# Ariens ST270 Wheel Upgrade



## Bondo 287 (Jan 31, 2019)

Hello Folks. Well, here's the tire swap I did today. If your ST270 is still alive, and you're _**tired*_ of the hard rubber wagon wheels, here's something you can consider. 

Install some pneumatics like the big boys !













Tire is a 4.10x4 . Mine came in the mail, mounted on rims. They even included 20psi of air for free..


New wheel diameter is 11.1" x 3.50" and the rim actually is 4"
My old hard rubber OEM wheel measures 9.1" . Of course I was measuring a bald tire. 








.
Here's some more specs for my wheel of choice.










Don't forget these axle bushings , if you need them. My axle had a lot of play.











That's because my unit didn't have any. 










But I knew that and was prepared. I made sure I had new, correct sized bushings here for the job.
I even had the welder out. But I didn't need it. The hole wasn't that deformed, nor the axle. This is tough steel. Still a good thing I got to address this.
I wiped some good grease inside the bushing and installed. One side took some tender persuading. 
.
.
.
Look at the comparison below. These are the both 3/4" ( .75) Interior Diameter. The OEM was just thicker. Note though, the OEM pin hole position.
Watch for this because I pulled the axel out a little to line up the hole and set the pin. When I did the other side, The pin would not line up.
So you need to cut about 3/16 " off both the new wheel hubs and it will line right up. I'm not sure a sawzall was practical, and hacksaw by hand such a minute amount would be frustrating.
For the amount you need to take off, a grinder with a 4" cutting wheel is the way to go. It's what I used. Took about 10 minutes per wheel, but I put some effort into being precise.

I did stop grinding after calculating the possibility of hitting the pressurized tire with the cutting wheel. I took a piece of corrugated cardboard, popped a hole in it, and put it through the shaft to protect the tire. And my face. 








The driveway had been done the other day. The only remaining snow was on the front lawn. So my field test happened there. My wife appeared surprised I did not sketch something out obscene. 

Wow much more torque making it back there with a solid rear. This lawn's on a grade. The sucker climbed right up there. It doesn't ride so hard or bang around like it used to either. 












Below, Origional hard wheels had no hole caps. Almost used caps off of cans of electronic cleaner spray on the rims. Hey. I happened to have a set. 

The corrosion on the bottom of the blower box was addressed after the unit dried off . 












Lastly, the wheel spacing here looks good. And both drive wheels are still inside the scoop area. 

That missing paint area on the engine deck got cleaned up this afternoon as well.









.
The skids may need adjusted, but it doesn't immediately appear to be an issue. I need another snowstorm to see where this cat's at. This is definitely an upgrade though. 
Plus I cleaned it up a little more. I'll post that in a bit.
.
.


----------



## Bondo 287 (Jan 31, 2019)

Here's before or after cleaning.... I really can't tell. Used a drill and a wire wheel. I didn't get into the primer and sanding stuff. I've got plenty of autobody stuff here.
But I just wanted to clean this up a little. The other side's in the same condition..












Here's the shoot with official Ariens paint. I had to run a little heat. Feels great to be 30 degrees after this sub zero stuff. But keeping this warm will help so I could get a few coats on. 

Note I'm doing this in front of an open garage door. 












So a week or two ago, I cleaned the whole thing and wiped it down with Acetone. I painted the engine at that time too. Today I wrapped up with the orange. 

I hit some touch ups while I had the orange out. Cleaned the control rods and the plastic belt cover. I even found the hub some real "hole caps" in the garage . 

Bring on the Snow, Baby !!


----------



## classiccat (Mar 1, 2014)

Huge upgrade with those new kicks! 

Awesome job breathing new life into her!

:3tens:


----------



## e.fisher26 (Nov 6, 2016)

Notice a speed difference?


——————————————
Noma 10/29
Cub cadet 5/26 conv to 8/26
Toro 8/24
Husqvarna st230p


----------



## tomlct1 (Jan 6, 2016)

Wow, that looks good. It's good that you bought tires already mounted on rims. Last spring, I decided I did not want tubeless tires on my Ariens ST624, so I took the tires off the rims, and installed tubes, and put the tires back on. That unmounting/mounting was difficult for me. Similarly, a few years ago, I needed to repair or replace the inflated tire on a wheel barrow, and buying a new tire & rim, already mounted, was great.


----------



## Bondo 287 (Jan 31, 2019)

e.fisher26 said:


> Notice a speed difference?
> 
> 
> ——————————————
> ...


 I expected to, but not really. It's an R-1-2-3 setup, and the lower speeds are painfully slow. I always throw snow on 3. Third ( and all settings ) should be a little faster now, it was hard to notice "speed wise' . 

But it may be hidden over the overall experience. Because now it finally feels like the tractor is pulling itself. Before, it was not uncommon for me to be actually pushing and the wheels were simply "helping".
So with the change, I haven't noticed speed. It's still at a pace that I'm not running after it or anything. I'm getting true delivery to the wheels now, so that's really what I'm noticing. Maybe if I get a chance to throw some deeper snow I'll revisit #2.


----------



## drmerdp (Feb 9, 2014)

New sneakers and some fresh paint goes a long way on an old machine.


----------



## Bondo 287 (Jan 31, 2019)

tomlct1 said:


> Wow, that looks good. It's good that you bought tires already mounted on rims. Last spring, I decided I did not want tubeless tires on my Ariens ST624, so I took the tires off the rims, and installed tubes, and put the tires back on. That unmounting/mounting was difficult for me. Similarly, a few years ago, I needed to repair or replace the inflated tire on a wheel barrow, and buying a new tire & rim, already mounted, was great.



Yeah. The price of the tire alone is cheaper, however I didn't have much of a choice whereas I had to switch to pneumatic rims anyway. When researching, I found advice about the rims and tires with stock numbers. ( I believe it's how I found the forum here. ) But I noted the tire size, and just searched for mounted ones at the right bore for my axle. $75 to my door. 

I wasn't sure I could mention the vendor in my post, but they're easy to find if you search the tire.


----------



## Bondo 287 (Jan 31, 2019)

drmerdp said:


> New sneakers and some fresh paint goes a long way on an old machine.


Sure does ! Plus a few weeks ago she got a generous helping of sea foam, a new muffler, and replacement oil cap. Old fill cap was passing oil.


----------



## SuperCole (Aug 8, 2021)

Thanks for putting this DIY contribution together. I used your instructions to put new SNO-PRO wheels on my 1977 Ariens ST270. Like yours, my machine runs with the same Tecumseh engine it started its life out with 45 years ago, fresh off the factory floor in Brillion, Wisconsin. It also has an electric start and always fires up on the first try. It doesn't leak or use any oil, and it's championed the snow removal of countless Midwestern snow storms. Anyway, the new wheels look sharp, and they also added some impressive grip and torque. I'm actually the second owner of the machine, but I've had it for many years now and will probably never part with it as long as it continues to perform well.


----------



## Oneacer (Jan 3, 2011)

All mine are the old type, which I restored or refurbished, except for a couple new ones which I acquired and repaired.

Cant beat the older ones and there quality.


----------

