B Rear Wheel Width

[KJB34269]

I'll admit I still don't know a lot about my B. I plan to pick up a trailer in the Spring for hauling my B to events that are too far to drive it to. I was hoping to find a car hauler with a distance between the fenders that will accommodate the B rear tire spread. I do have 11.2-24 tires so I'm a little wider just because of the tires. It looks like my rear tire spread is 81 inches but that might not be 100% accurate. I think my B is already at the narrowest possible rear wheel setting. I'm saying this because of the distance from the tires to the fenders. I don't see how the tires could get any closer to the fenders and the fenders are in a fixed position. Looking at the attached photos, am I correct is saying the rear wheels are at the narrowest setting?

 

[grandpa Love]

Probably so.....every B (6 different ones) we have owned was right at 7ft wide ...they would wedge in between the fenders of most trailers

 

[grandpa Love]

From the B owners manual

 

[Jim Becker]

Prior Discussion

 

[Fritz Maurer]

take a side shot of the wheel showing clearly the current position of the center disc and the rim lugs, and someone will tell you whether you can make it any narrower or not.

 

[Red Dave]

I'll admit I still don't know a lot about my B. I plan to pick up a trailer in the Spring for hauling my B to events that are too far to drive it to. I was hoping to find a car hauler with a distance between the fenders that will accommodate the B rear tire spread. I do have 11.2-24 tires so I'm a little wider just because of the tires. It looks like my rear tire spread is 81 inches but that might not be 100% accurate. I think my B is already at the narrowest possible rear wheel setting. I'm saying this because of the distance from the tires to the fenders. I don't see how the tires could get any closer to the fenders and the fenders are in a fixed position. Looking at the attached photos, am I correct is saying the rear wheels are at the narrowest setting?

My B is 78 inches from the outside of tire to outside of tire. A standard car trailer is 75 inches between the fenders, 96 inches total width, my B won't go on one. My trailer is 83 inches between the fenders, and is 102 inches total width.

Measure your tractor width, outside to outside of the rear tires. Measure any trailers you might want to buy, make sure you have enough clearance between fenders, or get a deck over trailer. Otherwise, you are making your life harder.

Do what Fritz Maurer suggests, someone on here can give you a more accurate answer as to whether yours is as narrow as possible.

 

[KJB34269]

take a side shot of the wheel showing clearly the current position of the center disc and the rim lugs, and someone will tell you whether you can make it any narrower or not.

I'm not in the same location as my tractor right now to take a side shot. But will having wheel weights prevent a side shot from telling me what I need to know? Here is one of my file photos. I'll be able to get a side shot in the next couple of days.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

Whether your tractor is set as narrow as it can be, is based on how the rims are bolted to the wheel centers. Your pictures do not show that so we can't say. Refer to Grandpa Love's post for the diagram.

You say it "looks like" it's 81". Did you measure it? If not, measure it and be sure. Have someone hold one end of the tape to the outside of the tire, and you take the measurement.

If you can verify the tractor is 81", then look for a trailer with 83" between the fenders. They are common, and easy to find. Take your tape measure with you when trailer shopping, and verify before you buy.

 

[Fritz Maurer]

I'm not in the same location as my tractor right now to take a side shot. But will having wheel weights prevent a side shot from telling me what I need to know? Here is one of my file photos. I'll be able to get a side shot in the next couple of days.

If you can get a straight-on shot of the lug bolts, it should tell the story.

 

[Jim Becker]

This comment largely ignores the previously mentioned wheel weight problem with overall width. That picture is good enough to see your wheels are currently set for 68". I'm not sure your tire size. If you have 9.5 tires, your overall width (nominally to outside of tires) is 68+9.5 = 77.5. If they are 11.2, you have 68+11.2 = 79.2. Likewise, 12.4 tires get you to 80.4. Resetting your track to 64" would reduce the width to the outside of the tires by 4 inches. This should be possible with 9.5 tires, but probably not with the larger sizes. My best guess is that you have one of the larger sizes. Check for at least 2 inches clearance from your tires to the fenders etc. If the clearance is there, move them in.

Back to the wheel weights. As is obvious from your picture, the overall width is actually to the outside of the wheel weights. If you are just going to drag the tractor to tractor shows, the obvious fix is to take the weights off and quit dragging the extra 300 pounds around. Otherwise, you need a trailer wide enough or with fenders low enough to clear the weights.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Just put some wide blocking down beside the fenders and long enough to reach with the tires before hitting the fenders with the weights would solve the weight issue. Probably only need a few inches and would not upset the center of gravity enough to matter. A couple 2x12s 3or4 feet long would do it probably if not then ad another stagger the ends so it will climb them easy. top shorter than the next under it and so on. As for the tire setting you probably need to have the disc outside the rim locks to be the narrowest. and may need to turn the rims around or swap sides to keep the tread running the correct way. this would also then involve swapping sides of the disc with the weights if you need to turn it around. A side view would help the most for seeing the tread width setting you are at.

 

[KJB34269]

Whether your tractor is set as narrow as it can be, is based on how the rims are bolted to the wheel centers. Your pictures do not show that so we can't say. Refer to Grandpa Love's post for the diagram.

You say it "looks like" it's 81". Did you measure it? If not, measure it and be sure. Have someone hold one end of the tape to the outside of the tire, and you take the measurement.

If you can verify the tractor is 81", then look for a trailer with 83" between the fenders. They are common, and easy to find. Take your tape measure with you when trailer shopping, and verify before you buy.

I see Wolverine has a car hauler that is advertised at 84" between fenders and Featherlite has one that is 83.5" between fenders. That's good to know they are out there. I do prefer the lighter weight of an aluminum trailer.

 

[Red Dave]

This comment largely ignores the previously mentioned wheel weight problem with overall width. That picture is good enough to see your wheels are currently set for 68". I'm not sure your tire size. If you have 9.5 tires, your overall width (nominally to outside of tires) is 68+9.5 = 77.5. If they are 11.2, you have 68+11.2 = 79.2. Likewise, 12.4 tires get you to 80.4. Resetting your track to 64" would reduce the width to the outside of the tires by 4 inches. This should be possible with 9.5 tires, but probably not with the larger sizes. My best guess is that you have one of the larger sizes. Check for at least 2 inches clearance from your tires to the fenders etc. If the clearance is there, move them in.

Back to the wheel weights. As is obvious from your picture, the overall width is actually to the outside of the wheel weights. If you are just going to drag the tractor to tractor shows, the obvious fix is to take the weights off and quit dragging the extra 300 pounds around. Otherwise, you need a trailer wide enough or with fenders low enough to clear the weights.

The weights are not a factor on car hauler trailers. The weights are high enough that they go right over the fenders with out interference. If you have high sides on your trailer, it may be an issue.

 

[Jim Becker]

The weights are not a factor on car hauler trailers. The weights are high enough that they go right over the fenders with out interference. If you have high sides on your trailer, it may be an issue.

I knew a guy that would load his B with the left rear on top of his side rail. I didn't think it looked good, but it seemed to work for him. I haven't seen him in years . . .

Just put some wide blocking down beside the fenders and long enough to reach with the tires before hitting the fenders with the weights would solve the weight issue. Probably only need a few inches and would not upset the center of gravity enough to matter.

CG would still be a lot lower than if you went to a deck-over trailer.

 

[KJB34269]

I haven't ruled out a deck-over trailer Jim. Trailer total width would be the same as far as parking in my storage unit and the bed width would no longer be a concern.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Jim yes it would be lower. I loaded on to my step deck for so long I don't even give that height a second thought now. Has the full width and with cross members piercing the main frame rails it is no higher than the top of the frame so only about 452 inches high from ground to top of desk. 9 foot ramps work well for loading everything from tractors to Skid steers. I just back them on then turn them around on the trailer. I use on of the short ramps for the front wheels to climb as I get on with the ramps. Looks a bit strange at first with the front sloped down ans the rear comes up the long ramps then the front appears to pop up level with the short 6 foot ramp for the front tires. They go on pretty level that way.

 

[KJB34269]

If you can get a straight-on shot of the lug bolts, it should tell the story.

What does this tell us Fritz?

 

[KJB34269]

This comment largely ignores the previously mentioned wheel weight problem with overall width. That picture is good enough to see your wheels are currently set for 68". I'm not sure your tire size. If you have 9.5 tires, your overall width (nominally to outside of tires) is 68+9.5 = 77.5. If they are 11.2, you have 68+11.2 = 79.2. Likewise, 12.4 tires get you to 80.4. Resetting your track to 64" would reduce the width to the outside of the tires by 4 inches. This should be possible with 9.5 tires, but probably not with the larger sizes. My best guess is that you have one of the larger sizes. Check for at least 2 inches clearance from your tires to the fenders etc. If the clearance is there, move them in.

Back to the wheel weights. As is obvious from your picture, the overall width is actually to the outside of the wheel weights. If you are just going to drag the tractor to tractor shows, the obvious fix is to take the weights off and quit dragging the extra 300 pounds around. Otherwise, you need a trailer wide enough or with fenders low enough to clear the weights.

My tires are 11.2. It appears I have 4 inches between the edge of the tire and the fender.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

What does this tell us Fritz?

You can still move the wheels to the inside of the dishes to narrow the tractor by an additional 4".

If it's already under 83", it won't make any difference. It also won't narrow up the wheel weights.

 

[Jim Becker]

What does this tell us Fritz?

From that picture, it looks like you have the heavy wheel option. You already have 300 pounds of added weight before the wheel weights. Your 11.2 tire size in your original post hadn't registered with me. Had I paid attention to that, I could have skipped over my extra comments about other sizes. If you have 4 inches from the tire to the fender, you can reset from 68 to 64 and be under 76 inches over-all. Then you at most will need a pair of 2x12s to handle any clearance issue with the weights.