How long is a WM LT40?

Paschale · August 22, 2004, 10:32:56 AM

Hi guys,

Next weekend, I'm hoping to go retrieve the sawmill I bought from my great uncle (400 miles away). Since it's been sitting in a field for so long, my dad and I are thinking we don't want to mess with trailering the thing without having any idea of the condition of the axle/tires etc. He's got an 18 ft car trailer we're thinking of hauling the mill on, but I wasn't sure exactly how long the LT40 is--will that baby fit OK on the trailer?

Thanks!

Dan

Bibbyman · August 22, 2004, 10:43:54 AM

26' and then some.

Here is a link to the WM web page with the specs.

Wood-Mizer specs.

I'd much rather invest a couple of hours making sure the bearings, tires, and wireing are ok than try to bring it back on a car hauler.

Buzz-sawyer · August 22, 2004, 12:05:16 PM

hey
I think I would buy two tires 8)up front............take with to the mill site, go to the local gas station have them mounted on the mizer rims, while they were of, the other guy checks/greases the bearings while they are accessable, put the tires back on and roll!! 8)
heck the tires might even still roll but a new set isnt a bad thing so for bout 70-100 your already up graded

Tom · August 22, 2004, 12:44:06 PM

That mill has the 13" tires (I think) and they can be purchased premounted for close to what an unmounted tire will cost. Check with Sams, a tire store, boat place, or something similar. They are pretty common.

Bibbyman · August 22, 2004, 02:55:40 PM

Tom is right about the price of mounted trailer tires. But I'm not sure on the wheel size. Our 94 LT40 had 14" wheels, as I remember. Our 96 LT40 Super had 15" - I think... ??? Our 2002 LT40 has no wheels.!

You may want to call Wood-Mizer tech support and ask them the specs on the tires and wheels/bolt pattern for that mill. Be sure to have you great uncle's WM customer number when you call, they'll be able to look up just the model mill and what wheels and tires they had on that mill.

Paschale · August 22, 2004, 09:30:13 PM

Thanks for the info and suggestions. I was talking this over with my dad tonight, and we're going to try hauling her back. The last time she was trailered was back in 1996, which was why I had a little concern. I'm going to call WM tomorrow, give them the serial number, and get the exact specs for tires and rims and bolt patterns, so hopefully it will turn out to be something common, like Tom suggested. If not, I think I'm going to just bite the bullet and by new rubber and rims, since my great uncle lives way out in the boonies and we really don't know how close we could get a tire put on. I'll check Sam's, maybe TSC too, and I may actually see if I can get a couple of used rims from a junk yard here in town. But, with a 400 mile trip, I think it's worth the investment to get some new ones anyway. Looks like we'll be heading up on Friday and bringing her downstate on Saturday--I'll let you all know how it goes!

Thanks for the input! Can't wait to get her home! 8)

Dan M.

Bibbyman · August 23, 2004, 01:15:31 AM

Again, you may need more than the serial number to get tech support from WM. They will want your uncle's customer ID number. They do this to protect the WM owner. They have assisted in recovering more than a few stolen WM mills this way.

When you do gain ownership of the mill, you will want your uncle to fill out a owner change card to notify WM. ;)

Paschale · August 23, 2004, 08:22:55 AM

Bibbyman,

Thanks for the heads up--hopefully I can track that number down!

I'll let you all know what happens.

Dan

Paschale · August 23, 2004, 09:08:52 AM

I just got off the phone with Woodmizer. Turns out that WM used a 12" 4-lug rim from 9-83 through 3-85, and then beginning in 4-85 changed to a 13" 5-lug rim which they used until 1994.

This mill was built in 3-85, which makes it right on the edge of the transition, so there's a slight possibility that I have 13" rims. :-/ Their records back then are pretty basic, so they weren't able to tell me the exact information for my specific saw. I'm going to try and see if somebody in my family up there can go out and look at the trailer and tell me for sure before I head up there, though I'm not going to ask my great aunt to do that!

In lieu of that, I'm hoping someone on here who has a mill that was made between 83 and March of 85 might be able to go measure the distance from the bolts for me, since the guy at WM says this is pretty important too. I'm just wondering if I go to a tire place and tell them I need a 12" rim with 4 lugs and expect it to fit exactly, that it actually will. I don't know much about these things--are these standard enough that it's likely it should work? I just wish when I'd been up there earlier this summer that I'd measured this stuff then! :

Oh well...

Thanks for all the help!

Furby · August 23, 2004, 06:43:10 PM

Hey Paschale, you may want to bring along a wiring harness and a couple of lights. It won't take but a few minutes to tape the setup in place and you won't have to deal with the old lights and wiring. Rodents love to gnaw on things like that. :

Don't worry about running the wire through frame work or anything, just some tape every couple of feet.
Also, do you know what size the hitch is ??? If not bring along several different balls and a couple of wrenches.

Good luck! ;)

Paschale · August 23, 2004, 11:30:30 PM

Furby,

I was just thinking about the hitch tonight--gonna call WM tomorrow morning and try and find out what they think's on it. I've got a guy up there who's going to check the rim/tire size so I should be set there. Good advice on the wiring thing too--good thinking Furby!

If all goes as planned, she'll be under shelter this weekend! 8)

raycon · August 24, 2004, 09:54:04 AM

I bought my mill from a fella that had left it out in a field for a long while -- I think he said 1992 to 2000 there abouts.
I jack the mill up spin the tires -- shake them a little bit -- kick them a little bit hook up to the truck and leave. By the time I got off the dirt road I had two flats -- sad point is I had a air tank in the truck,generator and air compressor.
Take out the tools pull the wheels off. Used a rope to reseat the tire and I was off.
Point of story if the tires look good. Make sure you check the pressure -- if someone can put 30-40 psi in them a few days in advance of you picking the mill up maybe it'll give you an idea if they'll hold up for the trip home. No killer slow leaks --dry rot etc..

Haytrader · August 24, 2004, 12:07:51 PM

If I had a car trailer it wouldn't take me long to decide what to do. Especially if you have a winch or good com-a-longs and a couple of chains and boomers.

Tires are probably bad. Bearings or the grease in them dead.
Lights are sure not to work. Whatever size coupler it is will be rusted.

Put that baby on yer trailer, get it home, and then check all the stuff where you have the tools to do so.

Paschale · August 24, 2004, 12:23:38 PM

Thanks for all the input. My second cousin's checking the tires and rims for me, and I'm just going to go up there with two new ones to put on. Shouldn't cost too much, and it's worth it for peace of mind. I think we should be able to repack the bearings up there (my dad's an old hand at stuff like that), and I like Furby's suggestion about just jury-rigging some wiring so I don't have to sweat that side of it.

Nice thing is that if all else fails, we'll still be able to put it on the car trailer. We're caravanning up there with another cousin who has a bunch of maple he wants to bring back downstate. We're going to chain/strap that to the car trailer, and then he'll trailer my Woodmizer home behind his truck. If it looks like the WM just won't trailer well, we'll winch her up onto the car trailer and go and load some of the wood into the truck beds. We've got some back-ups built in, so one way or another, that baby's coming home!

DanG · August 24, 2004, 12:35:31 PM

I second Furby's suggestion about the lights. When I picked up my mill, I made a light bar from a strip of aluminum and a 1x2. Made the wire extra long and made sure to include a ground wire. I still use the thing whenever I'm pulling someone else's trailer, so I know the wiring scheme matches my truck. Be sure to mark it left and right, so you don't have to re-do it after you put it on backwards.(voice of experience) :D :D

Furby · August 24, 2004, 05:16:02 PM

:D :D :D :D
Yeah, good point DanG! ;) ;)

EZ · August 24, 2004, 05:52:01 PM

Its always nice to have a plan B. Good luck with your adventure.
EZ

Furby · August 24, 2004, 06:59:46 PM

Been in a few spots where a plan C comes in handy as well! :

iain · August 25, 2004, 05:33:35 AM

our lt40 had been sitting for 5 years tyres etc all good but the brake linings had rotted of so no brakes and the push rod and seals in the hitch assembly had also rotted twas ok cause the pulling truck was big enough the haul it unbraked new parts from woody almost next day

iain

Paschale · August 25, 2004, 12:30:54 PM

Well, it turns out Tom was right about the rim size. Mine was built right on the cusp of WM changing from 12" to 13" rims, and it turns out they're 13 inchers. Glad my second cousin was able to go inspect them for me! Sounds like they're not in the best of shape, so decided to bite the bullet and get new rims and tires. I'm sure I could've used the rims, but as I said before, didn't know how easy it would be to find someone to replace the tires up there. Since I'm 400 miles away, I want to make it as easy as possible. Speaking of that, I'm going to get started on building a trailer light set, like Furby and DanG recommended--picked up a package at Menards, and hopefully with all this planning (and a little Rust Reaper), things will go smoothly. There always seem to be surprises though!

I'll let you all know how the adventure goes.

Thanks for the advice!

Dan

isawlogs · August 25, 2004, 10:37:52 PM

I have a lt40hd and it mesures 23 feet from tongue to tail , I had to change the rims on my mizer this past spring , had the 13 inch on there and put 14 inch with new tires . the 14 are rated to a higher weight then the 13 . I had never taken the tires off and hd no probleme taking them off ,
This winter I'm going to see about geting at the brakes on the mill , they are past due , will need to put padsand probably new drums .
Hope your trip goes well and you don't need to use plan C or D..... ;)

Paschale · August 26, 2004, 03:18:16 PM

Well, I'm off! Got the trailer lights rigged up, got the right wheels, got a ton of tools, got my Rust Reaper, got some jerky sticks for the cooler (the most important thing!). I'll get a pasty (hold the grits) on my way north for a little extra sustenance, and I should be good to go!

Thanks for all the advice and suggestions--I'll take some pix and give a full report when she's home. 8)

Dan

Paschale · August 28, 2004, 10:43:05 PM

Well, I just got home a little before midnight tonight, and all went well, and the ole mill is here, safe and sound. All the planning paid off--the tires were definitely shot, so we were glad that we had the new ones, and that they fit. Plus, the recommendation to bring up another lighting harness came in handy too. The Rust Reaper helped us get those stubborn lug nuts off. I couldn't budge them, so I put some RR on to help it out. We let it soak in, and then my dad took over wheel duty, and he got those babies off in no time. Maybe it's just because he's stronger than me, but I like to think it was the RR! :D Had to add a little heat to the other side too, since that was really bad, but regardless, we got the wheels off in no time, packed the bearings and were ready to roll.

It's good to be home, and it's even better to have a WM! 8) Funny thing happened on the way home--we stopped in Houghton for gas (we got about 10mpg, btw--old gas hog!), and a guy started talking to me. If that thing had been running, I coulda had my first customer already. ;D

Now, I'm going to bed!

Thanks for all the suggestions guy!

Buzz-sawyer · August 28, 2004, 11:51:04 PM

Im happy for ya.............. 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) ;)

iain · August 29, 2004, 07:15:44 AM

so how long is your lt40? differant or the same as ours?

Paschale · August 29, 2004, 04:35:39 PM

iain,

Well, went out and measured her, and she's just shy of 25' from "tongue to tail." It was made in March of 85.

I was putzing around with it today, and it looks to be in better shape than I thought. There's still oil in the engine, and it's clean, not mucky black. The engine isn't frozen or stuck, so that's a good sign, though it looks like there's some rust in the gas tank. The bandwheels still turn, though a little stiff, which is to be expected. The cant control lever's stuck solid, and so is the spring tensioner. I'll have to apply a little firey persuasion to those to help the Rust Reaper out. The RR really does help--used it to help free the blade guard nuts which I couldn't budge at all before using that.

Perhaps the most important thing that's helped today though is wasp killer! I found tons of nests in pretty much every crevice of that WM! I got a little exercise this afternoon when I found the first one! :D

Dan

I'll post some pictures of the adventure later this week.

Fla._Deadheader · August 29, 2004, 04:56:19 PM

8) Well done, Paschale. Now the fun really begins. 8) ;D

Kevin_H. · August 29, 2004, 06:20:21 PM

Make sure you do the pics so we can do a "Before and After"

Can ya taste the sawdust yet... ;D

Furby · August 30, 2004, 03:43:56 PM

So............... is it here in G.R. ???

Paschale · August 30, 2004, 05:59:48 PM

Well, she's at my dad's place in E R (Eaton Rapids), in his barn. He's got all the tools we'll need to refurbish it, plus now it's FINALLY out of the weather! 8)

I sure can taste the sawdust! Can't wait until she's up and running. I've been putzing around with her quite a bit, and realize there's a lot for me to learn. I'm hoping I can come check out somebody in Michigan who's got a WM, so I can see one up close and personal. Anyone need a tailman for a day? ;) Oh, and I'll definitely keep you guys posted with some pics. I need to develop the rolls of the trip, and then I think I'll just keep a running thread of it's renovation. I'm thinkin' it's gonna be a fun project!

Furby · August 30, 2004, 06:15:59 PM

I remember you saying that's where you were bringing it, but I had to ask anyways. ;)
Talk to Hawby, see if you can work something out. ;) ;)

Jeff · August 30, 2004, 07:38:36 PM

THe stump jumpers are pretty close also.

Furby · August 31, 2004, 03:33:47 PM

Ooooooops! :-[
Sorry guys, forgot about you!

Stump Jumper · August 31, 2004, 06:19:29 PM

yes we are close about 50 miles north of grandrapids . send im for our number if interested

Jeff · August 31, 2004, 06:53:59 PM

Or visit thier website. ;)

Paschale · August 31, 2004, 07:43:54 PM

Stump-jumper,

I'd definitely be interested in making the trip up their sometime you're cutting. I didn't really get a chance to talk with you all that much at the Pig Roast, so it'd be nice to get to know you a bit too.

I'll send you a Private message...and check out your website!

Dan