Stacking Aftermarket Wheel Weights to OEM Branded Weights.
In most instances, a properly designed and manufactured aftermarket weight will stack to its OEM Branded counterpart. Unfortunately, there are exceptions that can cause a great deal of installation frustration for the end user.
There are quite a few weights that are exact or very similar across multiple brands. The main difference will be the branded part numbers and the color of the paint. However, there can be slight design changes that many aftermarket dealers fail to disclose. The weights below are all of the same basic design and used as OEM branded weights by a variety of tractor manufacturers. It would appear that the only major difference is the brands chosen color.
All three of these weights primarily use carriage bolts to mount and stack. All of these weights can be mounted to the wheel with 5/8” (16mm) diameter carriage bolts and the square neck of the carriage bolt will keep the bolt from turning while the installer tightens the nuts. The bolt goes in from the back side of the wheel and the square hole in the wheel holds the square neck of the carriage bolt during installation. (Item 1 in the image below)
Upon stacking, we find the wrinkle. If you are stacking aftermarket weights to the wheel and to each other, everything will work as expected. If you are stacking additional aftermarket weights to an already installed OEM Brand version. Things may not be so simple.
When stacking this particular weight, the stacking hardware comes through the back side of the previous weight. The hole in the wheel weight is sized to accept the square neck of the carriage bolt and prevent it from turning when you tighten the nuts on the stacked weight. (item 6 in the image below)
In this example, the orange weight (the Kubota® branded version, item 3) is designed to use ¾ inch (20mm) diameter hardware to stack an additional weight (item 6 in the image) while the other weights (the black and yellow versions above) are designed to use the same 5/8 inch diameter (16mm) hardware to stack an additional weight as was used to mount the first weight to the wheel. (item 1 and item 6 in the image below)
Many aftermarket dealers choose only one version and paint that version different colors to match each brand application. The orange branded weight is almost never the chosen base model for production of the aftermarket weights. They may also expand the size of the mounting holes to allow fitment on different applications.
If you are stacking a typical aftermarket orange weight (item 8) to the branded version (item 3), you will often find that the ¾” (20mm) required stacking bolt (item 6) will not fit through the holes in most aftermarket weights (item 8) as they are usually designed for the 5/8” (16mm) hardware. If you attempt to use a 5/8” (16mm) stacking bolt through the branded version, it will then (since smaller in diameter) fit through the stacking aftermarket weight. However, the square neck of the carriage bolt will simply spin in the branded version and you will not be able to tighten the nuts on the stacked aftermarket weight. (Note item 6 and 7 in the image).
At TractorWeights.com we attempt to make this clear on all of our information. As an example; in the product description for our globally sourced version of the Kubota LM8124 weight (the orange weight above), we make it clear that if you are stacking this aftermarket weight to the OEM Branded version you should use our WT512-O version of this weight instead and we provide a link to that particular product. Further exemplified in our globally sourced version of the John Deere R213907 weight (the yellow weight above), we clearly state that it will stack to the original OEM Branded version.
When stacking aftermarket weights to original branded OEM versions, it is always best to verify fitment before purchasing. Always read the complete product descriptions and information tabs. We invite you to contact us with any fitment questions prior to making a purchase.
⚠ When Choosing and Installing Ballast Weights: ALWAYS refer to the recommendations contained in the owner’s manual for your equipment. ALWAYS refer to the maximum load rating of your tires.
This blog is general information only, representing the opinions of the author, and does not cover all aspects of the subject matter. Use of the information contained herein is voluntary.
