Tires Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader

   / Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader #1  

BobReeves

Platinum Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2003
Messages
502
Location
Tulsa OK
Tractor
Ford 3000
Having a little problem with the 3 rib front tractor tires tearing up our lawn. I can minimize it by being extra careful when over the lawn but sometimes I get in a hurry and if the ground is the least bit damp it doesn't matter how careful I am. Thinking with the Loader and Box blade my 3000 must be close to 5000 pounds if not more.. Mostly use it for moving dirt, some digging, driveway maintenance and mowing.

What are the plusses and minuses of putting radial truck tires on the front. Heard this was a possibility... Any problem with fitting truck tires to the stock rims? Tubes or Tubeless?
 
   / Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader #2  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Any problem with fitting truck tires to the stock rims? Tubes or Tubeless? )</font>

Bob, the problem I've seen is the front wheels on tractors are sometimes half-sizes. For example, my tractor has 16.5 in. wheels. Most sizes of truck/auto wheels are full inches rather than coming in half-inch sizes. I'm sure the tire manufacturers would tell you that's to keep tractor tires from being used on cars/trucks, but it also works the other way. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
   / Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader #3  
During my younger years my dad had a ford 3000 industrial with fel and bb. He never had tractor tires on front. Always had high load range 3/4 ton truck tires and never new ones. I remember they appeared to be standard tractor rims in the 16 or 16.5 size. It worked great. No blow outs but we did have to fix some flats. It was known to pick up large truck diesel engines. I do not know the weight but boy those things must have been heavy.
 
   / Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Thanks, Checked and the rims are 16 inch so shouldn't be too hard to find a tire that would fit.

Still wondering in what situtation I would loose anything dispensing with the ribed tires and if it would be any problem putting tubeless tires on the old tractor rims..
 
   / Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader #5  
Yes.. you can get auto tires on the old ford rims.. and yes.. it makes it harder to steer. if you have the luxory of PS on that 3000.. go for it.

( In the 3.5" rim days.. motor cycle tires could be used on the 9n/2n and early 8n front narrow rims.. In fact.. the spare tire for my 2n is a crusty old knobby motorcycle tire. )

Soundguy
 
   / Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader #6  
I don't see you would lose anything. Those ribs on the tractor tire are designed to dig into the dirt some. We had p/s on our tractor so steering was not a problem.

chuck
 
   / Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader #7  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I don't see you would lose anything. Those ribs on the tractor tire are designed to dig into the dirt some )</font>

Exactly... they help with steering.. and there is less tire/ground contact.. In fact.. the narrower the tire.. the easier it is to steer. I've found, on manual steering units, with heavy front loads ( loader ).. that the wide auto tires like p200.. etc.. make for quite a bit of ground contact.. and for a tad bit of extra effort to steer.. not bad when rolling with a little bit of speed though.

Soundguy
 
   / Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader #8  
I had motorcycle tires on my 40' Farmall A for years. Switched to the 3 rib tractor tire when they finally rotted out. It made a tremendous difference in ease of steering and in providing directional control in soft ground or mud. The old tires would just slide along when I turned the wheel. But I guess if you were looking for less damage to the lawn, a non-rib tire would help out.
 
   / Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader
  • Thread Starter
#9  
Thanks for the input guys, as always looks like both options have good points and bad points. For now I'll just leave it as-is. Might try to pick up another set of rims so I can have both depending on what i am doing.
 
   / Front tires on Ford 3000 w/loader #10  
if the loader has down pressure you san just pick the tires off the ground to change them
 
 
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