Tire issue with local co-op

[Vigo327]

Well with cars there tends to be a lot of weight transfer from side to side involved with turning since the speeds are higher, but on tractors the forces between those two locations are probably a lot more similar like you're suggesting. However imperfect my understanding of the distribution of forces between those two points, it still always seems that when you lose air and notice because of the tractor turning poorly or differently (as opposed to noticing while the tractor isnt moving, which would be nice..) I always seem to notice when that tire is on the outside of the turn. I can't remember ever turning the steering wheel and thinking 'thats not right' and then looking down and it was the tire on the inside of the turn that was flat. Always the outside. I can't quantify that effect, but i think even on tractors the outside edge of the outside tire is going to deflect more and expose that bead-wheel gap to debris more than on the inside edge of the inside wheel. I wish i had a better answer to your great point than just that anecdotal observation!

 

[IndyJay]

Well with cars there tends to be a lot of weight transfer from side to side involved with turning since the speeds are higher, but on tractors the forces between those two locations are probably a lot more similar like you're suggesting. However imperfect my understanding of the distribution of forces between those two points, it still always seems that when you lose air and notice because of the tractor turning poorly or differently (as opposed to noticing while the tractor isnt moving, which would be nice..) I always seem to notice when that tire is on the outside of the turn. I can't remember ever turning the steering wheel and thinking 'thats not right' and then looking down and it was the tire on the inside of the turn that was flat. Always the outside. I can't quantify that effect, but i think even on tractors the outside edge of the outside tire is going to deflect more and expose that bead-wheel gap to debris more than on the inside edge of the inside wheel. I wish i had a better answer to your great point than just that anecdotal observation!

Actually, my MF1250 had a lot of positive camber \---/ on the front wheels so when you turned tightly the outside wheel was tipped quite a bit, top toward outside, whereas the inside wheel was angled more like a motorcycle going into a turn, so I guess that does make sense. My Kioti doesn't have such an extreme camber.

 

[Vigo327]

Oh man, that's another good point!! I dont come on here to talk about cars (I swear!!) but suspension angles and steering stuff all overlaps and the reason for positive camber on old stuff with skinny wheels and no power steering was to put the bottom of the tire directly under the 'steering axis' (wherever the kingpin is pointed at on the ground) or as close as possible. That reduces 'scrub radius' and makes the steering easier to turn. I would venture to guess that positive camber mostly went away when power steering on tractors became common. Back when small tractors didn't weigh anything and always had weight hanging off the back the front wheels had to be skinny so that the 'surface loading' of the tiny contact patch was high enough that it actually had some grip. If you have a wheel shaped like a capital I then you have to tilt it to get the bottom of it under the steering axis. Car wheels, and wider wheels in general are more like a C shape and the steering's pivot point is actually tucked inside the wheel, so you don't have to tilt it much or any to get the tire roughly centered over the pivot point. I have to teach these concepts as an auto tech instructor at a community college here so im always looking for anologies and connections.

And of course i am trying very hard to expand my actual tractor-related experience.