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What would you do about this

J

JD Farmer

Member
Wheels are junk. I bought this mower new 3 years ago. From the first month on they were a problem. Couldn't keep them tight on the hubs. Manufacturer warrantied the first one that egged out the holes. There fix was to run double nuts on the lugs.
Yesterday a wheel came clear off while I was mowing. Now the warranty is up and dealer doesn't think they will do anything about it. New wheel/tire/foam filled are $480.00 each X5.

If I took it too a machine shop could they make a bolt in center section. How thick and what material should we use?
a276168.jpg

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Googel Uneverth , or maybe someone will post a link but they sell over the counter weld in centers of ever mix. That 5 hole implement is common so should be cheaper than going to the machine shop. Probably just go on and order enough to do the other wheels while you are at it.
 
Well I'd have to say go thicker as what was there didn't work ? Go as thick as you can and still get the nut on.
 
First off I'd be having at least a couple more go rounds with the dealer,obviously the wheels are too light for the job.And to really do the job right all 4 wheels would need a plate made to have the inside holes that mount on the hub drilled but also drilled to fit the outer holes, be pretty pricey but that would last.
 
I would not try welding to the wheel. The metal is so thin, even when it was bolted through both halves, it still tore through. Welding to just one side will soon fail.

I would torch the middle out of the wheel just inside the raised flower petal looking thing, grind it off flat. That will give a flat surface to work with.

Then have a circle of 1/2" A36 steel burned to fit just inside the flange of the wheel, and a clearance hole burned for the hub center to clear. There are companies that specialize in doing this type work, it is not expensive, the computerized machine does a very accurate job. Search "plasma and flame cutting". The order would be small enough to ship if none in your area.

Then go to a machine shop, have the lug bolt pattern drilled and chamfered for the nut taper, have the outer bolt pattern drilled.

Bolt the plate to the wheel with longer bolts.

That should be a permanent fix. Other option would be to find a heavier duty wheels.
plasma and flame cutting
 
That center is bolted in. Unbolt it trace it on to 1/4 or 3/8 plate cut it out. Then find the center draw a circle on the plate and drill one hole and the center, bolt the old center to it and all the outer holes. the lug holes and finally the center hole. Remember the center hole doesn't need to be tight. Bolt it up and go. Weld if you want to but unnecessary.
 
Maybe there is a car wheel that will fit the bolt pattern. If you don't have access to a lathe, mill, or welder it will be fairly hard to make the repair your self. Next possible repair is get a 1/4 inch thick washer, buy a large counter sink to counter sink the washer hole and weld the washer over the existing hole. Or have someone weld it. The counter sink may not be the correct angle, but it may be close enough. Or don't counter sink it, not talking precision here. Stan
 
I would have a 1/4" circle made with thAt bolt patter that is maybe 1/2" or so larger all the way around. Put that on the outside after you pound that rim flat. Then I would use flange nuts rather than taper nuts. You may need longer studs. If your having problems with the other wheels I would get rid of the taper nuts for flange nuts with grade 8 flats between. Don't use regular flats because they are too soft.
 
shoups sells reinforcement rings for agricultural wheels. between 20 and 30 dollars apiece. if you go to their website shoup parts dot com search for rr5512 that is a 5 bolt 5.5 inch bolt pattern 1/4 inch thick ring.
 
looks to be a split rim with ten smaller bolts. Consider taking another wheel off to correctly measure. Order center reinforcing plats from good pattern weld in after hammering damaged part flat. Notice I said plates to order as in reinforce all as they will all need same help. As per post few days ago I may not be qualified to respond as I only farmed 700 acres years ago before health problems. Us small and non farmers maybe should not post!!!!!!!!
 

After three years I don't think that you will get anything from the dealer, although I would offer him the "opportunity". I would do as jm. and glennster suggested and get readymade reinforcement rings, and then use flange nuts to hold them as JonF suggested.
 

After three years I don't think that you will get anything from the dealer, although I would offer him the "opportunity". I would do as jm. and glennster suggested and get readymade reinforcement rings, and then use flange nuts to hold them as JonF suggested.
 
Ah, you read that comment a while back did you Wilson? Yes, posting with so little farming experience on that little pi$$ ant property can land you in hot water, and if Lady Luck isn't on your side, land you in court looking at a judgement that is going to remind you every day when you pull yourself out of bed to never (and we mean NEVER) give advice again on things like broken wheel rims and/or brain surgery !!!
 
I think the first step before attempting any "fixes" is to determine why it did what it did.

Are wheel holes "coined" to work with conical seat lugnuts?
Or were they merely drilled holes and conical seat lugnuts were installed?

Can't really tell how thick the metal is, but apparently some think it is some how too thin.

Maybe that is not the real problem.
 
The mower manufacturer probably buys those wheels from a supplier. That supplier might have a heavier version of that wheel.

For some reason those wheels are seeing higher side loads than was expected when the wheels were selected. Check the machine over for poor alignments or bent axle mountings. Could there be something in the machine, the terrain or in how the mower is being operated that puts extra side loads on those wheels?
 
Based on the pics and original post, the problem is the lug nuts are coming loose. That may or may not be helped with a heavier hub. Why are the nuts coming off?
 
Ok here's the deal as of tonight. I talked to the machine shop guy and he said do what Steve@Adavance had posted. I was thinking along the same lines.

The wheels are 2 pieces bolted together of thin mild steel with beveled holes for the lug nuts. Tires are foam filled. odd ball size of 24" OD. 5 on 5.5 hubs.

The wheels do NOT fit very tight to the hubs, so that's placing extra load on the studs.

So I do mow steep uneven hill sides and cow trails around them. If this mower wasn't built to hold up to that then I am sorry, Rhino should have let me know that up front in there brochures.

Saved the best part for last, got a call from the dealer, Rhino will send out a new IMPROVED wheel assy. under warranty, no charge to me. I was surprised. I'll be looking at it closely and MAYBE post an up date so those that responded will know what happened.

Mean time I plan on getting a new center made so that I have a spare. Dealer thinks they will be told to trash the old wheel save sending it back.
 
No they are not any more, double nutted, see the hub picture. Wheel ripped off right over the nuts and they are still tight.
 
Sounds good obviously the wheels are not up to handle the weight of that cutter,I'd also think about getting a reenforcement ring for the new wheels to start off with.
 
5 on 5.5 isn't that the wheel on a older jeep , ford half ton pickup . White spoke wheels are easy to get.
 
the studs there are long and madr heavy flange lug nuts.; dealer used wrong nuts. replace the nuts with hd flange type
 
I would consider a solid, quality used or new mower and get what you can for this one. Personal experience tells me it's never a good idea to doctor up something that was under-designed to begin with. My first impression was that the wheels looked like they belong on a child's toy. That impression hasn't changed.
 
If the mower is regularly sliding down hill and is being pulled dogleg across steep slopes, that will put a high side load on the tires and wheels. Does the mower slide and jump sideways a lot? Dragging it partly sideways over gullies, rocks and other fixed obstacles will also increase the side loads and concentrate most of the load on one wheel at a time instead of spreading the load across all the wheels.

Those tires don't look like they can hold a side slope very well. Would tri-rib steering tires (foam filled of course) help the mower pull straighter across steep slopes rather than sliding sideways, to reduce the side loads on the wheels?

County and state mowing crews work on similar slopes, maybe find out what mowers tires and wheels hold up well in those applications.
 
What would I do? Well I'd fix it and then trade if off on a decent one. All the dealers near me got rid of Rhino branded stuff a long time ago.

Rick
 
No one mentioned this, PYROLYSIS !!!!! Heat up a rim with a mounted tire by welding or other means, very soon after you have a bomb! I do see a Schrader Valve, but you say its foam filled, not sure how or if it would react, but I would not want to be anywhere near it. I see they have razzed you a bit about the post the other day, that's fine.... PYROLYSIS is more important than any internet squabble-USE CARE !!!

CNC plasma could make any part you need to repair this, we have 2 at work, they are incredible, also very costly to repair when they break down.
 
I would make a plate that would go on in front of the wheel. It would be about 1/4 inch thick. With it on each side of the wheel I would weld it to the old wheel after it is tightened up. This would press the pieces together tight. Then bolt the 2 halves with 4 1/2 inch bolts outside of the hub diameter, that would prevent shifting of the halves. With the plates on the nuts would hold and probably never be a problem again. The other choice would be to cut the spindles out and put in hevier spindles out of an old truck with 8 bolt wheels and never look back.
 
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