Unexpected Tire Experience

   / Unexpected Tire Experience #1  

robertm

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 3, 2002
Messages
1,115
Location
Northern Illinois
Tractor
Kubota BX2660
I really can't believe this, but yes, this happened to me.

I have posted some of this information on TBN, but I've got to set the scene... so bear with me...

I traded my B7500 on a new B7510. The B7510 did not come with the Bar Turf Tires I wanted, so the dealer ordered them. They came in, they put them on the tractor, and I picked the unit up. The dealer did inform me, however, that the two front tires were different profiles, although they were labeled the same size, same tread design, etc... Apparently, Firestone changed molds recently, and I was lucky to get the old and the new. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Anyway, the dealer ordered me a new front tire to match the new "rounded" profile I liked and wanted. In the meantime, I used the tractor with the two different front tires, but avoided 4WD because of their diameter differences and the gear overwind problems in the gearcase. The new replacement tire came in, I picked it up (leaving the old style "flat" profile tire I did not want with the dealer), took it home only to find the tire was over 1/2" larger than the tire that was on the tractor - the tire I was going to keep. I called the dealer in disbelief, and he ordered me two new matching front tires. He said Kubota was okay with the 1/2 " discrepancy and it would not make any difference, but they would order me new tires if I wanted. That's what I wanted. The tractor actually pulled a little to one side with the different sized front tires. And as stupid as it sounds, the size was noticable from the front of the tractor.

I went home and double-checked the tire size again really carefully and sure enough, the tire on the tractor (the tire I was keeping) was a full 3/4" shorter than what the new replacement tire for the other side measured. Mind you these dimensions were confirmed with the exact same tire pressures in each tire AND with the tires mounted on the tractor to compensate for the weight of the tractor on the tires.

Okay, now I pick up the two new front tires last night and take them home to replace the two different sized front tires currently on the tractor. What was going on? The new tires were a full 3/4" LARGER than the one already on the tractor I already replaced! So, I expected that the newest tires would be atleat 1-1/2" taller than the first tire, right? 3/4" + 3/4" = 1-1/2". WRONG. The newest tires (both) were only 3/4" taller, so that made me think. I checked the two tires I had on the tractor and they measured within 1/16" of each other, when they measures 3/4" difference when new. The light came on a little too late.

Learn from my stupidity. The FIRST tire the tractor came with, which I was going to keep, had about 4 hours on it when I compared the first new replacement tire (never used) to it. That was enough time (4 hours) of bouncing around the yard to soften up the belts and let the tire assume it's natural profile and shape. So, when I put it next to the new unused tire that had never been stressed, or exercised, or allowed to assume it's natural profile and shape, they looked drastically different. But now, both front tires that are on the tractor, which have around 8 hours on them (actually 4 on one and 8 on the other) now measure within 1/16" in diameter of each other. They were 3/4" different in measured diamater originally. Go figure. What a learning lesson. Who's on First? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I wouldn't have even worried about the 3/4" difference originally except for Kubota saying I needed to match tires (back when I was going to just replace the rubber on my old B7500) due to overwind in the gearcase if the diameters of the tires were not correctly matched. That was an $850 investment I didn't care to do. But, like I posted yesterday, now I see the dimeters really don't mean that much as I find the bar turf front tires I now have are within 2/10's of the standard turf tires, but the real difference is between the rears (bar turf VS. std. turfs) where it is INCHES of difference. Another thing where inches (or tenths of inches) makes a difference. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
 
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