Correcting Weight Bias

[ricky racer]

As most of you know, we plow a lot of snow up here in the great white north, Michigan. That is what originally motivated me to buy my first Cub. Over the years I've spent a lot of time trying to improve my Cub's ability to push snow. One thing that I didn't like was due to the offset design of the Cub, one of the drive wheels is always light. Even though I've added additional cross links to my tire chains and I'm running double wheel weights, when I've reached the edge of traction, the right wheel always breaks loose first.

A while back Urbish measured the weight distribution of a Cub and found that the right corner was 225 pounds lighter than the left side. Even when I added an additional 250 lbs. to the draw bar, the right hand tire would always spin out first. Now when you look at me sitting on the seat, you'd wonder how it could ever break loose a wheel. Even with the seat post placed to the right of center, the right wheel is still light.

The other day I picked up a half dozen garden tractor suit case weights for no particular reason. I just happened to see them on Craigslist. When I got them home, I began thinking, "what I am I going to do with these?" Then I got to thinking, if I made a bracket on the right hand side of the tractor, I could weight the right wheel and possibly eliminate the slippage that I experience when pushing snow. So anyway, this is what I came up with.







I was out plowing earlier this afternoon and the additional 150 lbs. seemed to really even out the weight distribution and any time the tires broke loose, they did it evenly. Does it really make a difference? No, it was something that just bugged me and now I think I've fixed it.

[Clip]

Looks like a great fab job. Did you already have the step and modify to hold the suitcase weights?

[ricky racer]

I made the step years ago. I just added the bracket to hold the weights.

[Brandon Webb]

How do you like the double rear weights? Big difference from single? I've never plowed snow before but this year got a blade put together. I made some tire chains from cut down truck chains and they seem to fit pretty good. I put one set of rear weights on and front weights also. Added a drawbar and swinging drawbar just for the extra strength to the drop housings. I have the extra weights but they are bolted to centers and my torches are out of gas so I've not put them on yet.

You ever seen a Super A the way they have a cast center section only on the light side like your talking about?
I also saw a cub one time with a weight bolted inside the center as well as outside. Guess you could bolt 3 on one side but you might break your cub in half.

[ricky racer]

Yes, more weight equals more traction. More traction equals less slippage which reduces marked up concrete driveway, less dug up gravel driveway and yard.

[Brandon Webb]

Here's my setup right now working on making a lift rod. The hand lift is a booger. Can't seem to get my chains right enough to suit me.

[Brandon Webb]

Hand crank only I was worried about the crank hitting the blade but IH was way ahead of me

[ricky racer]

That's a nice straight Cub!! I like it!! Your set up should serve you well. Additional weight will make it better but what you have should work very well.

[Brandon Webb]

Do you use the blade shoes? I have them dad thinks I'll break something if I don't use them but not sure why you'd plow and leave like 1 inch of snow. I figured you'd want to scrape it. Figured the blade would pop up I understand not to drive it in a curb or something

[Don McCombs]

If you're plowing gravel you want the blade to ride above the surface. Otherwise you'll find all your gravel in the Spring where you pushed the snow. If the surface is concrete, the blade could catch an expansion joint and give you a good jolt. Asphalt is usually not a problem unless there are cracks.

[ricky racer]

I don't use any shoes on my plow. As long as there's frost in the ground the blade just slides over the ground without tearing things up.

[Brandon Webb]

I have an asphalt driveway won't be doing any gravel. I remember an old post from forever ago about someone who busted a cub in 2 pieces while plowing snow, it broke the torque tube in half. Wish I could find that picture.

[ricky racer]

I have an asphalt driveway won't be doing any gravel. I remember an old post from forever ago about someone who busted a cub in 2 pieces while plowing snow, it broke the torque tube in half. Wish I could find that picture.

After almost being thrown over the steering wheel a few times, I had the same concern. To fix it I did this and it's never happened again:

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