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876wheelhorse

homemade wheel weights lets see

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876wheelhorse

ok back on the kick to make some wheel weights before the white stuff flies. i am having 2 ideas. I am going to call a shop that has 1 inch plates and have them cut them into circles. I am thinking of stacking enough of them to make 50 or 60 pounds each side. what is the size of circle i need? 2nd idea is taking a right size bucket and make concrete weights. It will be cheaper but concrete. any ideas wheel horse ones will be expensive and i think these 2 options will be cheaper.....

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Don1977

I picked up some 1 1/4" thick boiler cut outs 25 years ago. My uncle turned two of them

down to 11 1/2" to fit in to the wheels. The bolt circle to fit the wheels is 8 5/8". I don't think a 1" thick will clear the offset of the wheel. My 1 1/4" thick did so I left the other cut out the same dimension that I bought. The 11 1/2" x 1 1/4" weight 39 lbs. The outer

weight is 12 1/4" x 1 1/4" and weights 41 lbs. Your 1" thick weight should weight around 31 lbs. I took the easy way on mine and had my uncle to mark the bolt circle and use his indexing head to drill 4 - 3/16 guide holed in my inside weights.

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DMK855

These were cut out of 3 inch plate by my stepfather. 66lbs. on one and 68 lbs. on the other!! Not the prettiest, but very effective!!

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catman81056

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98 lbs apiece, work well. Old cutouts from plant I worked at.

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earlleecliffton

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44 lbs a piece

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brianf

I have some that came with the tractor made of lead.... not sure if they are factory or not. They have to weigh at least 200lbs each, I can't even stand them on end by myself :thumbs:

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Buzz

In the files section of Yahoo's wheelhorsegardentractors group there are plans to make them out of barbell weights. You could use the same principle to cut steel plates to fit with a center hole. Here's the link to that group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wheelhorsega...tractors/files/

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privateer

Excellent post. i need weights myself. Question, what is the ideal weight to have on the back when plowing or with a single stage thrower? The more the merrier? What's the poundage specs on WH weights?

My plan is to use a heavy duty aluminum turkey tray and form it to the rear hub. Install 4 galvanized or stainless threaded cariage bolts. Melt some of the few hundred pounds of lead I got laying around. I usually use that to make fishing weights.

Will be back soon with my pics and results.

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Duff

Melt some of the few hundred pounds of lead I got laying around. I usually use that to make fishing weights.

Yeah, and now that more and more states are outlawing lead fishing weights maybe the supply of lead for tractor wheel weights will increase......unless they outlaw them, too! :)

Duff :thumbs:

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MRM

Use a 8" or 12"cake pan what ever fits your rims and fill them with lead. Mine are about 80lbs each

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Polaris2007

MRM, I would like to cast my own wheel weights out of lead. I have all the lead I would ever need, but I don't have the knowledge on melting the lead. I think the cake pan idea is good. What can I use as a heat source, and for a container to melt the lead in? I have an oxy-acetelene torch, but I don't think the flame is big enough. It's plenty hot, but not big enough. Please help! :thumbs:

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MRM

I use a oil burner mounted on a old wood stove the kind with the round hole in the top and i have a cast iron pot that fits perfect in the hole. Mt pot will hold close to 100lbs of lead at a time. I use bread loaf pans for my pulling tractor they come ot to about 85 to 90 lbs, also made a mold from angle iron 12"x 16"x 2 and they are 120 to 130 lbs ea. What ever you do melt out side and use only dry lead you do not want any water on it, if you drop a wet chunk in the pot you will not be able to run fast enough it is like a bomb.

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KC9KAS

Polaris2007... the torch will work, but you may need to get a "Rose Bud" tip for it. Heat the lead in a cast iron pot. Be careful!

If your lead is dirty, you will get some impurities floating in the melted lead. Just use something to scoop it out, but DON'T GET BURNED.

Damn keyboard....the tttttt won' work half he ime.

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privateer

I melt my lead on a propane camp stove in a cast iron pot. Works fine. Use outside in well ventilated area. Skim the top of crap and pour away. I use a ladle when making weights. Too dangerous lifting all the molten lead.

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HorseFixer

First I would like to say I think the right way to put weight on a tractor is on the wheels so the weight goes straight to the tire to the ground. Hanging weight off the tractor puts stress on the rear end and transfers through the Axel and bearings then to the tire to the ground! Ask anyone that puts a front end loader on their tractor, they find out right away they have to install the heavier Front Axles because the light duty ones snap or bend. A front end loader is a necessary piece of equipment nothing else you can do there but just adding weight you do have a choice :wh:

I have 75 lbs lead weights on the outer rims on the rear with 25 lb inner cast iron for a total of 100 lbs on the rear of my tractor Then last year when putting together my Snow Chucker I discovered that when I let the blower down, the weight was off the front wheels and the Tractor would push a bit. I took some deep dish Rims off my 417A and decided to make some deep wights for them. I started out with some Lead weight that was given me this guy gave me 200lbs pictured below.

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I then took one of the rims and made an extender ring made fro m aluminum coil stock, I used aluminum foil tape and taped the entire rim and made a mold. I had to make a pocket for the Axel and it had to be covered with the foil to keep the lead out of the hollow pocket where the Axel will go. (see pics below)

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I installed carriage bolts with welded on stuff to lock into the lead I installed nuts on each side of the rim. I then melted the lead and poured it in my mold.

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Here is the finished product. They ended up weighing 75 lbs ea.

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Well guess what????? I ended up with one problem....... :) You would think that both deep dish rims would be contoured the same right? :thumbs: NOPE damn rims are different and since I used only 1 rim for the casting one of the lead weights wont fit in the other rim!!! :) So I need to do a little filing trimming to make it fit! No problem just a little extra work. I will have them mounted in a couple weeks! Did i ever say this is allot of fun! :) Learn from my mistake pour each weight on the rim it is going to go on!!! :)

Cheers ~Duke

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876wheelhorse

i forgot i made this post. I was talking to my step dad today and he made some concrete ones out of a bucket pretty simple and cheap. But I think I am still going to go with the steel ones. I jsut want to get the 1 inch or so steel and get it cut into a circle. I think it will be my best bet and maybe a little cheaper than wheelhorse brand. thanks for all the ideas come to think of it my grandpa use to make fish sinkers maybe he has some lead laying around i seen some somewhere but where.....................

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mr.pipes

Duke, is that just a regular lobster pot that you melted the lead in? Did it have any noticeable effects on the pot ? Do the lobsters and steamers taste any different since you made the weights? Thanks, Geoff

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AMC RULES

Duke, is that just a regular lobster pot that you melted the lead in? Did it have any noticeable effects on the pot ? Do the lobsters and steamers taste any different since you made the weights? Thanks, Geoff

:):thumbs: LOL

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Redbirdman

I just have to jump on this too. We tried lead weights by melting scrap in an antique gasoline lead pot....and forming in an old wheel lined with foil. It worked but was a terrific amount of work keeping all the lead melted. We had to start over a few times and in the end they turned out ugly. Heavy, but ugly. And I hate to think about all the fumes we inhaled.

On the other side of the coin; pouring concrete and dropping in old lead sinkers with a couple cardboard tubes for where the bolts would go was a piece of cake. Ugly too, but heavy and quick to make. A little paint, some big washers and bolts and they worked for years.

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(sorry about the green.............. :thumbs: please don't hit me)

And a little humor.....my son bought weights from someone on evilbay. The guy shipped them (50 lbs each) in those prepaid USPS cardboard boxes. The lady postman lugged them to the front porch and huffing and puffing asked my son " I gotta ask, what the heck is in these boxes? " My son said: " 'Gold Bars'......"

The postlady said: "oh, that explains it!"..... lol :)

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mr.pipes

As a plumber over the years I have melted my fair share of lead. Usually only a few lbs at a time. Never burnt my self but one linoleum floor wasn't so lucky, but the toilet covered it thankfully.

The last guy I worked for used to give it to his friend who owned a scrap yard. Last summer we started keeping it to melt down into 5lb ingots. I showed up back at the shop and my boss was melting it down in a big pot. He had been at it for hours due to the amount and limited number of molds. One wall of the shop is 75-80% open to the outdoors with the doors up. It was the worst environments I can remember. It smelled terrible and felt disgusting to breathe. I'm sure this was partly due to the fact these were plumbing pipes with god knows what in them. I didn't even want to stand just outside the doors to talk to him. He had become acclimated to the odors from being in there start to finish. I cannot put into words how unhealthy the air felt. These pipes had been stored as scrap indoors for months and were popping like crazy when he was adding to the pot.

I guess what I am trying to say is be careful. Do it outdoors, wear protective clothing, a respirator of some sort. Make sure everything is dry. Water expands 1700 times when converted to steam. That one drop of water is going to displace a lot of lead when it hits that pot which is at least 621 degrees f (327.5 c). I don't know all the dangers of breathing these vapors and I doubt the pros do either. Just be safe. I like to make my own and save a buck as much as the next guy. But you really cant put a price on your health.

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HorseFixer

Duke, is that just a regular lobster pot that you melted the lead in? Did it have any noticeable effects on the pot ? Do the lobsters and steamers taste any different since you made the weights? Thanks, Geoff

Geoff Well I dont know about a lobster pot, But it is a BIG ALUMINUM POT. And since Aluminum melts at 1220 deg and lead melts at 621.43 deg there is not a problem and the lead does not stick to the pot! :) As far as the Lobsters tasting any different :) use a little LEMON PEPPER :) to mask the taste Or drink a fith of Cap'tn Morgan like I did when I cast them last year, then you wont care! :clap: Anyways Nothing you can afford or can easily get to make a wheel weight out of, weighs as near as much as lead. Lead weighs nearly 7 times more than concrete. (ever see a steel bolt float to the top of molten lead? :) I didn't either till I tried it! If you use plenty of ventilation garage door wide open not a problem! :wh: Actually I would like to get some Platinum, or Iridium for weights and If I had Jerry Old N Red's money I would use GOLD. :thumbs:

And if ya want to compare material weight by the cubic ft.

THEN GO HERE You will see what I mean!

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Duff

Dang, until I looked at that chart I wouldn't have guessed in a million years that gold is so much heavier than lead! Wow! :)

Duff :thumbs:

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KC9KAS

Next time someone accuses you of being full of $h_ t, tell them it is only 25 pounds per cubic foot!

I told my wife I REALLY DO need more weight on the :thumbs:

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Redbirdman

:thumbs: :):wh:

Next time someone accuses you of being full of $h_ t, tell them it is only 25 pounds per cubic foot

ok don't start!.........did you ever figure how much a po*p costs?Well, divide the cost of a septic tank cleaning into gallons and into gallons per flush.... And damn, it's pert near a quarter a dump!

That sh_t ain't cheap man! even at 25 lbs per cu ft.

Hey I wonder if you could press it into blocks and make wheel weights out of it??? :)

sorry, Friday night :clap::)

:)

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