HeadExam 1,783 #1 Posted September 24, 2015 I generally upgrade the wheels/tires/bearings/bushings on my larger garden tractors. I do this for several reasons, first it makes steering easier, improves handling in dirt/snow/mud conditions, second, for more ground clearance, many of these machines were very low to the ground with 8 inch rims (with a 16 inch tall tire, that's barely 8 inches of clearance, not much if you are in deep dirt/snow/mud), and by having a higher ground clearance it gives more height to a front blade. Lastly the upgrade substantially increases the life of steering and drive train parts. The Wheel Horse will get Maxxis 27"x9"-15 inch crossover tires on stock Wheel Horse 7"-15" rims for the rear 257.31 delivered to my door. The front upgrade is a little more extensive as I am opting for thrust washers (14.00) on the spindle tops and Dexter 4 bolt hubs (63.00 delivered) on the 4-1/4 spindles. These 4 bolt hubs take a standard I inch L44643 bearing with grease seal and cap, Instead of the usual 5.00-10 tri-ribs, I'll be using the 5.00-10 narrow cart tire (139.00 for 2 tires and wheels delivered), This set up will allow for good use on the grass as well as on more extreme surfaces/conditions, such as in the garden, in the mud, or in the snow. At just under 475.00 for this upgrade it is expensive, but like a new motor it is a once in a lifetime expense that may also save other parts and allow for more use of the machine. 2 Triumph66 and Ian reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 2,417 #2 Posted September 24, 2015 Your lucky mate, 27" tires for 15" rims (my Gt-14) are very hard to find over here... Years ago I did fit much bigger tires to the rear of my Wh 312-8 and extended a paif of kingpin thingys to raise the front up to match.. 1 HeadExam reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HeadExam 1,783 #3 Posted September 24, 2015 Your lucky mate, 27" tires for 15" rims (my Gt-14) are very hard to find over here... Years ago I did fit much bigger tires to the rear of my Wh 312-8 and extended a paif of kingpin thingys to raise the front up to match.. The GT14 rims used 4 bolt rims, I believe those are the same as the MTD 990/998 from 1972-1982, so if your looking maybe that would be an option. The MTDs were sold under a variety of names. MTD, Dayton, UNICO, Firestone, White, Farm King, etc 1 Ian reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ian 2,417 #4 Posted September 25, 2015 I'm not in any hurry to replace the tyres on my GT, even though they are worn and cracked they are the original 1971 WH tires but somehow still hold air! As long as they hold air they can stay.. 1 HeadExam reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HeadExam 1,783 #5 Posted September 25, 2015 I'm not in any hurry to replace the tyres on my GT, even though they are worn and cracked they are the original 1971 WH tires but somehow still hold air! As long as they hold air they can stay.. ts nice to keep things original, especially when the cost is so high, I replace tires for performance, in that these machines were intended to use chains on turf tires, and chains can really destroy tires and driveway surfaces Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
