is there any danger in going wide with your tires?

[rsmith02184]

hello

this weekend i adjusted the rear tires on my JD 4100 to the widest possible. is there any disadvantage to doing this?

in the past, when they were narrower and i had a heavy load in the FEL, i sometimes almost tipped over. i am trying to avoid that by going wide.

any ideas?

 

[beenthere]

No, but you can still find the situation where you will 'think' you are going over. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
But danger other than that, no.

 

[keeney]

There are some disadvantages related to "Wide" tire setting, but none of them are glaring safety concerns:

Less clearance to obstructions.


If the rear track width is not equal to front, it can lead to issues with trailer loading ramps - you may need wider ramps or need to "compromise" on their position.

Steering geometry changes slightly. I am not sure if this increases or decreases turning radius.

Independent brake steering becomes more aggressive with the increased leverage.

Typically, the valve stem position gets swapped from outboard to inboard. This can be slightly less convenient to check and adjust tire pressure.

You need wider implements to cover the tracks. For example, on the JD 4100 mentioned, the JD 47" front snowblower is not really wide enough to not be driving on some of the uncleared snow when the rear wheels are at their widest setting.

Adding width to the rear will help stability with the FEL, but wider rear wheels are a lot more effective if you also have sufficient rear ballast.

- Rick

 

[rk246]

Mine are at the widest, and I definetely noticed the trailer issue, my ramps are not very wide for the trailer and I had to scrape some gravel out of it the other day, the fronts were barely on the inside of the ramp and the backs were about half on the outside of the ramp....lends itself to some careful driving....

 

[rsmith02184]

good info. thanks!!

i think i will keep them wide. i don't use a trailer for transport so it shouldn't be a problem.

the main reason for the switch was the heavy loads almost sending me over.

i'll switch them back if i am transporting on a trailer.

 

[rk246]

Alot of trailers will handle it, mine only go out to about 70" that is still pretty easy to fit on most trailers...