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Wheel weights

imtools Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 34 Ridge, NY

2003-12-27          72340

I was talking with a friend of mine recently who wasbuying a tractor with a snow plow and told him he'd probably need wheel weights. He wanted to put weight on the tractor itself and I told him the weights are put on the wheels to lighten the load on the axle and bearings. Am I right? Are there any other reasons to put the weight on the wheels rather than on the frame?

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Wheel weights

TomG Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley

2003-12-27          72345

That's true far as I know. Weight on the wheels stresses the chassis less--although it's still weight that has to be moved. It also lowers the centre of gravity more than most 3ph ballast boxes and workable hitch heights.

I'm not sure where this weight on the tractor is intended to go, but I never figured any place other then the 3ph where much weight could by placed on my 1710. If it's 3ph weight, a reason for using it is that wheel weight doesn't counterbalance a tractor unless the rear wheels pull off the ground. I guess it may hold down the rear but doesn't do much for rear traction when doing heavy loader work--seems sort of paradoxical. With my gimpy PS I know I have to use 3ph weight to lighten the steering when doing heavy loader work, and of course 3ph weight doesn't do anything if it's from an implement that's working on the ground. I think you likely know this stuff but others may not. ....

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Wheel weights

plots1 Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 563 mo   Pics

2003-12-27          72352

I think wheel weights do help with traction greatly. As far as loader work any weight towards the rear,either on the wheel or 3 point serves as a counter balance. that why you add it so the rear end stays planted. ....

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Wheel weights

DRankin Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada   Pics

2003-12-27          72354

Plots put it well.

Adding weight that in effect pushes the tire into a lower profile will increase both traction and stability.

Fluid filled tires will increase stability but are far less effective for traction than putting iron on the frame and axles. ....

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Wheel weights

TomG Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley

2003-12-28          72458

If the purpose of ballasting a tractor is to manage front axle load, wheel weight doesn't do much. If the purpose is the keep the rear tires on the ground then it does. It doesn't compare with 3ph weight for either purpose though. Wheel weight is best for adding traction when minimal change to the load on the front axle is desirable.

Depends on what is meant by balance. Adding wheel weight doesn't lighten load on the front axle much. It wouldn't change the load any if the tires and wheels were rigid since the weight is directly over a support point and there is no leverage. It would add weight on the rear axle and increase traction. So in that sense balance isn't changed, but Mark makes a good point that tires aren't rigid and do flex with load.

Wheel weight does make it harder for weight in the loader to lift the rear so balance is changed in that sense. It's easiest to think of a tractor like a seesaw that shares two balance points. Adding weight leverages against weight the other side of the balance point, but the balance point is also shifted towards the axle nearest the weight. Put enough weight in a bucket and the rear wheels will come off the ground and then the tractor is like a seesaw on the front axle, so balance is changed in that sense. The effect of leverage is reduced as long as there's weight on the rear axle. ....

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Wheel weights

DRankin Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada   Pics

2003-12-28          72462

It is a complex issue, to be sure.

I know my "oh $#!* " meter almost never goes off any more since I put 150 pounds of steel in each rear wheel recess. ....

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Wheel weights

imtools Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 34 Ridge, NY

2003-12-29          72543

My initial question was geared toward improving traction thru the use of additional weight. Many of you have brought up the point of counterbalancing a FEL. A weight box on the 3PH would be more effective, pound for pound, than wheel weights due to the increased distance from the front axle (which would be the pivot point with a FEL). And the point about wheels weight requiring more power to get them going is true though small at the speeds we encounter on our CUTs.
Thanx all for your thoughts (though it doesn't have to end here) ....

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Wheel weights

TomG Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley

2003-12-29          72547

I think wheel weights are best for traction. Adding 3ph weight is a mixed blessing since it increases rear traction but reduces front traction. The net result is more traction since the rear tires are larger but I suspect that it'd take more weight to drag around to get the same traction increase produced by wheel weight.

If I remember, percent tire slippage is one of the Nebraska Tractor Test measures. It is a problem for farm tractors doing draft work since it's an ongoing power loss. Most of us probably have felt it and I seem to recall that it's around 20% by the time it can be felt, which is too high. Wheel weight is good at managing slippage, but it's still takes power moving weight both along the ground and in a circle. I think many tractor pull rigs suspend wheel weigh on bearings to minimize the rotating mass that has to be accelerated. ....

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