Tire Selection Radial tires on a tractor a no go.

[ksluy]

I have had tractors from 40hp to 85hp all with bias ply tires. Then i purchase the New Holland Powerstar 4.75 with a highway gear that will run 25mph. I have never had a tractor bounce like this tractor and when you add a load the front tires go flat. I just traded back for a JD 5085e with bias tires and it rides like a dream. Lifted two round bails on the front and the tires stay up. No more radial tires for me thanks. Have you all noticed this?

 

[DT86]

Just my experience...

I have almost 1000 hours on my radial tires and spend a fair amount of time on the road.

I do find that with no implements attached or with an implement on the rear and no counter weight on the front the tractor will bounce until it get above a certain speed (~20mph). Lowering the rear tire pressure did help some but didn't completely stop the bouncing.

I can't say that mine flatten out easily with a load. Last winter they carried more than 350 hay bales over the road, two hay bales out front with four more on the rear. No problems.

I can deal with the bounce for a few reasons. They are tubeless and most punctures can be fixed with a plug instead of having to break them down to patch or replace a tube, they pull like a coal train and they wear really well when used on the road.

FWIW the tractor has cast wheel centers with two sets of weights and fluid filled tires on the rear, up front it has the loader and a heavy duty bumper.

 

[ksluy]

I did notice the bounce was less after I filled the rear tires. At first I just had wheel waits but up front there is no way I could of lifted two bales the tires would of just went flat. I was always was scared they may roll off the rim. I added some tire pressure it helped a little but just not like a bias ply tire. I thought a radial would be better. But not for me.

 

[Jd5203]

Did you remember that radials are supposed to have three lugs on the ground so they're not completely pumped up and should have a bulge at the bottom. They are supposed to have three lugs on the ground for maximum pulling power. Two lugs with ground contact traction, one lug leaving, and then one lug entering. See if this helps any if you still have radials. Bias tires are not the same, they only use two lugs. One ground contact, one leaving and one entering.

 

[ksluy]

I don't have the radials any longer but I had the recommended tire pressure. The first time I lifted a round bail the tire flattened out and made it hard to drive. So I added pressure to the front tires it at least kept the sidewall from rolling so bad. And then there is the bounce when you are unloaded. I know the radial is suppose to be better but I will take the feel of the Bias. Thanks for your input.