Tire information
Tractor tread wear: Ensure a long service life for agricultural tires
High-quality tractor tires provide much-needed traction, stability, and durability for efficient agricultural operations. Maintaining your agricultural tires and ensuring their longevity ensures that they perform in a variety of challenging terrains and tasks.
However, like all heavy machinery components, tractor tires are subject to wear and tear over time. Identifying the causes and signs of tire wear helps you ensure a long service life and get the most out of your tractor tires.
Signs of wear and tear in tractor tires
Some signs of uneven or abnormal tire wear include:
- Chipping: Small chunks or pieces of rubber missing from the tractor tread or tire sidewall. Chipping indicates that the tire is repeatedly exposed to undue stress, but it can also indicate poor tire quality. The environment, such as rocky fields and challenging off-road conditions, can also contribute to chipping. Always invest in durable, high-quality tractor tires for long tire life and minimal damage in demanding use.
- Wear on the center of the tire: Uneven tire wear on the center of the tread can be a result of overinflation, which causes the area to bear more load than the edges. This is a typical scenario for old cross-ply tires as well as narrow tires. In comparison, modern radial tires with proper tire belts can better handle different inflation pressures. Nokian Tyres tractor tires are designed to provide a large contact area even with high inflation pressures.
- Wear on the inside or outside of the tire: Misalignment of the Camber angle, toe-in, or toe-out angle can lead to uneven tire wear. This is among the most common causes of tire wear, especially in front axle tires. Proper alignment is required for safe driving and a longer tire lifespan.
- Uneven tire wear between front and back tires: Tractor tires tend to wear faster in the front because they are smaller and rotate faster. Therefore, it is important to account for differences in tire wear between the front and back axles. Sometimes, the front axle may be subject to greater loads in relation to the tire size, contributing to faster wear in front tires. Proper ballasting ensures that neither axle is subjected to a disproportionate load.
Correct tire pressure ensures optimal tire wear
Adjusting and monitoring tire pressure ensures that your tractor tires are always a great fit for the farming operation at hand and that the tires maintain their qualities in different conditions. Also note that cold temperatures lower tire pressures, as shown in the table below. Ensure the tire is cold and hasn’t been driven recently before measuring its pressure.
Additionally, you should account for the type of surface the tires are in contact with, as ground disturbance affects tire performance. Ground disturbance is more pronounced when the surface is soft, such as when operating on soft soil, causing the ground to depress under the load.
Nokian Heavy Tyres technical manual includes a chart for speed, pressure, and load-bearing capacity for each heavy tire.
What can cause excessive or uneven tire wear?
Here are some ways to minimize premature tire wear and ensure a long service life and good traction:
- Extreme conditions may call for the use of chains with your tractor tires. As chains shorten the tire’s service life, it is recommended to use chains only when necessary. Always check that the chains are intact and tight enough. Loose chains can slip on the tire and cause excessive wear.
- When mounting tractor tires on a four-wheel drive (4WD) tractor, use matching front and rear tires of the tractor. The rolling circumference of the front tires should be 1–4 % higher than the rolling circumference calculated using the gear ratio. The wrong type of tires may lead to excessive or insufficient traction and, as a result, premature tire wear.
- Use high-quality, premium tractor tires to minimize tire wear. World-class rubber compounds, tread patterns, and specialized tire structures withstand hard wear and tear. As a result, premium tractor tires last a long time with appropriate maintenance.
- Overheating can cause the rubber to degrade more quickly. Ensuring proper tire pressure and not overloading the tires can help prevent excessive heating.
Long-lasting tires are more cost-effective and sustainable. Properly maintained and correctly used tires reduce the frequency of replacements, lowering the environmental impact of tire production and disposal. Besides, you can extend tire life by choosing the correct tire size for your tractor: use the largest possible tires within the constraints of your machinery.
Find durable tractor tires with a long service life from your nearest Nokian Tyres dealer.
Please remember that it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure their tires are safe and suitable for their vehicle and to follow the vehicle’s manufacturer´s guidelines for proper use and maintenance. Consult your closest Nokian Tyres dealer or your vehicle’s manufacturer for specific advice.
