Tires 24" rim

[paulharvey]

Couple questions about rear tractor tires, mostly for my Kubota L285, but in general...

My tractor has 12.4-24 ags, good tread, but very very dry rotted, tubes, and they hold air, so
A: if I where to water fill for traction, would I be putting addional stress on there limited remaining life?

B: any reason I can't (has anyone tried) mounting 14.00-24 12 ply grader tires (like used on Cat-12G), the graders use a split ring wheel, if that's the right term, would they work on a conventional 24" wheel with or with out tubes. My thinking is that if I could source some free/very cheap 13.00-24 or 14.00-24 12 plys they would last a life time in my 2500 lbs tractor. Also, a worn R4 grader tire would make a nice Turf tirr wouldn't it.

C: don't know if I can still find them locally, but worn out foam filled Lull/Skytrak/gradall forklift tires/wheel combo, and cut out/reweld the centers for bolt hole match.

This isn't something I'm working on, just trying to get some ideas for when they finally do give out.

Note: tractordata lists L285 as having 11.2-24 rears, so I assume mine came from a "donor" tractor. Also its 2WD, so I'm not overally worried about rolling circumfirance

 

[2458n]

To much time for thinking. I believe all of your ideas are fine. Fill the tire tubes up with water and your not out anything if they leak - you knew you needed new tubes anyways. Sounds like you have been around construction equipment. Start the gathering process now as there is rarely anything available when you are sitting on a rim someplace.

 

[RickB]

Gonna be a fun time getting those 12 plys on drop center rims.

 

[paulharvey]

Gonna be a fun time getting those 12 plys on drop center rims.

I'm sure, but the newer 12H/12M graders are running 15.5-25 and 17.5-25 12 plys on one piece wheels.

 

[Rustyiron]

And you prolly won't have to worry if those grader tires hold air, they don't need to with your L285:laughing:

 

[paulharvey]

Heck, I just saw on ebay some 14.00-24 16 plys....

They do make "semi-pnuematic" tires for Lull type fork lifts, but they are ~$1200 each, I'm mostly just trying to find a cheap skate approach, because I don't look forward to the day I tell the wife I need $800 worth of tires for my $1400 tractor

 

[Rustyiron]

10-4 on the budget! Look out for a used set, my front tires are that size and a lot of the fronts on larger 4WD tractors use a 24" wheel. Sounds like you don't have a high traction need so as long as they hold air...........

 

[paulharvey]

Well, I do brake traction with my 6 ft box blade easily, and that's part of why I asked about added stress from water filling, but I also mow with this tractor and a Ford 917L flail mower (~48"). If the heavy industrials will work I'll start keeping an eye out as a spare/second set.
I know that once a tire starts getting dry rotted badly, if you let them go flat it can destroy the sidewalls completely, but uf you keep them inflated, minimizing flex they can be used for years. I just would hate to risk destroying bad but working tires trying to mess with them. I know you don't want to dismount/remount old tires cause the spoons can rip chunks of the old crubbly rubber out.


Note, yes I know 72" box blade is but much for it, but it was $190 for a 72" frontier medium-heavy BB with 2 good cutting edges.

 

[RickB]

Gonna be a fun time getting those 12 plys on drop center rims.

I'm sure, but the newer 12H/12M graders are running 15.5-25 and 17.5-25 12 plys on one piece wheels.

OTR trucks use 22.5 and 24.5 tires on one piece rims, too. That doesn't mean I'm going to look for a career mounting 10.00x20 bias tires on one piece rims.