Tires Front tires plowing the ground

john_bud · Nov 21, 2007

One more thing to think about. Check the load rating on the tires. Tri-rib are great for turning on loose plowed soil, but they usually have low weight bearing capacity.

Probably 1700-2000# each. Figure 3/4 of that is used up with the tractor and empty FEL. That means you are over stressing the tires when you get a full bucket.

jb

Spiveyman · Nov 21, 2007

john_bud said:
One more thing to think about. Check the load rating on the tires. Tri-rib are great for turning on loose plowed soil, but they usually have low weight bearing capacity.

Probably 1700-2000# each. Figure 3/4 of that is used up with the tractor and empty FEL. That means you are over stressing the tires when you get a full bucket.

over stressing = blowout?

blowout = bad with a load in FEL = rollover?

Is this a safety issue with heavy loads on the FEL? Our round bales are likely less than 2,000 lbs, and I'd always have a bale on the 3ph, so it seems like I'm OK there. But I wouldn't want to push it when I do get into heavier stuff. I'll check the tires when I'm back out there after Tgiving.

N80 · Nov 21, 2007

My B-I-L has been running tri-ribs on the JD he uses for moving bales for as long as I've known him. Never had a blow out.

RobJ · Nov 21, 2007

Spiveyman said:
As a die hard NASCAR fan I would feel remis if I didn't mention that two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do. By the way, there are two road courses. There's a time for turning right too.

Well I still can't add mush to the Ackerman thing, but I did recall on large trucks with straight front axles they put wedges under the leaf to tilt the axle forward. Supposed to give the big trucks a sharper turning radius.

dbdartman · Nov 22, 2007

The reason I simply suggested adding toe-out to the front end is that I didn't want to confuse things by getting technical with ackerman & caster talk.

BTW, if you want to learn about basic steering & suspension theory, read this link. Though it deal specifically with drag race front suspension theory, it does explain the basics very well.

john_bud · Nov 22, 2007

N80 said:
My B-I-L has been running tri-ribs on the JD he uses for moving bales for as long as I've known him. Never had a blow out.

I have tri-ribs on a loader tractor too. The load rating on them is 1700# or so. They squat a lot when lifting a bucket full as the load on them is greater than the amount in the bucket. Remember how the back end gets light when you lift a load? That is weight transfer to the front axle. The tractor with loader and hoe with filled tires is about 9000#. Lift capacity is 3000#. I figure that the front end of the tractor can weigh as much as 8-9000# when the bucket is full. I know that before filling the tires, the back was so light it wouldn't go up a slight hill backwards. And that's with a 3000# hoe on it.

The tires won't (often) blow out. Don't worry about that. They may squat so much that the side walls get cut or the tires may come off the rims if you turn sharp and hit an obstruction. It's smart to match the tire to the load.

(Not that I am doing that! But, the tires were new on the tractor and the tire place wouldn't give me anything for them in trade, so use them I will)

Spiveyman · Nov 23, 2007

Wow, never thought I'd learn so much about tires with one simple question. My hope was to make sure that I wasn't doing something plain ole' stupid with those tires. I can see the good and the bad with them, but it sounds like in the end they are a decent tire, and if I need the traction on a hill side, I'll be glad that I have them.

I never paid that much attention to the tires. I was asking my uncle about his tires, here they are:

Said he'd never run anything but tri-ribs for the reason I mentioned. When he needs them, he needs them, and he can put up with some ruts here and there for knowing that he'll have traction on those hills.

Everything else seems to check out, diff lock is not stuck, toe seems pretty daggone close. I think the key is for me to take it easy. I tend to drive everything like a video game.

dbdartman · Nov 24, 2007

Spiveyman said:
Everything else seems to check out, diff lock is not stuck, toe seems pretty daggone close. I think the key is for me to take it easy. I tend to drive everything like a video game.

Measure the toe, don't just look at it. Just don't measure it after backing up, you always want to drive it forward, stop, measure toe. If it's toed-in, you can try adjusting it toe-out a little (1/4"-1/2"). This may help (my feeling is that it will) & shouldn't affect off-road driving.

SPYDERLK · Nov 24, 2007

dbdartman said:
Measure the toe, don't just look at it. Just don't measure it after backing up, you always want to drive it forward, stop, measure toe. If it's toed-in, you can try adjusting it toe-out a little (1/4"-1/2"). This may help (my feeling is that it will) & shouldn't affect off-road driving.

Yes, toe out will ensure that the turn angle of the wheel on the inside of the turn is greater and thereby lessen the fronts pushing or pulling against each other when you are turning.

larry

john_bud · Nov 24, 2007

My tractor with the tri rib tires had a about 1/4 inch of toe out. It would dart for the ditches like a scared rabbit on the road. A real pucker maker for sure. Very twitchy to drive, a real white knuckler.

I went to 1/4" toe in and it's a lot better.

I wouldn't go to toe out if you are going to road the tractor anywhere.

jb