That's great! The wheels were one of the main reasons a let my JX75 go. How is the pricing of the newer style?
JD 14SB(JX75) with JS63 Wheels
Successfully retrofitted JS63 wheels, JS63 wheel covers, and upgraded the wheel bolts onto my 14SB. These are the same wheels that are on the 2nd version of the JX75(the one that came with the FJ180V engine)
The reasons why -
1. 14SB wheels are hard and wear down quickly. Don't seem as good as rubber-like thread of JS63 wheels. I'm hoping JS63 wheels last longer.
2. The 14SB wheel bolt. It seems like I have broken one wheel bolt every year and I only mow my yard. The wheel bolt is 5/16"/8mm thick on the threads. Also the 14sb uses a bushing instead of a bearing. The bushing gums up on the 1/2" diameter section of the bolt and probably helps the bolt fail. The bolt is not common and I usually have to order them off of ebay.
3. Hopefully cheaper in the long run as I plan on keeping my 14SB. My wheel bolts shouldn't fail and JS63 wheels should last longer.
4. The JS63 wheel weighs the same as 14SB wheel.
5. Both wheels use the same wheel gear. Because of this the geometry of the height adjuster doesn't change too much. The height notches are about 1 off now with the new wheels though.
6. JS63 wheel seems like a better design. It uses one big bearing with 1/2" inner diameter. It is taller and wider. Better rubber-like tread.
Basically what I did:
1. Modified height adjuster - Drilled and tapped hole from 5/16"/8mm to 1/2" for 1/2" Grade 8 Bolt
2. Used spacers/washers to make everything work. Gears mesh up correctly, dust cover will stay in place, wheels don't rub on deck, wheel bolt sticks out further with spacer so am able to get a socket/wrench on it.
3. Modified wheel cover. Trimmed internal ribs for clearance of gear, Enlarged hole for spacer for wheel bolt, drilled hole for bolt to keep cover in place.
4. JS63 tires stick out slightly more in the back but is fine. I noticed that the original 14sb front wheels stick out further than the rear anyway.
5. Front tires bolt right up with original 14SB bolt. Will eventually drill out hole in front height adjusters so I can use a 1/2" bolt and nut.
How it is:
1. Because the new wheel has a larger diameter, it affects the gearing. It seems like 3rd gear is now almost as fast as 4th gear was. 5th gear is now very fast.
2. Heights seem like they are shifted one over from before. For example, the lowest height seems to be where the 2nd lowest height used to be.
3. Seems less bumpy. Just like my newer style JX75 with these wheels it seems like the rubber wheels absorb some vibrations/bumps better.
The reasons why -
1. 14SB wheels are hard and wear down quickly. Don't seem as good as rubber-like thread of JS63 wheels. I'm hoping JS63 wheels last longer.
2. The 14SB wheel bolt. It seems like I have broken one wheel bolt every year and I only mow my yard. The wheel bolt is 5/16"/8mm thick on the threads. Also the 14sb uses a bushing instead of a bearing. The bushing gums up on the 1/2" diameter section of the bolt and probably helps the bolt fail. The bolt is not common and I usually have to order them off of ebay.
3. Hopefully cheaper in the long run as I plan on keeping my 14SB. My wheel bolts shouldn't fail and JS63 wheels should last longer.
4. The JS63 wheel weighs the same as 14SB wheel.
5. Both wheels use the same wheel gear. Because of this the geometry of the height adjuster doesn't change too much. The height notches are about 1 off now with the new wheels though.
6. JS63 wheel seems like a better design. It uses one big bearing with 1/2" inner diameter. It is taller and wider. Better rubber-like tread.
Basically what I did:
1. Modified height adjuster - Drilled and tapped hole from 5/16"/8mm to 1/2" for 1/2" Grade 8 Bolt
2. Used spacers/washers to make everything work. Gears mesh up correctly, dust cover will stay in place, wheels don't rub on deck, wheel bolt sticks out further with spacer so am able to get a socket/wrench on it.
3. Modified wheel cover. Trimmed internal ribs for clearance of gear, Enlarged hole for spacer for wheel bolt, drilled hole for bolt to keep cover in place.
4. JS63 tires stick out slightly more in the back but is fine. I noticed that the original 14sb front wheels stick out further than the rear anyway.
5. Front tires bolt right up with original 14SB bolt. Will eventually drill out hole in front height adjusters so I can use a 1/2" bolt and nut.
How it is:
1. Because the new wheel has a larger diameter, it affects the gearing. It seems like 3rd gear is now almost as fast as 4th gear was. 5th gear is now very fast.
2. Heights seem like they are shifted one over from before. For example, the lowest height seems to be where the 2nd lowest height used to be.
3. Seems less bumpy. Just like my newer style JX75 with these wheels it seems like the rubber wheels absorb some vibrations/bumps better.
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Pricing - New JS63 wheel prices seem to be around $30/piece. New 14SB wheels made by John Deere are about $25/piece. Aftermarket Oregon 14SB wheels run about $15/piece. I haven't seen any aftermarket wheels for the JS63. Used JS63(or newer version JX75) wheels in good condition sell between $40-70 on ebay for a set of 4. I would be willing to sell the 20+ pieces of hardware (bolts, spacers, washers) for around $40. I really don't want to sell the labor to drill/tap/modify parts though so that cost is whatever one thinks their time is worth.
Rolling Resistance - Don't notice anything there. Part of that could be the wieght is about the same. Attached are photos of a new JS63 wheel weighed and a used 14SB wheel being weighed. A new 14sb wheel might actually weigh more?The new JS63 wheel is only 1/2 oz more heavy. Then behind the spur gear that is attached to the wheel I am using nylon spacers so they add next to no weight.
Rolling Resistance - Don't notice anything there. Part of that could be the wieght is about the same. Attached are photos of a new JS63 wheel weighed and a used 14SB wheel being weighed. A new 14sb wheel might actually weigh more?The new JS63 wheel is only 1/2 oz more heavy. Then behind the spur gear that is attached to the wheel I am using nylon spacers so they add next to no weight.
Attachments
Mowed the lawn a few times now with the new wheels and no issues.
I did make one improvement to the bolt that mounts the wheel cover. It is no longer fastened by a nut. I threaded the hole for the wheel cover bolt to 5/16" threads and to my surprise the hole was already drilled to the proper size(17/64"). The hole was there from the factory. There is limited room behind the rear height adjusters and the bolt and nut combo wasn't working too good. One thing I have noticed from looking at height adjusters on ebay is that not all JX75/14SB's have this hole pre-drilled.
Took some comparison photos with my 14SB with JS63 wheels, 14SB w/ 14SB wheels, and JX75(FJ180V Version) w/ JS63 wheels. The wheelbase for the front wheels on the 14SB/JS63 is actually just slightly less than my 14SB/14SB that has factory spacer hardware for a dethatcher. I might have found some hardware that may make it possible to run a dethatcher with 1/2" bolts and JS63 wheels on the front.
For the wheel bolt I am using a spacer to bring the bolt head outward. That way I can actually get a wrench or socket on it. I would have used a socket cap bolt(allen wrench bolt) but the only common bolts are black oxide and stainless steel. SS would be weaker and black oxide would rust easily.
I did make one improvement to the bolt that mounts the wheel cover. It is no longer fastened by a nut. I threaded the hole for the wheel cover bolt to 5/16" threads and to my surprise the hole was already drilled to the proper size(17/64"). The hole was there from the factory. There is limited room behind the rear height adjusters and the bolt and nut combo wasn't working too good. One thing I have noticed from looking at height adjusters on ebay is that not all JX75/14SB's have this hole pre-drilled.
Took some comparison photos with my 14SB with JS63 wheels, 14SB w/ 14SB wheels, and JX75(FJ180V Version) w/ JS63 wheels. The wheelbase for the front wheels on the 14SB/JS63 is actually just slightly less than my 14SB/14SB that has factory spacer hardware for a dethatcher. I might have found some hardware that may make it possible to run a dethatcher with 1/2" bolts and JS63 wheels on the front.
For the wheel bolt I am using a spacer to bring the bolt head outward. That way I can actually get a wrench or socket on it. I would have used a socket cap bolt(allen wrench bolt) but the only common bolts are black oxide and stainless steel. SS would be weaker and black oxide would rust easily.
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