Big Car Tires Give Riding Mower A Lift

Big Car Tires Give Riding Mower A Lift TIRES/WHEELS Miscellaneous 34-4-26 Tim Grefsrud, Siren, Wis., wanted a riding mower that would cut tall grass without bogging down and plugging up at the chute, and he didn't want to spend the money for a new model. So he modified his 15-year-old MTD 42-in. riding mower by adding big 14-in. car wheels on back, which raised the mower 3 in. "I plant some small fields with clover for deer, and I only want to mow them once or twice a year. My modified mower clears gopher mounds and doesn't get hung up on uneven ground," says Grefsrud. "The deck sets 5 1/2 in. off the ground when not in use." The original 20 by 8.00-8 mower tires were replaced with P185/75R14 tires. "The 14-in. wheel rims came off a Ford Mustang, but the tires were worn so I put different tires on the rims," says Grefsrud. "To make the car wheel rims fit the mower's wheel hubs, I had to make some modifications. I cut off a flange on each rim and then drilled 5 holes in a flat plate already on the mower wheel hub, and then I welded in 3/8-in. dia. bolts. I also made my own lug nuts to fit the wheels and the 3/8 in. threads." To keep the deck level, he welded on a 3-in. extension to raise each of the mower's steering spindles. The mower deck had to be moved ahead 2 in. in order to clear the car tires, which meant the original drive belt had to be replaced with a shorter one. The seat and rear fenders also had to be raised 1 1/4 in., using aluminum spacers and longer bolts. "The deck now cuts only as low as its original highest cutting position. I usually mow about 4 1/2 in. high," says Grefsrud. "Mowing higher keeps the deck from loading up and slowing the machine down, so the cut grass flies right out of the chute. I used the machine last fall to mow tall grass under some power lines and it never plugged up or even slowed down. It went right over gopher mounds without hitting them. "I also made a few other modifications, which my wife thought were a little excessive for a lawn mower. One was the paint job. The mower originally was painted red, but I repainted it yellow and black. I also added the muffler off a Honda 750 motorcycle muffler, a foam padded steering wheel off a go-cart, and brass shift knobs on the gearshift levers." Grefsrud says he spent about $25 for the tires and paint, and $20 for the belt. "I already had most of the other materials," he says. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Tim Grefsrud, 24268 Herman Johnson Rd., Siren, Wis. 54872 (ph 715 349-2654; muganay@yahoo.com).

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