Garden Wheelhorse tractor lift question recommendations

[FLtractor 47]

Evening, 

Have a new to me 1966 856 Wheelhorse.. has the Orginal tires and wheels in rear.. eventually need replaced due to cracks. Calcium chloride rusted terribly.. rolls great and tractor gets along great as is currently. 
Should I buy an atv/lawn mower lift such as those they sell at Harbour freight? I see many used years old for $50-200 on marketplace. Would it be worth while to buy one for only needing to change tires and wheels once? Does it even help with changing the rear tires and wheels? Are there any other uses the lifts help with in regards to these vintage garden tractors? Admin i moved this from different section for better viewing coverage… if wrong resection please let me know or move  for me please.

Thank you

Edited April 17 by FLtractor

[adsm08 2,959]

I just use a floor jack. Slip a piece of 2x4 between it and the trans housing in the rear and be careful as it will not be balanced.

[FLtractor 47]

22 minutes ago, adsm08 said:

I just use a floor jack. Slip a piece of 2x4 between it and the trans housing in the rear and be careful as it will not be balanced.

I have a floor Jack but Don’t have good feeling of doing it that way. Given how heavy the rear tires are currently.

[oliver2-44 10,567]

Since your rear rims are in bad shape I suspect you will be buying new/used rims. Get you new tires mounted. Use the floor Jack slightly to one side so just one side lifts. Change one side at a time. 

[ri702bill 9,195]

I made up a pair of 7/16-20 guide studs from an old pair of Chevy rear axle studs. Cut the rounded heads off, knurled the un threaded portion.

screw them in a few threads, guide your tire / rim on. Fasten the rim with the remaining lugs, remove the guides, fasten with the last two lugs. Easy....

[SylvanLakeWH 28,078]

I use a floor jack and two jack stands on frame to stabilize... If you're just changing a tire, one side at a time is the way to go... I use my steel toed boot to hold the tire precisely at the lug hole... works like a charm and no extra charge...

 

The lifts look tempting, but for me space is limiting factor...

 

Edited April 17 by SylvanLakeWH

[squonk 43,328]

Buy  10 7/16" fine thread bolts 1 1/2" long. 10 78 Chevy Camaro lug nuts and 10 toothed lockwashers. Thread the bolts into the hubs from the back. You now have studs on the hubs like your car. Tighten the lug nuts to 50-60  ft lbs.

[Retired Wrencher 5,722]

9 hours ago, FLtractor said:

Evening, 

Have a new to me 1966 856 Wheelhorse.. has the Orginal tires and wheels in rear.. eventually need replaced due to cracks. Calcium chloride rusted terribly.. rolls great and tractor gets along great as is currently. 
Should I buy an atv/lawn mower lift such as those they sell at Harbour freight? I see many used years old for $50-200 on marketplace. Would it be worth while to buy one for only needing to change tires and wheels once? Does it even help with changing the rear tires and wheels? Are there any other uses the lifts help with in regards to these vintage garden tractors? Admin i moved this from different section for better viewing coverage… if wrong resection please let me know or move  for me please.

Thank you

I use mine all the time.I will get a pick for you to show what I did. I never did get back to you on this. It saves on your back and neck wile working on them. Get a low rolling seat and you are ready. I will get that pick to you to day.

Edited April 17 by Retired Wrencher

[953 nut 59,214]

2 hours ago, squonk said:

0 7/16" fine thread bolts 1 1/2" long.

Fully threaded, the ones you get at a big-box store are not threaded all the way.

10 hours ago, adsm08 said:

it will not be balanced.

         I guess we are all a bit off balance or we wouldn't be on Red Square every day.     

8 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

I suspect you will be buying new/used rims.

Be sure the rims you get have the same backspacing as the ones you are replacing. Not all rims measure the same.

[oliver2-44 10,567]

3 hours ago, 953 nut said:

         I guess we are all a bit off balance or we wouldn't be on Red Square every day.     

 

[FLtractor 47]

14 hours ago, oliver2-44 said:

Since your rear rims are in bad shape I suspect you will be buying new/used rims. Get you new tires mounted. Use the floor Jack slightly to one side so just one side lifts. Change one side at a time. 

Saw these listed today… other than the 9.50 vs my current 8.50. The 23x8.50x12 I currently have are the same. Would these work for my needs.. worth $20.00 in that shape? 

[FLtractor 47]

3 minutes ago, FLtractor said:

Saw these listed today… other than the 9.50 vs my current 8.50. The 23x8.50x12 I currently have are the same. Would these work for my needs.. worth $20.00 in that shape? Would I need spacers to go from 8.50 to 9.50?

 

Edited April 17 by FLtractor

[FLtractor 47]

Just now, FLtractor said:

 

 

[Handy Don 13,679]

They seem in good shape and if they match the size on your tractor then you’ll be ok.

If you don’t have tire mounting experience, it might be worth a few bucks to have them swapped onto your rims at a tire shop.

If your rims are NOT in good enough shape to seal properly at the beads, it may be worth putting tubes in the tires when swapping. 

The wheels are, of course, not compatible with WH hubs.

Edited April 17 by Handy Don

[FLtractor 47]

1 hour ago, Handy Don said:

They seem in good shape and if they match the size on your tractor then you’ll be ok.

If you don’t have tire mounting experience, it might be worth a few bucks to have them swapped onto your rims at a tire shop.

If your rims are NOT in good enough shape to seal properly at the beads, it may be worth putting tubes in the tires when swapping. 

The wheels are, of course, not compatible with WH hubs.

Ohh I just noticed it’s not the same Wheel after reading your comment. so they would have to be the EXACT same as these to fit my Wheelhorse? There are also listed not too far from me. 

Edited April 17 by FLtractor

[Retired Wrencher 5,722]

20 hours ago, FLtractor said:

Evening, 

Have a new to me 1966 856 Wheelhorse.. has the Orginal tires and wheels in rear.. eventually need replaced due to cracks. Calcium chloride rusted terribly.. rolls great and tractor gets along great as is currently. 
Should I buy an atv/lawn mower lift such as those they sell at Harbour freight? I see many used years old for $50-200 on marketplace. Would it be worth while to buy one for only needing to change tires and wheels once? Does it even help with changing the rear tires and wheels? Are there any other uses the lifts help with in regards to these vintage garden tractors? Admin i moved this from different section for better viewing coverage… if wrong resection please let me know or move  for me please.

Thank you

Fltractor. At long last this is what I use to lift up the tractor. Cheap fix with 6x6`s.The  first pick is how it is by belt guard. Last is how the orientation is for the lift. If you look at the tape measure you can see a difference. May when changing tires put a ratchet strap to hold down the tractor. I have used this for a long while.

[kpinnc 14,260]

4 hours ago, FLtractor said:

Would these work for my needs..

 

They are 4 lug. Wheel Horse is 5. 

 

So far as tires go- you can go up to 23x10.50-12 so long as your wheels have the same back spacing. 

 

Spacers can help somewhat, but even if you used spacers it's still best to get similar wheels. 

Edited April 17 by kpinnc

[FLtractor 47]

15 minutes ago, kpinnc said:

 

They are 4 lug. Wheel Horse is 5. 

 

So far as tires go- you can go up to 23x10.50-12 so long as your wheels have the same back spacing. 

 

Spacers can help somewhat, but even if you used spacers it's still best to get similar wheels. 

Oh ok. So the wheel is the same that fits a 23x8.50x12 as fits a 23x10.50x12? Or no it depends if the same back spacing? As in if I bought wheels that already had 10.50 on then would 8.50 fit with zero modifications or still depends? 

[FLtractor 47]

35 minutes ago, Retired Wrencher said:

Fltractor. At long last this is what I use to lift up the tractor. Cheap fix with 6x6`s.The  first pick is how it is by belt guard. Last is how the orientation is for the lift. If you look at the tape measure you can see a difference. May when changing tires put a ratchet strap to hold down the tractor. I have used this for a long while.

Very cool creative design.: using a standard atv lift.. happen to know the capacity? Does it ever feel unbalanced if your wheel rears are fluid filled? 

[Handy Don 13,679]

3 hours ago, FLtractor said:

Oh ok. So the wheel is the same that fits a 23x8.50x12 as fits a 23x10.50x12? Or no it depends if the same back spacing? As in if I bought wheels that already had 10.50 on then would 8.50 fit with zero modifications or still depends? 

WH rear wheels have had bead widths, in inches, of 6, 7.5, 8.5, 9.5, and 10.5 on different models over the years/models.

All the 12” wheels since 1960 have been 5-lug with same size “hub centering” hole in the middle and I’m fairly sure that all had the same backset (someone who knows more than me about the 15 inch wheel tractors can chip in here!).

 

I think the 856 came with 8.5 inch rear wheels.

 

It is possible, as @kpinnc notes, to put smaller or larger tires onto a given wheel--9.5 on 8.5, for example. What he is also pointing out is that the clearances from the tire to the fender or other parts might be too small (this is very model dependent) by going to a tire more than an inch larger than the wheel because the tire will “bulge out” a bit. Some members put spacers on the hubs to make the wheels stick out more to the side to counteract this (or just because the like the look 😉). 

 

If you have 8.5’s now, the 9.5’s will go on and likely fit just fine. If you have 7.5, then 9.5 might cause a tire to rub. 

Edited April 18 by Handy Don

[oldlineman 1,513]

You have to be careful lifting tractor like #16 when you remove wheels or other parts from tractor it may cause a imbalance where it could tip off your lift? 

[oliver2-44 10,567]

Just an fyi, I have 9.50 tires on my 1967 1057, my 1974 C160, my 1979 C101and my sons 1984 312-8. They all have WH 8.5” rims. 

[Retired Wrencher 5,722]

11 hours ago, FLtractor said:

Very cool creative design.: using a standard atv lift.. happen to know the capacity? Does it ever feel unbalanced if your wheel rears are fluid filled? 

That is why I mentioned using ratchet straps when changing out tires and rims. It keeps in place.

[Retired Wrencher 5,722]

8 hours ago, oldlineman said:

You have to be careful lifting tractor like #16 when you remove wheels or other parts from tractor it may cause an imbalance where it could tip off your lift? 

I use ratchet straps to hold it down. But when you are not moving heavy part off the tractor it works fine.

[Handy Don 13,679]

1 hour ago, Retired Wrencher said:

I use ratchet straps to hold it down. But when you are not moving heavy part off the tractor it works fine.

The point about balance is important, too, when applying wrenching or other forces to some stubborn part or other.