Bruce's Journal

[RollingAcres]

I like raising cattle but killing trees is my passion.

You and "tree huggers" will not be BFF

 

[Bruce]

I never get to have any fun anymore...I like raising cattle but killing trees is my passion.

You'll create the Great Texas Desert!

 

[Bruce]

Came back from dinner after dark last night. Happened to see something shiny in the parking area. Large bolt with a 10 on the head. Around the area my car was parked earlier but way too clean to have come out of the bottom of my 9 year old car with 140K miles. So I figured tractor even though I haven't run the tractor through there for a couple of weeks.

This morning I was going to go out to work in the woods but figured I better see if there were any similar bolts on the tractor. Looked here, there, everywhere ... then spotted the matching bolts on the right rear tire. OK, must have somehow lost one on the other side. Nope, lost THREE and the other 3 were backing out. Darn good thing I didn't go to the woods figuring I'd deal with the mystery bolt after.

I was going to put the one I found back in but it wasn't totally properly lined up. Got the 20 ton jack under the frame and lifted a bit to take the weight off. Thought I'd best put some loctite on the bolts. Now can't find the bolt and washer I found before (still can't!!!!!! so I backed out one bolt and though it still had about 3/4" of thread on the end, they were all mashed up between there and the head. Must be the wheel was wobbling just a bit and flattening the threads. The other two were the same. Called the dealer to see if they have them in stock but they don't. So they ordered them, will be in next week. I tightened up on the 3 bolts and backed the tractor back into the barn.

Now one weird thing is there was a washer on the rim, just sitting there. You would THINK that a rotating tire would lose the washer or the bolt would be really near by. Could not find any other bolts. The other weird thing is the 50 hour service says to check the wheel bolt torque. And I DID!! They were all fine. Every bolt on the other 3 wheels are still tight. Why did those loosen up? I have about 5 hours to go before the 100 hour service when I am supposed to check the torque again. ASSUMING the wheel hadn't fallen off (I would NOT bet on that with me traipsing up and down the bumpy field on 3 backing out bolts!) I would have noticed the missing bolts then.

I believe I missed the Zinger ™ award by --> <-- much! So all you tractor owners, check those wheel bolts!

 

[CntryBoy777]

Oh my Goodness!!....that had to be a real stunner, but sure glad ya caught it before it was a catastrophy for ya....I have such a time with bolts, nuts, washers, and stuff that I got a telescoptic magnet to run thru grass, dirt, and around objects to find something metal that is lost or dropped....even used it when fencing to pick up dropped staples, so I didn't deal with a flat tire or injured hoof on an animal....hope it was just a bizarre happening and not something ya deal with very often.....

 

[B&B Happy goats]

single digits isn't the big problem, double digits BELOW 0°F is the BIG problem
My "plan" is to tuck the empty hose into the insulated box since the rain barrel is round and the box square, there is vertical space in the corners. I just have to make sure the hose can drain out before I do said tucking. A piece of pipe insulation couldn't hurt since it doesn't take long to freeze non moving water at those temps! I think the stock tank heater only goes up to 40° so it isn't like there is a lot of residual heat.

Bruce..in my old days, we took hot composting manure and packed around piping during winter.. that was in new hampshire , boxed it in from weather and pipes never froze....just a thought for you to ponder.

 

[Mike CHS]

I haven't lost any wheel bolts but I have had bolts disappear from my front end loader enough that I do a visual around the whole tractor before taking it out.

 

[Bruce]

Bruce..in my old days, we took hot composting manure and packed around piping during winter.. that was in new hampshire , boxed it in from weather and pipes never froze....just a thought for you to ponder.

I built the insulated box last winter, worked fine. Of course there were a couple of changes, like the spigot on the rain barrel points down so I had to raise the barrel up and cut out some foam board to be able to attach the hose.

 

[greybeard]

then spotted the matching bolts on the right rear tire. OK, must have somehow lost one on the other side. Nope, lost THREE and the other 3 were backing out. Darn good thing I didn't go to the woods figuring I'd deal with the mystery bolt after.

So close......

 

[Bruce]

 

[RollingAcres]

This morning I was going to go out to work in the woods but figured I better see if there were any similar bolts on the tractor. Looked here, there, everywhere ... then spotted the matching bolts on the right rear tire. OK, must have somehow lost one on the other side. Nope, lost THREE and the other 3 were backing out. Darn good thing I didn't go to the woods figuring I'd deal with the mystery bolt after.

Good thing you decided to check!