henro

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B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex., Beer fridge
May 24, 2019
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North of Pittsburgh PA
I can't offer ideas or guidance to spacers any cheaper or better than those you've found but I do have thoughts about installing wheel spacers. I wouldn't put wheel spacers on anything unless the need outweighed potential damage they will likely cause to axles and bearings.

At one time it was fashionable to reverse wheels and install wheel spacers on low riders and ghetto cruisers. It wasn't long before added stress caused hub and bearing failures. Kids doing the same to 4x4 trucks to make them look like Tonka Toys and Monster Trucks had similar damage occur.

What improvement to mower performance do you expect from widening wheels? It might be worth the effort while mowing but weight-bearing chores cause lots of stress.
Jaxs, your perspective is highly appreciated. Every coin has at least two sides for sure.

In my case, the improvement I expect is possible improvement in my life expectancy. After tipping my B2910 on its side once about 12 years ago, while doing something where I didn’t think that could happen, my eyes certainly opened with respect to possibilities.

There are a lot of tractors operating with wheel spacers without issues. Occasionally, we hear of one that has damaged that could have been caused by wheel spacers. Or it could’ve been the result of abuse as well, combined with extra stress caused by the spacers.

Wheel spacers certainly increase tractor stability and reduce the probability of a tip over to some extent. At the risk of increasing stress on some of the tractor components. I guess my conclusion is/was if I’m going to break something, I’d rather break my tractor than break my neck.

Not that wheel spacers provide any guarantee. But they do add something in the Operator’s favor.
 
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WI_Hedgehog

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BX2370 (impliment details in Profile-About)
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@jaxs : Thank you for bringing that up; it's sound advice like yours that kept me from adding spacers given my tractor is often used to lift heavy loads and has a weight bucket out back; so far I've found ways to work around the BX narrow stance, and if that changes I'll get spacers (thanks for the info @Henro) and lift lighter loads.
 

ctfjr

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L3800HST
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4 years ago I added 3" Bro Tek spacers to my tractor. If nothing else it makes me feel more secure crossing grades. I have never had direct contact with anyone who had a problem attributable to spacers.

btw the spacers you get in are going to look like a piece of art.

20201213_114428_resized.jpg
 
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jaxs

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B1750HST
Jun 22, 2023
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Jaxs, your perspective is highly appreciated. Every coin has at least two sides for sure.

In my case, the improvement I expect is possible improvement in my life expectancy. After tipping my B2910 on its side once about 12 years ago, while doing something where I didn’t think that could happen, my eyes certainly opened with respect to possibilities.

There are a lot of tractors operating with wheel spacers without issues. Occasionally, we hear of one that has damaged that could have been caused by wheel spacers. Or it could’ve been the result of abuse as well, combined with extra stress caused by the spacers.

Wheel spacers certainly increase tractor stability and reduce the probability of a tip over to some extent. At the risk of increasing stress on some of the tractor components. I guess my conclusion is/was if I’m going to break something, I’d rather break my tractor than break my neck.

Not that wheel spacers provide any guarantee. But they do add something in the Operator’s favor.
Ever coin does indeed have at least two sides and coins we see at online forums have 20 faces for use by those professed as average plus 30 edges and 12 vertices for eccentrics ( icosahedron ). Most folks who've owned their tractor 10 years can suggest things to make ours safer but sadly many only do as they see others doing without weighing the consequences.

In addition to decades of owning tractors I've observed others operating tractors . Not counting dozens of small farms like I lived on,two farms operated dozens each ranging in size from 12 horse to over 300 horse. Swarms of tractors operated 12 hours a day,6 days per week for months on end. I know of 4 tractors capsized on those farms. One operator was drunk,two were inexperienced and the forth was a retired farmer.

To show even old farmers make mistakes,I'll tell you about it. The retired man was using mules and kept a pair for his few acres of truck farm when his son took over. The son gifted dad with a B Farmall and implements. If you've ever switched implements and hooked them to mules and a B you know what I mean by that tractor being their first mistake. Having never wasted any ground for turnrows the old guy plows right up to the ditch and said "WHOA". Before he finished " #@^%$ I SAID WH,,,,,,,,the tractor was on it's side in ditch.

In the past 20 years I've heard of hobby farmers capsizing more tractors than all those in proceeding 60 years. Considering # of tractors and hours of operation I'd feel safe in saying weekend warriors flip 1,000 tractors to farmers' 1. I attribute that difference to weekenders overburdening their tractors and carrying loads too high. The little tractors remind me of ducks waddling along hunting a place to squat.

Fels are handy but when not in use shouldn't be on tractor. I could have bought a pair of loaders for what I paid for my Bush Hog but I can take it off and on quicker than 2 men and a boy can some. Adding insult to injury (pardon pun) is "bucket forks" instead of ssqa. Moving load farther out with bucket forks not only invites damage by multiplying moment of inertia, it adds a level of danger.

I to want to extend my life and preserve well being but instead of trying with band-aids and compromises I invest in equipment designed for task. Tractors with adjustable width wheels are available and designed to withstand forces involved. IMO money invested in equipment up to the task is better spent than making repairs on equipment altered and pushed to preform beyond design.
 
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WI_Hedgehog

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BX2370 (impliment details in Profile-About)
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@jaxs : If you don't mind me adding to what you said, "Go slow."

I've gotten in a few tippy situations due to needing to be at odd angles to move large stones, and other than keeping the loader low, the tractor was kept at a very slow pace so that if anything started to go wrong it could be undone before it went wrong. I've found people (in general) are most dangerous to themselves right after they feel they've gotten good at something and over-confidence sets in; when 2 or 3 problems set in at the same time they're not experienced enough to handle them all at once and they're screwed.

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.
 
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Henro

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B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex., Beer fridge
May 24, 2019
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I happened to look down after unpacking the wheel spacers that arrived today…

IMG_1390.jpeg
 
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skeets

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BX 2360 /B2601
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I put 2 inchers on the B seems to work well the BORA you dont need to change the lug bolts out on the axel you bolt to them, they aint cheap but sometimes cheap anit the way to go

 
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WI_Hedgehog

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After some BX2370 tippyness I'm thinking of adding 4" aluminum rear wheel spacers for use in the woods with industrial wheels, but I'd like to remove the spacers when I change back to to lawn wheels (which is pretty regularly) for lawn mowing with tight corners.

Thoughts on 4" spacers (rear only)?

Thoughts on 4" spacers vs 3"?

Bora or Bro-Tek? I change wheels often so that's the main consideration. I'm leaning toward Bro-Tek as their other products were also reasonably priced and easily installed.
 

Henro

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B2910, BX2200, KX41-2V mini Ex., Beer fridge
May 24, 2019
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North of Pittsburgh PA
I went with aluminum 4 inch spacers from Bro-tech and I've been totally satisfied with my purchase. I forgot about this thread, but I updated a different one that I started on this subject (or maybe started a new thread?) and I will take a look and if I find it, put a link here to it... In the meantime, I can say that the shipping from Bro-tech was reasonable, they arrived probably within a week of the purchase date and the other surprise was that they are located in Canada, so I didn't have to pay sales tax.

Subtracting the sales tax I would've paid had I purchased something in the United States, the net shipping was the equivalent of about seven US$.

There was no duty charged, and there was no hold up at the borders that I can perceive.

You never wanna put spacers on the front of the tractor. It increases stress on the front components too much. It's a different animal upfront than it is in the back. Also on my BX I could only go like an inch and a quarter maybe an inch and a half on spacers, because I have a MMM and the tires just barely clear the gauge wheels now.

Another option you would have is something I thought I would do on the BX if I didn't have a MMM. You can buy 2 inch wheel spacers for a jeep that fit perfectly on the BX and they are hubcentric. So you could buy an extra pair of 2 inch wheel, spacers and double them up on each side.

On my BX I had all four tires foam filled buy a large tire dealer. That has a lot of weight down low and also with the MMM hanging down there the BX is extremely stable on sides slopes.

I bought the 4 inch spacers from Bro Tech because I didn't have any option with my B2910 and that's what they're installed on.

Here is that thread I was referring to...

 
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