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Anyone, got ideas on keeping tractor tire chains tight?

Started by Valley Mick, January 06, 2010, 09:14:41 PM

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Valley Mick

I've got a set of pick chains on my tractor, and they keeeeep gettin loose.  I got them onto the tractor, and needed to move a section of chains back one link. Really should take two more links with the side clamps.  But will have to delete a whole set of chains then.  Mine are one solide chain side to side. the chains loops up the the next chain in line in a "c".   like this.  _H_  my delama is that if i take out a whole section and add two short chains to tighten it they will be on the wrong side of the swinging clamp and loosen off that section of chain instead of tighten it. i currently have bear traps and turn buckles on the chains to take out the slack, but it keeps pulling the chains towards the outside of the rims. therefore making the outside looser. If I go too crazy it makes the chain egg shaped when you look at the outside diameter. 
Why do you always realize it was a bad idea after sometin's BUSTED !

beenthere

Valley Mick
Sounds like the chains are meant for a larger tire.
Cut them back to size, or if not possible, get some that fit and do something else with these.

Chains that don't fit are....just a headache.  ;D
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Valley Mick

i went to the tractor supply, and all their chains are the same.  They all have three links between the crosser chains on the chain around the outside.  he told me to cut a section of chain out.  but now I have a huge gap between the chains that cross the tires. i spliced a couple of pieces of chain in and ity seems to be better.  A guy I used to work with said he had a rig for tightening skidder chains.  But cannot get a hold of himto see what it looks like.  I pulled the chains tight lastnight again.  I was thinking of letting the air out, tightening, then airing them up again.  Is this a bad idea?  If anyone has factory insructions or the like it would be appreciated.  Maybe I'm overlooking something simple.  The farmer up the road told me to just keep tightening them.  But the more I pull on the outside, the worse i make it. Cannot put anything on the inside due to the final drive is 1 1/4" from the rims.  on an old david brown 880 diesel.  Skidding with it seem to be when most of the bad stuff happens.
Why do you always realize it was a bad idea after sometin's BUSTED !

isawlogs


Part of your problem is that your inside chain ( one closer to the fender ) is too long , shorten the chains up and then tighten them , they will stay on and stay tight .
  I have the same problem with mine ... what I did is cut the link with a bolt cutter , spread it open with two large screw drivers , to make an opening , hooked it back together and whacked it shut with a couple of hammers .
  To tighten them up if you dont have the chain tenssioner/tightener thingy .. you can do it by taking some air out as long as the tire is not loaded with calcium, and using the beartrap to gain a link or two ..  Dont take too much air out as that will cause a bulge at the bottom that wont help much .
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

JD350Cmark

I always use bunggie cords, the heavy duty black ones.  On tractors, trucks, 4-wheelers.  Use the correct size on the outside of the tire to stretch across the tire.  I'd use about 6 of them.  On the back side or axle side, just use shorter bunggies.  cross the tiire enough to obtain some functionality for the bungie, but keep some clearance for the axle.  -Mark
2004 Wood-Mizer LT40HDG25

beenthere

Just my opinion, but bungie cords are only for when the chains don't fit. And sticks and ice chunks in the woods find them tasty. They work to get by for a short while, but are a temporary solution. Again, just my opinion. Others will vary. :)

I'd put the chains on the first time as snug as possible, and then cut the inside side chain to fit i.e. remove any excess chain links on the inside. Run the chains to loosen them up, and then retighten them. Following that, cut off all but two of the excess links on the outside side chain,  (leave a couple excess chain links for the next mounting and adjustment). Helps to jack the wheel up when mounting the chains, so the tire can be rotated to get the excess slack out. I sometimes use bungie cords to hold the outside side chains together while rotating the tire. Doesn't take long to have a tight chain on the wheel. Once the slack is out, the chains won't "loosen" up again.
south central Wisconsin
It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others

Gary_C

Here is what you need:

Jack Type Skidder Chain Tightener

This one is better, and cost more:

Screw-Type Chain Tightener

Those big skidder operators get those chains on so tight they can go down the road with no gaps anywhere and nothing swinging. And they use those screw pin clevises for connectors. Baileys has those too.

But it ain't easy to get them on tight. I've seen the guys in a shop spend a half a day getting one set of chains on.
Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.

stonebroke

Tighten the inside chain as much as possible to start with, then you can keep tighening the outside as it wears in. Don't worry about a gap if you take a cross chain off, it will not affect traction.

Stonebroke

motohed

I would also add that sometimes letting some air out , and installing the chains and airing up again helps . Be careful though as this is also very dangerous if improperly done  . I will be held harmless of any injurys for this post as it is inherantly dangerous , and should not be tried without proper supervision . Whew

isawlogs


Did you miss the part about " NOT taking TOO much air out  "   I am sure there still are a few out there that can think and read . whew
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

Frickman

A few months ago the Forest Resources Association put out a technical release where a Rottne forwarder owner welded four single chain links on to the wheels on the outside side of the wheels about halfway toward the center of the wheels. The were spaced around the wheel. He then used four short, two feet long or so, chains to conect the tire chains to these links. As the forwarder was then run through the woods and the tire chains worked back and forth on the tires these chains tightened up and then held the regular tire chains in place. Supposedly this tightened the chains more than you can ever do with a chain tightener.
If you're not broke down once in a while, you're not working hard enough

I'm not a hillbilly. I'm an "Appalachian American"

Retired  Conventional hand-felling logging operation with cable skidder and forwarder, Frick 01 handset sawmill

Pretend farmer when I have the time

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