Different tire size on front and back

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

AuroraGirl

I'm Awesome
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Messages
1,034
Reaction score
1,180
Location
Northern Wisconsin
My plow truck hangs it's head in shame. I was gonna install the Truetrac this summer, and never got up the ambition. If it's going to happen, it needs to happen SOON.

Been looking at (new) chains, but mostly for the 'Deere riding lawnmower with snow-blower attachment. Great lawnmower. Shi_tty snow blower. That is, the blower works GREAT, but the "tractor" won't push it worth a crap. So I do my snow-blowing with momentum.

Wheel-weights would help, too. Deere doesn't sell 'em for my "tractor". I have a TBI cylinder head bolted to the bracket on the rear for winter weight. Good use of a TBI head.
could you fill the tires with antifreeze?
 

AuroraGirl

I'm Awesome
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Messages
1,034
Reaction score
1,180
Location
Northern Wisconsin
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach

I liked using my snow plow but its clear my gpa homeade the sector+a frame and they were already getting a little weak before I even used it ever, so I think I may just not bother unless I find a (western.,.. myers.. I forget which companys plow this is modeled after)
I also need to get support for angling hydraulics, which even if I dont mind getting out to turn the blade, the rams probably support the plow a LOT compared to pins in the holes in the center lol.
My plow truck hangs it's head in shame. I was gonna install the Truetrac this summer, and never got up the ambition. If it's going to happen, it needs to happen SOON.

Been looking at (new) chains, but mostly for the 'Deere riding lawnmower with snow-blower attachment. Great lawnmower. Shi_tty snow blower. That is, the blower works GREAT, but the "tractor" won't push it worth a crap. So I do my snow-blowing with momentum.

Wheel-weights would help, too. Deere doesn't sell 'em for my "tractor". I have a TBI cylinder head bolted to the bracket on the rear for winter weight. Good use of a TBI head.
 

1998_K1500_Sub

Nitro Junkie
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 28, 2019
Messages
2,149
Reaction score
3,250
Location
Rural Illinois
In farm tractors we used calcium chloride AKA "Liquid Lead". It weighs about 1/3rd more than water.

... used with an inner tube!

Most of our older tractors (Farmall / IH) had calcium chloride in the tires.

Those newer, since the early 60s, did not.

That's just how we did it, anyway.

I think it stems from our use of duals (dual tires on the rear). It was only in the mid-60s that we started using duals. Prior to duals I assume (but do not know for certain) that chloride was added for traction. Later, duals filled that role.

There may have been other reasons. I was quite young then and didn't really question the reasoning, until now.
 
Last edited:

RichLo

E I E I O
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Messages
3,620
Reaction score
5,546
Location
Wisconsin
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach

I liked using my snow plow but its clear my gpa homeade the sector+a frame and they were already getting a little weak before I even used it ever, so I think I may just not bother unless I find a (western.,.. myers.. I forget which companys plow this is modeled after)
I also need to get support for angling hydraulics, which even if I dont mind getting out to turn the blade, the rams probably support the plow a LOT compared to pins in the holes in the center lol.
Oh Aurora, Theres a lot going on there. And this may not be the right thread to bring it up. But I'll say a few things... First of all, the truck is a good base being an 8-lug square body! And you said he already re-enforced the frame which is a good thing! Even if it already bent he probably over-engineered it to stay strong. I love home-built trucks like this and your grandpa knew what he was doing.

That plow lift is probably power steering pump driven which hasnt been commercially available since the GMT400 has been around. So he has kept up with the maintenance if it still works... but yes, it should be upgraded unless everything still works fine and you dont mind manually changing plow direction (Which is not fun depending on your property layout). Upgrading would require a lot... A LOT, but re-enforcing the pin holes would only require a welder and some scrap steel.

Do you have this plow truck right now? Are you going to be relying on it this winter? Have you used it in previous winters?

Just judging by the pics there are some warning signs that you already said but not necessarily enough to kill the plow... diamond plate supporting the moldboard means the plow blade itself may be homemade (for better or worse), if the moldboard is still solid then dont worry about it being home-built. And the angle pin holes have seen better days which shows that it has been hit hard more than a few times, this can be fixed like I already said but there may be more damage to the mounts if its been hit that hard repeatedly. Check the frame and front crossmember where the plow mounts to. Since its a functional trip-blade, the truck side is hopefully probably fine.

If you need it to get through this winter and the lift works and you are able to change directions manually then run it as is. But Keep an eye out for local online equipment auctions to find a better setup, a whole setup. The truck is probably still fine for single property maintenance but that plow setup probably isnt, especially if you want hydraulic angle.
 
Last edited:

PlayingWithTBI

2022 Truck of the Year
Supporting Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2019
Messages
9,552
Reaction score
14,678
Location
Tonopah, AZ
... used with an inner tube!
IIRC we ran tubeless tires with oversize valve stems for injecting the liquid then, screwing in the schrader valve to air them up.

I think it stems from our use of duals (dual tires on the rear). It was only in the mid-60s that we started using duals. Prior to duals I assume (but do not know for certain) that chloride was added for traction.
Yes, we ran 18.4 X 38" tires on our bigger ones and only calcium chloride on the inner tires. Depending on application like row or field crops, we'd pull the outer wheels, I got pretty good at swapping them out myself with 2 bars and a block of wood, ha ha. We had mostly smaller (60 - 95 HP) 4 wheel drive tractors in our orchards which needed the added traction to pull discs and scrapers through them too.
 

AuroraGirl

I'm Awesome
Joined
Jul 27, 2020
Messages
1,034
Reaction score
1,180
Location
Northern Wisconsin
Oh Aurora, Theres a lot going on there. And this may not be the right thread to bring it up. But I'll say a few things... First of all, the truck is a good base being an 8-lug square body! And you said he already re-enforced the frame which is a good thing! Even if it already bent he probably over-engineered it to stay strong. I love home-built trucks like this and your grandpa knew what he was doing.

That plow lift is probably power steering pump driven which hasnt been commercially available since the GMT400 has been around. So he has kept up with the maintenance if it still works... but yes, it should be upgraded unless everything still works fine and you dont mind manually changing plow direction (Which is not fun depending on your property layout). Upgrading would require a lot... A LOT, but re-enforcing the pin holes would only require a welder and some scrap steel.

Do you have this plow truck right now? Are you going to be relying on it this winter? Have you used it in previous winters?

Just judging by the pics there are some warning signs that you already said but not necessarily enough to kill the plow... diamond plate supporting the moldboard means the plow blade itself may be homemade (for better or worse), if the moldboard is still solid then dont worry about it being home-built. And the angle pin holes have seen better days which shows that it has been hit hard more than a few times, this can be fixed like I already said but there may be more damage to the mounts if its been hit that hard repeatedly. Check the frame and front crossmember where the plow mounts to. Since its a functional trip-blade, the truck side is hopefully probably fine.

If you need it to get through this winter and the lift works and you are able to change directions manually then run it as is. But Keep an eye out for local online equipment auctions to find a better setup, a whole setup. The truck is probably still fine for single property maintenance but that plow setup probably isnt, especially if you want hydraulic angle.
it has C6p RPO so its fortunately a thicker stronger frame than a 1980 K25 would normally be, it gets modulus numbers that look like crew cabs (but without the added length) so I like to think thats the only thing that kept it from worse things lol.
Also no, the pump appears, to what I could find, a willys 1940s-1950s hydraulic pump but I am not 100% certain, I havent tried to find out very hard lol.

And I wont be relying on it, I used it for the 2020 winter but my motor mounts, t case mount, my accidental using the wrong spline/diameter/design axle shaft in the front(I had a u joint blow a long time ago, like 2017 or 2018, and I bought another shaft. but the 1980 dana 44 unfortunately has a slightly different design, length, spline, and diameter shaft. so I put a smaller shaft into the diff ;( )
Essentially all mean that it needs a lot of TLC to be used again. And because my plow sectoring holes(lol) got as bad as they did over that one winter, I dont think it would take long to make it break something haha.

And from what I am told, the plow (being a very very wide one) came off a medium duty service truck for the country when he used to work for the county board, and the mounting sector/aframe Im guessing he built because the one it had for the bigger truck likely placed the plow under the center(guessing?) so he manufactured a hookup.
However, he used to use a narrower myer (or was it western..) plow , which Im guessing he just based the hookup dimensions on that because the old plow still could have hooked up to the truck, just no angling. My step dad got that plow he made it into a skidsteer plow. So Im pretty convinced that if I find the same type of plow that I could easily hookup to it and I just would have to figure out how to control side rams. I wouldnt mind a narrower plow either. Fortunately the truck-side hookups are fine and are in good health.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach

I also have "new" edges that are in a pile that I presume were destined to be bolted on the bottom to keep it sharp, and the top "roller" stuff is gone but I could make something not too hard. The plow itself is in okay shape thankfully.
Also, those all terrain T/As were okay in the winter with 2000 in the bed but the one front tire had a belt failure and started to lose air in addition to the bulge that ran around the circumference just off center lol!!! I put the spare on, which is a wider, less aggressive, same diameter AT tire. The T/As were good for free tires that sat in the sun for a couple years before I put them on this.
You must be registered for see images attach

Better than the bias plys with no tread and split rim 16.5s I was originally faced with.. lol..

You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach

These are older photos but I made sure to make the connections a little less.. that. Lol. I wish it was a hydraulic pump driven by a belt and not a electric motor but all in due time.

Also by time I can get any of the fixes that I talked about.. it needs brake lines and hoses. The hoses are cracked, not leaking, but I could see a burst in its future. The rear wheel cylinder on one side is just toast it sprays out quick so that would be something to do. This issue must have been present like 15 years ago, my gpa has a set of shoes and a drum and wheel cylinder already which tells me he was going to do it. I will just simply get a new wheel cylinder if the seals look iffy(carquest part, but its also from before parts were like today. so maybe good) and hardware.
The u joints are also getting a little loose and old (some take grease, some dont)

BUT ANYWAY. This happy bird has a 350 which is mechanically doing "good" and doesnt burn much oil, might not burn much at all once I time it and get carb set proper heheh. a new distributor(worn advance stuff, older design which meant needing to overhaul the distributor). Then it powers a SM465, but unfortunately it wasnt the one that it came with. It was a 1986 which had a hydraulic clutch. So he kinda rigged the fork to make the mechanical z bar work on it. Then it goes into a np208. love that 4lo and L combination. The crossmember is backwards and the driveshaft is too short, the axles are 4.10 and the tires are whateveer works as long as they match. My cab doesnt even have a floor on the driver side and the gas tank is probably supporting the bench on driver side, I would not stand and walk in the bed if someone even paid me(weight reduction in the wrong places) and the frame has about 0 rust on it. Oh and the fuel filler is in the wheel tub, with a access cut out in the bed to allow filling, because my gpa put a 1 tank bed on the truck and his solution was make a hole.
I did spoiler because I typed a lot and wanted to keep it from taking a whole lot of space up on this thread but still allow those interested to click and see.
 
Top