# Rear Wheel Weights



## bolillo_loco (Oct 9, 2010)

Hello! I've made up some rear wheel weight brackets for my Craftsman garden tractor. Since I have a lot of cast iron Olympic weights, I had a bracket made up to bolt to the rim to hold them. I wanted something that would be "quick change," and as you'll see by the bracket, it's easily installed and taken off. Moreover, changing the plates, and using any combination that I want, is easily done.

I also had some 4 ply ags lying about for the past 20 years. As can be expected, they're a bit dry, but in like new condition, and they were free. The odd thing about them is that they're the same size as the turf savers that I took off, but yet the ags are just over an inch taller than the turfs. The turfs and ags are both 23 x 10.50 x 12. I picked up some tri ribs in order to improve the turning while cutting grass, and I've read that they help to lighten up the steering. Short of a complete redesign, something needs to be done about the steering on this model garden tractor. I've replaced the bushing in the steering sector, it was about as shot as could be. When unbolted, three pieces of what remained fell to earth... I also replaced the bell crank bushing, and these two fixes have greatly improved the steering, but as anybody knows that has one of these tractors, it's still less than ideal.

I snapped a few photos. There are 2 - 45lb plates, 1 - 25lb plate, and 40lbs of 5 and 10lb plates inside the dish of the rim for a total of 155lbs of cast iron plates on each tire. I can put more on if I like, or quickly take them off thanks to the tension clips. I drove all over the yard, over bumps, and on steep side angles, and those spring loaded tension clips held the plates in check. I don't know how much the brackets weight, but the 2" cold rolled stock is solid and 12" long. It's got to weight in around 20 lbs. Now all I have to do is figure out how to post the photos.

enjoy,
bolillo_loco


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## dangeroustoys56 (Jul 26, 2010)

Cool setup- the AGs will give a lot more traction - specially with the weights , as for the fronts, those tri ribs look pretty cool as well- it should help with the steering. 

The pictures posted fine.

Id say the main reason steering is an issue because its a seriously heavy tractor- between the transmission and the motor alone its a good few hundred pounds ( i took both them off my 86 GTII when i redid it) - the flat tread stock tires dont help- id put a little bit more air in the front tires to help with the steering. Theres probably a way to adjust the caster/camber of the tractor to lighten the front a bit more ( put more weight on the back ) - i have no idea how to do it tho.

When i had my GTII apart, i greased all the grease fittings i could find on the steering, sprayed it liberally with PB blaster and oil- the steering is a bit heavy, but not as bad when i first got it tho.


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

If you could drill a hole where the weights stop at and use a hitch pin, or bolts, and wing nuts, etc.


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## TALHA (Jan 19, 2011)

Casting weight is not constant. May be the problem.


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

It may just be easier to use liquid tire ballast?


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## TeamCheap (Dec 22, 2009)

wjjones said:


> It may just be easier to use liquid tire ballast?


I looked into liquid tire ballast but it is a bit more of a hassle with having to install tubes and then either buy the special tire fill valve or have it done.

I like those wheel weight brackets you made bolillo_loco.

Just adding weight seems to be the easiest.

I dont even have weight on the back of my plow tractor and it does fine.


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## bolillo_loco (Oct 9, 2010)

This tractor cuts grass during the summer, so I do not want weight on it. With this set up, I can take the weights off in one or two minutes. I do not want any extra weight on the tractor for cutting grass. The ags will leave marks in the yard. As it stands now, with 400 or more lbs of weight on the wheels, not only do the ags leave marks in the yard, but the tires actually leave indentations from where I've driven. I don't want this while cutting grass, so I for one of many reasons, I chose a weight set up that could be quickly put on or taken off.

My reason for choosing olympic plates is rather a simple one. I began lifting weights in the late 1970s. Since then, I've been on and off with it, but I've always had a lot of olympic plates lying about. This is why I chose olympic plates. If I didn't lift weights, I'd probably look a different route. Although a simple search of Craig's List does yeild a considerable source of cheap cast iron plates. 

I am not concerned with the plates not having exactly the same weight. Moreover, I'm quite sure that they're not off by that much. Additonally, even if each 45lb plate were one pound heavier than it's matching plate, and I put the five heaviest 45lb plates on one side of the tractor, and the five that were one pound lighter on the other, this would only make the tractor 5lbs heavier on one side. I don't really see that being an issue. It's sort of like worring that one side of your body is 2lbs heavier than the other, and how it's going to affect your tractor's performance... Along with the 45lb plates, there is one 25lb plate, 2 10s, and 1 5lb plate inside the hub, so in total, I can place 275lbs on each wheel. Now can you see how insignificant a few pounds of extra weight due to having cheap olympic plates really is? 

I considered using water, windshield washer fluid, and proper wheel weight ballast, but declined for two reasons. One I've already stated due to cutting grass. The other is water freezes, should I get a flat, washer fluid will kill the grass, and the third is too expensive. I didn't want to hassle with filling the tire either. Since putting the ags on, one tire kept going flat. The tires were free, and the beads were chewed up badly. I finally had to put a tube in it. I'd taken the ag off, cleaned the bead, the rim was already clean, and I remounted it. After a week or two, it would always go flat, and after it went flat, it wouldn't hold air for more than a few hours. In each case, it was always the bead leaking. 

Hitch pins: I've considered using a hitch pin so I could mount five 45lb plates per side. With any weight combination less than that, the olympic spring loaded tension clips work just fine. The plates will not come off no matter how much I beat up on the tractor over bumps, on a hill side. With the clips, I am nearly unlimited with the combination of plates I can use. With hitch pins, I would be limited to my plate combinations. 

The major issue I have with olympic plates is this: I guess for vanity, cast iron olympic plates are purposely made to look much heavier than what they are by the use of ribs and the like. In other words, put 3 45lb plates on each side of a barbell, and it looks like the lifter is picking up twice as much weight as he really is. Standard plates would be better because they're more compact per pound than olympic plates. 

With any weight combination I use 5lbs - 275lbs per tire, if I quickly slam on the breaks, the axles mustn't be taking up a lot of the torque from the added weight because all the plates spin on their axis for at least half a turn. I don't know if that matters, and I don't really see it being an issue because I rarely slam on the brakes while moving along at the break neck speed of 6 - 8 mph, but it does happen at times. 

Well, I'm rather poor at quick replies. To recap, with this set up, I can place as little as 30 total pounds on the tractor with just the weight brackets to as much as 550lbs on the wheels. By picking up the weight off the rack to put on the tire, I've already completed 99% of the work. It's a botless design until I want to remove the brackets. I don't mow around tight areas, so I don't really see myself taking the brackets off frequently, but if I do, it's only four quick bolts. 

In addition to the 550 total pounds I can put on the wheels so that the transaxle bearings are not supporting the weight, I can place a like amount of weight on the rear of the tractor because I have that much cast iron plate. In reality, I don't see myself using much more than 400 lbs on the brackets alone. 

It's going to get used to buck logs, general firewood gathering, and pulling a moldboard plow. I'm not sure if I want to get a dozer blade and or snow blower. 

Thank you all for your replies. I've not been here for a little while.


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

Have you considered a rear weight bracket that goes on the back?


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## bolillo_loco (Oct 9, 2010)

wjjones said:


> Have you considered a rear weight bracket that goes on the back?


Other than romps about the yard in the snow, I’ve not yet been able to use the tractor. Right now, we’ve a foot of ice and snow on the ground, and the tractor will just not go through it. This isn’t fresh snow, as the tractor will easily go through that. This is an inch of melted snow then refrozen, a quarter inch of ice, then melted snow that’s refrozen etc. until there’s a foot of this everywhere. 

I plan to using diamond pattern studded snow chains if need be. If I have to put more weight on, I can simply attach a bar through the belly of the tractor, or bolt a piece of round or square stock onto the back of the tractor so that it accepts Olympic cast iron plates. I’ve a boat load of weight lifting equipment, so I can add nearly 1,000lbs of Olympic cast iron plates in any combination that I see fit. I’ve a compressor, grinders, and an AC/DC Lincoln stick welder, as well as chop saws, drill press, and all sorts of wood working tolls like a 10” table saw, 10” radial arm saw, and 12” band saw that will easily accept blades to cut steel. Hence, the possibilities are many. 

The tri ribs are causing a huge problem right now. I haven’t bothered with it much because I won’t be gardening or gathering firewood until the ice/snow covering melts away. Since I’ve replaced the steering sector and bell crank bushings and added the tri ribs, the tractor’s steering has improved greatly, but now the slop in the front axle causes the tires to flutter all around and vibrate. It’s most annoying! There’s slop between the rims and spindle. Play between the spindles and axle housing, and there’s considerable play between the axle housing and frame. 

As the many bumps and uneven patches in the grass deflect the tri ribs, the entire set up shimmies and vibrates all around, and this is really quite annoying. I imagine that in short order, this will cause rapid wear of the front end. It didn’t do this with the stock 6.50 x 16.50 x 8 turf tires, so it’s obviously the tri ribs higher play rating, increased tire pressure and thinner design that’s exacerbating the tractors front axle slop. I’ll most likely pick up a cast iron front axle, re-bushing everything, and use some five lug trailer axles I have lying about, and make a new spindle setup for the front end. 

I’m quite sure that this will alleviate most if not all of the play. I’ve seen complete cast iron front axle setups with spindles and hardware going for just under 100 dollars at various sites. I’d first like to just go to my friend’s junkyard and poke about his vast supply of used garden tractors. My object is to spend the least amount of money that I have to, and I love toying with old junk. Therefore a free cast iron axle that needs bored out and new brass bushing pressed in is more fun than buying a new set up that’s a direct bolt on part. I enjoy the fabrication end of it. 

Take care and thanks all


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## wjjones (May 28, 2010)

I agree anything you can do better yourself is always better, amazon also has alot of those type bushings cheaper than other sites. I had to install new wheel, and steering sector bushings this past fall, keep us up to date.


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## dangeroustoys56 (Jul 26, 2010)

Mentioning the front axles- my 86GTII has a steel front axle - while my 90's GT6000 has a cast iron one. The GTII is a low buck model in its day - the GT6000 was a 'high dollar ' model with its electric deck lift and fancy dash bord.


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