What does 16A mean in tires, 18.4-16A on a 16" Rim?

[CliffordK]

Ok,

Looking at the tires on my not-quite-new baler.

They have some mild weather checking, so I was thinking of hunting down some replacements.

Size is:
18.4-16A
on a 16" rim
6 Ply Rating 15-16A (Right)
8 Ply Rating 15-16A (Left) (different ply rating is "factory" according to parts manual).



Pinky in photo for reference.

So, what does the 16A mean?

The most common Ag (Turf) tire size is 18.4-16.1

That would mean the tire is just under 1/8" larger than a 16" tire, right?

that doesn't seem to be a big difference, especially with a "new" tire that would have some flexibility, although a used one already mounted on a 16.1" rim might have lost some of that flexibility If I powder-coated the rims, I might be able to get at least 1/16" overall buildup. And, I will probably keep tubes in them. I don't know if they have rubber rim guards.

But, what does the 16A mean?

I might be able to find some used 16" super swampers.

 

[CliffordK]

Ok,
I think I found the "official" answer... at least good enough for me.

I found these tires.
On the tire, it is clearly marked:
18.4 - 16.1
replaces 18.4 - 16A


So, I have to assume this is in fact the correct tire.

Thinking a bit more about the split rims, the bead is what holds the wheel together, so an oversized tire could be very bad.

One tire store I talked to was concerned that not all the modern beads may not be designed to hold the split rims together... I'm not sure about that. Anyway, the tires I got were 8 ply which should be stiffer than the 4 & 6 ply rated ones that are also available (left tire is supposed to be 8 ply, right originally was 6 ply).

I still don't know about super swampers, but I doubt I will be exceeding 25 MPH, so the turf tires should be just fine. The new tires are rated for tubeless, but they should be fine with tubes.

One option, of course, would be to make axle spacers to match the new rims, or to try to rebuild a rim with the proper center section. But, I think once inflated, good tires on the old rims should be safe.