8" Front Rim Options

[balconio 606]

I'm wondering if anyone has experience fitting non-WH rims to 300/400 series front spindles. i found these on eBay for what seems like a decent price new. They look to have 3/4" bearings, zerk fittings, and maybe even the right offset. They're for Craftsman GT series. Anyone out there seen something like this work (or have a WH and a Craftsman in the shed and time on their hands)?

 

https://www.ebay.com/c/1763180669?iid=350284350061

 

[Stepney 2,351]

I had a set of Sears front wheels on some WH a long time ago .. I'd just be curious about the spacing of the bearings. My WH's seem to be narrower then most other makes. My Sears Suburban had long spindles. 

[ZXT 2,401]

11 minutes ago, balconio said:

I'm wondering if anyone has experience fitting non-WH rims to 300/400 series front spindles. i found these on eBay for what seems like a decent price new. They look to have 3/4" bearings, zerk fittings, and maybe even the right offset. They're for Craftsman GT series. Anyone out there seen something like this work (or have a WH and a Craftsman in the shed and time on their hands)?

 

https://www.ebay.com/c/1763180669?iid=350284350061

 

Do we know what sears GT they fit? I have a 78 Sears GT 19.9 and can compare them once it dries up some if I need to. Too muddy for me to get to it right now though. 

[balconio 606]

the listing is pretty vague on what series they fit. here's the seller's description. sounds like we're dealing with 3" hubs. i Googled the P/N from the eBay listing and the internet provided! this seems like a trustworthy source https://www.millertire.com/products/lawn-garden-tires/16x6-50-8/8x5-3-8-steel-wheel-3-hub-3-4-bearing/

 

8 x 5-3/8

Front Garden Tractor Wheels

with 3" hub, hub offset to the back side 

3/4" Prescision Ball Bearings.

For 16x6.50-8 tires

 

 

Edited November 29, 2019 by balconio

[ZXT 2,401]

4 minutes ago, balconio said:

the listing is pretty vague on what series they fit. here's the seller's description

 

8 x 5-3/8

Front Garden Tractor Wheels

with 3" hub, hub offset to the back side 

3/4" Prescision Ball Bearings.

For 16x6.50-8 tires"

Whoops, I looked past the link. What's the issue with your current wheels? Rusty rims or are the bearings worn out? For what those cost and the uncertainty of their fitment, I'd be inclined to replace the bearings or clean up the rims and put tubes in the tires if they aren't too bad.

[balconio 606]

1 minute ago, ZXT said:

Whoops, I looked past the link. What's the issue with your current wheels? Rusty rims or are the bearings worn out? For what those cost and the uncertainty of their fitment, I'd be inclined to replace the bearings or clean up the rims and put tubes in the tires if they aren't too bad.

 

lol np- i'm looking to go up from 6" to 8" wheels, in order to have much more interesting ATV tire options for the front 

[JCM 10,028]

@Sparky    Has a nice clean Craftsman GT and might have some info on those wheels if he chimes in.

[ZXT 2,401]

I seem to recall reading once that the spindles were taller in order to achieve the same height with the smaller wheels. Might sit a bit high in the front if you don't change the spindles. I'm sure others have done the swap and will chime in.

 

[balconio 606]

3 minutes ago, ZXT said:

I seem to recall reading once that the spindles were taller in order to achieve the same height with the smaller wheels. Might sit a bit high in the front if you don't change the spindles. I'm sure others have done the swap and will chime in.

 

i've recently read the same thing about the 400's coming with shorter fatter spindles to compensate for the slightly taller tires. i'll gladly take the little extra lift up front though since the plan to go from 22" turfs to 26" ITP mudlites will have the rear end all sorts of jacked up...

[Lee1977 7,052]

Wheel Horse hubs are 3 3/4" you wiil need a 3/4" spacer to make them work. They don't have the holes for wheel weights if you need them.  Some of the early Wheel Horses had 4 1/2" hubs  they were change to

3  3/4" some time around the 70's.

[Sparky-(Admin) 22,257]

1 hour ago, JCM said:

@Sparky    Has a nice clean Craftsman GT and might have some info on those wheels if he chimes in.

Sorry, can’t help here. Never had my Craftsman GT’s front wheels off in the 18+ years I’ve owned it. Put it away for the winter, back of the shed, so I won’t be able to get a wheel off it to do any comparisons either.

[tom2p 2,394]

I have shorter spindles - but did not use them when I switched to 8" front wheels 

 

( 1/2 " height increase negligible - and more than enough available mower deck adjustment )

[balconio 606]

On 11/29/2019 at 2:20 PM, Lee1977 said:

Wheel Horse hubs are 3 3/4" you wiil need a 3/4" spacer to make them work. They don't have the holes for wheel weights if you need them.  Some of the early Wheel Horses had 4 1/2" hubs  they were change to

3  3/4" some time around the 70's.

Thanks man this is exactly the kind of info I'm looking for. I found a classified on the forum here for OEM 8" wheels with decent tires, but the shipping would have been ridiculous.

[Back on a horse 55]

The correct rim that came on my 314 has a hub that is 3-1/2" through with no bearings installed.  Other folks say 3-3/4".  I think the collar on each bearing is about 1/8" thick so maybe that is where we are different.

Edited December 6, 2019 by Back on a horse

[Bill D 2,111]

I have a set of rims, but the shipping cost would be expensive.  If your interested PM me.   

[balconio 606]

1 hour ago, Bill D said:

I have a set of rims, but the shipping cost would be expensive.  If your interested PM me.   

Yeah shipping is a real killer unless you're Amazon... I ended up going with a recommendation from another post on some cheap new rims. Sometimes it pays to look at older posts that are 5 pages deep I guess. Thanks for the offer though