Load Front Tires??

[TerryR]

My 18-year old JD 870 has finally worn out it's front tires and I'm getting ready to replace them. It uses 7-14 R1's.

Both front and rears are loaded, and set a wide as they will go because of our hillside property. My tire dealer says the fronts shouldn't be loaded if I'm using it with a loader, claiming that doing so wears out the front wheel bearings. I suspect he just doesn't want to deal with re-loading them.

I do use it with the loader, though not heavily. I also use it with the loader off for mowing with a rotary cutter. With the loader off I add 4 suitcase weights to add control on the hillside.

I don't believe that the loaded tires have much impact on bearing wear, but I wonder if the weight of loading pretty small tires makes much difference in hillside stability.

Any thoughts?

Terry

 

[k0ua]

My first thought is how could it affect bearing wear since the weight of the loaded tires are on the ground?. But it is rotating mass that must be put into motion and stopped by the rest of the driveline components. But what do I know about these things? I am not a mechanical engineer.

 

[TerryR]

Actually I am (at least my degree says so ) and that was my thinking.

But my real question is whether it's worth the trouble to transfer the fluid to the new tires - will it make any difference to hillside stability?

Terry

 

[4570Man]

I wouldn't bother. The fluid probably weighs less than 75 pounds per tire. That isn't going to make much difference on a tractor. It would be more effective for you to sit on the high side of the seat.

 

[TerryR]

75 pounds is more than a suitcase weight weighs, probably about what two of them weigh, and four of them seems to make a significant difference. If they weigh that much sounds like I should keep them loaded.

Sitting on the high side doesn't help the front end stay in place, which is the issue I'm concerned about.

Terry

 

[k0ua]

7-14's are 6 gallons, so depending what you put in them. 48 lbs each for water, or 64 lbs each for Rimguard with 75 percent fill.

 

[DuckSlayer1017]

The location of the suitcase weight vs the location of the loaded front tires is a lot different. The weights are in front of the axle and higher off the ground (moment). They will have more affect on the cog than the loaded tires on the ground. I have one of those fancy ME degrees too, just not sure how much I remember:thumbsup:

 

[RedNeckRacin]

The bearing excuse is just that. Maybe run the tractor and see if you notice any difference. I dont think 100lbs is going to change a whole lot but it might be just enough in the right place to make things work. How much room do you have to add suitcase weights?

 

[GreenYellow]

I got no ME degree, but I got some common sense.
The wheel bearing thing is a load of malarkey. That's the main advantage of loading tires -- it keeps the weight off the frame/axles.
From my experience, suitcase weights are way more effective. They are a couple of feet further forward, and that greatly their effectiveness when overcoming rear weight.
The hillside is a little different, but not much. They are a little higher, causing a higher center of gravity, but I dont suspect your problem is with rolling over, but rather keeping traction with front tires. In this case, I still vote for suitcase weights. Actually, I vote for both. Sounds like you need the extra front weight. Control on a hillside is super important.
Furthermore, fluid loaded tires don't compress/squat as much. This will mean you get less lean on the hillside. If your tires squat 2-3 inches on the downhill side, that's a significant amount of lean on an already steep slope.

 

[KubotaToy]

You want weight in the front tires, get them foam filled, they will weight alot more than 75 lbs with the added benefit of no flats. I have foam filled front tires and liquid filled rears on my little kubota B2710, make a difference mowing on the hills. Not sure I really notice any ride concerns, I kept the max pressure in my fronts anyway prior to foaming.