tractor pullin' with flat spotted tires.

[Cecil Stults]

Folks,
I have a 1951 John Deere AR that I have been resurrecting from the field.
I am planning to try it out in the local Yocal tractor pull coming up.

All systems go except it has badly flat spotted tires. They hold air and they look very good because it the tractor was used for irrigation mainly running a belt.
So the lugs are almost perfect but there are flat spots. with 15 lbs of air they stand just fine but when it drive it down
the road I can feel the weak spot coming around. I had it in high gear the other day and it was flopping me around like a rag doll.

I am wondering what will happen to these tires when I try to pull a sled with it. I have never entered a tractor pull. I am wondering if I will peel the tires off the tractor and go out in shame.??

Any tips???

 

[MIKE R]

It sounds like they just need to be worked back into shape. I don't see anything wrong pulling with them. When I park my tractors and don't use them for a while the tires get like this but after a couple minutes of use they are back to normal.

 

[Cecil Stults]

Mike, thanks for the reply. This tractor set in the Texas heat and cold (ok warm) for all it's life. the owner told me it had been sitting for 20 years in the spot I pulled it out of. But I am going to pull it this weekend anyway. Probably throw a broom in the back of the truck to sweep up the lugs...

 

[MIKE R]

I have found from pulling my Case Sc it does best starting at half throttle and raising it up as the engine lugs down as it is less likely to spin the tires. (Matches the power to the weight of the sled) You can also utilize the brakes on the tractor for getting more power to the wheel that is not spinning by braking on the one that is spinning. You will have to find the tricks with your own tractor and the conditions of the track.

 

[RaydaKub]

If I were in the stands and saw a tractor peal the tires off I'd be mighty darn impressed. I'd blame the tires and think the guy driving it was cheated out of showing off his true power house.

 

[Verticaltrx]

My guess is that the tires will hold up fine, but the traction will be reduced. When the tire comes around to that flat spot it will change the profile/contact patch and probably won't pull great under load. When it's time to get a new set, look into any of the Firestone 23* tires. The traction of a 23 degree tire is impressive compared to other tread designs.

 

[Cecil Stults]

yes my concern is that I would Peel the tires off - - - as in the 60 year old hard rubber tires coming apart under the strain of pulling. Hopefully not.

 

[Verticaltrx]

Give it a shot and see what happens. I have to admit, while I like the nice paint and appreciate all the time that goes into restoring a tractor, my favorites are the ones straight off the farm. At one of the bigger antique tractor pulls around here some of the crowd favorites were the old Farmall M and Oliver 1650, both of which looked like they had never been touched in 40 years (a bonus to the Oliver, the old timer driving it probably bought it new, lol)

 

[vwnotrunning]

How many TBNers actually participate in pulls. I think a posted video of the first pull is expected now!

 

[MIKE R]

How many TBNers actually participate in pulls. I think a posted video of the first pull is expected now!

Deffinatly a video. I pull with my Case Sc but it is for fun between the 6 of us that show up. Its more just friendly compition between friend.

 

[WD40]

Hope we get to hear and see some pictures of how the old gal in the pulls.
Doug

 

[Cecil Stults]

Re: tractor pullin' with flat spotted tires. -- - -- My first tractor pull

Ok so I entered my AR with it's flat spotted tires in a county fair tractor pull.

The flat spots in the tires did not have any affect.
I don't know why I was obsessing on the flat spots.
Knuckle head me I blew the tires up hard to accomodate for the flat spots.
Yes I now know that was not a good ideal. I watched more that one guy at the pull letting the air out of the rear tires to get them nice and soft.

So I pulled up to the pullin' grounds with my truck tractor and trailer. Numerous others doing the same. I fired up the tractor and pulled it off the trailer. I am not set up for this stuff. I have a chevy truck with a bumper pull flatbead. Driving off the end of the trailer the AR lifts both back wheels of the truck off the ground and then lets it slam back to earth. Obviously a little lacking in equipment.

It was a 20 degree colder morning that when I was adjusting on the carburetor. I thought I had the AR running pretty good the previous weekend when I proclaimed I was ready.

I ran around on the AR for a while to let the engine warm up. I thought it would warm up and run fine. I took my turn on the scales weighing both axles. The engine stumbled trying to get the back tires up on the scale. I weightd 5770 lbs. I was put in class 7. I got to watch classes 1 - 6 run before It was my time. I was watching and learning.

I never changed the carb setting hoping it would be ok when I was up.
Not a good choice. When it was my turn I pulled out on the strip and I was not pointing straight down the pull lane. I was crooked. I had put a new clutch in the AR and it was grabby. I was also not used to a hand clutch. In backing up I was struggling to keep from running over the hooker upper guy. He did give me a second look in the process after I stopped and probably saw the fear in my eyes. He hooked me up and got clear quickly. So in taking off for my first pull I was at an angle that I had to correct right quick.
So I gave it some throttle. I was pushing the clutch forward waiting for it to start grabbing and I needed to correct my alignment with the steering wheel. When the clutch started to take hold the engine started to stumble from the cold. So at a reach I now needed to pull out a little on the choke. I was getting really busy all of a sudden. one hand on the clutch one hand reaching for the Choke leaving the steering on it's own for a second. All the while I was trying to act like I knew what I was doing for the onlookers. (One guy I talked to earlier had told me they figure I would be one of the ones to beat when they saw I was sporting an AR John Deere)
So luckily I found the right spot on the choke rod to get the engine to quit stumbling and start running better. I got the clutch engaged and could then frantically put a little "Haw"
left turn in the steering to get it going down the pull lane. so there I was pulling my AR moving the sled down range. I moved the choke a time or two and almost let the engine die. I finally found a spot where it would run and kept it there for the duration.
My pull was miserable. the hard tires chewed into the dirt and I quit moving less that half way down the run. The engine never quit I just did not have the traction.
It was kind of embarrasing.

Each tractor got two pulls. Prior to the second pull I got off and gave the carb another 1/2 turn rich. It revved up better. So on the second pull The hooker upper guy remembered me and seemed kind of jumpy.... I took off on the second run and the engine was not a problem. This time it was my new clutch. It decided I did not have it adjusted right and it was slipping. So again I lost momentum on the pull. I got further than the first pull but still it was pitifull for a big John Deere. I was having to hold the clutch handle forward with some force to get the AR to keep pulling. It did end up stopping with the wheels turning but I had lost my ground speed during the process.

So my rookie-ness was showing big time. I rushed to get the tractor ready. I was not comfortable using a hand clutch. I had more cons than pros going for me.

Next year I will be a different puller. With all this new experience.

Some of the guys there were givng me hints and tips and were most helpful.

I had a fun saturday morning... .

 

[WD40]

We all have to start sometime and some where. Sounds like you had a real good time. Next time put some blocks of wood under the rear of your trailer to keep it from going down in the back and up in the front. You may have to load the tractor onto the trailer again and cut the blocks to fit. What part of Texas you from.
Good Luck
Doug

 

[texasjohn]

You did everything you were supposed to do....have fun!!:cool2:

 

[94BULLITT]

Re: tractor pullin' with flat spotted tires. -- - -- My first tractor pull

Ok so I entered my AR with it's flat spotted tires in a county fair tractor pull.

The flat spots in the tires did not have any affect.
I don't know why I was obsessing on the flat spots.
Knuckle head me I blew the tires up hard to accomodate for the flat spots.
Yes I now know that was not a good ideal. I watched more that one guy at the pull letting the air out of the rear tires to get them nice and soft.

So I pulled up to the pullin' grounds with my truck tractor and trailer. Numerous others doing the same. I fired up the tractor and pulled it off the trailer. I am not set up for this stuff. I have a chevy truck with a bumper pull flatbead. Driving off the end of the trailer the AR lifts both back wheels of the truck off the ground and then lets it slam back to earth. Obviously a little lacking in equipment.

It was a 20 degree colder morning that when I was adjusting on the carburetor. I thought I had the AR running pretty good the previous weekend when I proclaimed I was ready.

I ran around on the AR for a while to let the engine warm up. I thought it would warm up and run fine. I took my turn on the scales weighing both axles. The engine stumbled trying to get the back tires up on the scale. I weightd 5770 lbs. I was put in class 7. I got to watch classes 1 - 6 run before It was my time. I was watching and learning.

I never changed the carb setting hoping it would be ok when I was up.
Not a good choice. When it was my turn I pulled out on the strip and I was not pointing straight down the pull lane. I was crooked. I had put a new clutch in the AR and it was grabby. I was also not used to a hand clutch. In backing up I was struggling to keep from running over the hooker upper guy. He did give me a second look in the process after I stopped and probably saw the fear in my eyes. He hooked me up and got clear quickly. So in taking off for my first pull I was at an angle that I had to correct right quick.
So I gave it some throttle. I was pushing the clutch forward waiting for it to start grabbing and I needed to correct my alignment with the steering wheel. When the clutch started to take hold the engine started to stumble from the cold. So at a reach I now needed to pull out a little on the choke. I was getting really busy all of a sudden. one hand on the clutch one hand reaching for the Choke leaving the steering on it's own for a second. All the while I was trying to act like I knew what I was doing for the onlookers. (One guy I talked to earlier had told me they figure I would be one of the ones to beat when they saw I was sporting an AR John Deere)
So luckily I found the right spot on the choke rod to get the engine to quit stumbling and start running better. I got the clutch engaged and could then frantically put a little "Haw"
left turn in the steering to get it going down the pull lane. so there I was pulling my AR moving the sled down range. I moved the choke a time or two and almost let the engine die. I finally found a spot where it would run and kept it there for the duration.
My pull was miserable. the hard tires chewed into the dirt and I quit moving less that half way down the run. The engine never quit I just did not have the traction.
It was kind of embarrasing.

Each tractor got two pulls. Prior to the second pull I got off and gave the carb another 1/2 turn rich. It revved up better. So on the second pull The hooker upper guy remembered me and seemed kind of jumpy.... I took off on the second run and the engine was not a problem. This time it was my new clutch. It decided I did not have it adjusted right and it was slipping. So again I lost momentum on the pull. I got further than the first pull but still it was pitifull for a big John Deere. I was having to hold the clutch handle forward with some force to get the AR to keep pulling. It did end up stopping with the wheels turning but I had lost my ground speed during the process.

So my rookie-ness was showing big time. I rushed to get the tractor ready. I was not comfortable using a hand clutch. I had more cons than pros going for me.

Next year I will be a different puller. With all this new experience.

Some of the guys there were givng me hints and tips and were most helpful.

I had a fun saturday morning... .

Sit some blocks under the the back corners of the trailer so it won't pick the truck up and if the truck is 4wd put it in 4wd. You will get better at the pulls. I have a tractor pulling game on my tablet:laughing:

 

[Cecil Stults]

WD40 I live in Plano north of Dallas but I was pulling in Golden TX at the Golden Sweet potato Festival.