horseman with no horse 26 #1 Posted May 12 upon doing research a while ago there are different types of frame sizes for horses. short frame, long frame, and even some in between. digging deeper on the forums i noticed someone mentioned that the size of the frame refers to the wheel base. makes sense.... well heres my question, if i put in a long frame transmission and or front axle on my short frame, does that effectively make it a long frame? i was going to put a 6 speed in my 855 but i didn't know what it might do to the wheel base as the axles are noticeably longer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rjg854 11,387 #2 Posted May 12 I don't believe changing the transmission will change the overall length of the tractor. 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ebinmaine 67,621 #3 Posted May 12 "Wheel base" refers to the LENGTH of the machine. Not WIDTH. Swapping a transmission from 3 spd to 6 spd does not affect the length. It does however affect "REAR track width". 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
squonk 41,155 #4 Posted May 12 Outside of cutting the frame and making it longer or shorter, the only thing you can do to change the wheelbase is to install a forward swept front axle. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,237 #5 Posted May 13 2 hours ago, squonk said: install a forward swept front axle. Yep! Adds 2” to the wheelbase and widens the front track to 41”. It may not sound like much, @horseman with no horse, but those inches make it a lot easier to run a 60” mower deck and add stability when using a front loader. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pullstart 62,912 #6 Posted May 13 58 minutes ago, Handy Don said: Yep! Adds 2” to the wheelbase and widens the front track to 41”. It may not sound like much, @horseman with no horse, but those inches make it a lot easier to run a 60” mower deck and add stability when using a front loader. But though doable, neither of those are likely to be done on an 855… 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handy Don 12,237 #7 Posted May 13 (edited) 35 minutes ago, Pullstart said: But though doable, neither of those are likely to be done on an 855… Agree completely. Might not even be doable given variations in axle mounting. Edited May 13 by Handy Don Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ri702bill 8,338 #8 Posted May 13 I did an 8 speed swap on my 854 - only a couple of mods. Wheelbase is the same, rear tires are further apart (track width) A 6 speed swap is even easier.... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
horseman with no horse 26 #9 Posted May 15 On 5/13/2024 at 5:00 AM, ri702bill said: A 6 speed swap is even easier.... i neeeed to do this , my 3 speed is still strong but its been through hell and its getting time to swap it for safety, hubs are worrrrrn ATF (yes i run ATF) is leaking out from every seal. and to top it off ive been running it at 25 miles per hour with kohler v twin..... for a long time... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
horseman with no horse 26 #10 Posted May 15 (edited) i have my fast horse and my other 855 which is mostly restored at this point and the difference in hub play is scary Edited May 15 by horseman with no horse Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
