Authored by: Tractor tyre expert | 12 January 2022
Your agricultural tyres are a very specific part of your equipment which can last longer if you take regular care of them. Certain precautions must be taken, particularly during the winter period, if you want to avoid bad surprises at the start of the new season.
The weight and size of the tyres is a problem for handling and storage in good conditions. However, if you follow a few simple rules when storing your tyres, you will be sure to win hundreds of hours of use in the long term.
Agricultural tyres are designed for regular use and should not remain immobile for prolonged periods. Using your tractor or agricultural vehicle every day allows your tyres to perform the regular flexion movements that will help them keep their natural flexibility and maintain the elasticity of the rubber.
The agricultural tyre is principally made of rubber. This is an elastomer which can be considered as a “living” material, which is to say that it is sensitive to damages linked to its environment, such as cold or heat, the sun’s ultraviolet rays, humidity, oxygen or ozone oxidation or proximity to chemical products.
If your tractor stays outside for long periods, without moving, the rubber which is in contact with the ground will deteriorate more rapidly. It will be exposed to rainwater as well as major variations in temperature between exposure to the sun during the day and cold nights with possible periods of frost.
The part of the tyre touching the ground will stay permanently moist and the deterioration of the rubber will take place via a slow hydrolysis process. This may cause hardening or cracking of the rubber, leading to premature wear which may necessitate replacement after too long a period of immobility.
If the tractor is parked for several weeks, whether outside or in a hangar, your tyres will lose a varying amount of pressure.
Over the days, the weight of your tractor will inevitably crush your tyres and tend to flatten them. This will create a deformation at the level of the contact patch with the ground.
These conditions will encourage the alteration of the structure of the casing and generate a structural weakness in the zone which starts to lose its shape. This could cause a problem when the tyre is reinflated or loaded after a lengthy period of immobility.
To preserve your tractor tyres, make sure to store them inside in a dry place, ideally at a moderate temperature and away from the light.
Be careful of certain products which could have a direct impact on the rubber components of the tyre structure, keeping your tyres away from hydrocarbons, solvents or other chemical products as well as high voltage electrical devices which could generate ozone.
Systematic cleaning before storage of agricultural tyres
To summarise, here is the advice you need to keep your tyres in the best possible conditions:
Tractor tyres require specific storage conditions to extend their lifespan and avoid having to invest in a new set of tyres following wear due to a lack of precautions taken.
There are different possibilities for storing agricultural tyres in the best possible conditions:
If you don’t have time to take your wheels off the tractor even though it won’t be used for a long period, you should take the following precautions depending on the situation:
Another storage option consists in removing the tyre on its rim for better conservation of the wheel’s overall structural resistance. This effectively allows you to take the weight of the agricultural machinery off the tyres. You have several options:
As tyres are designed to be supple, they have less resistance once they have been removed from their rim.
If you opt for this storage solution, you must take the necessary precautions to prevent your tyres from losing their shape:
To store your tyres without rims in the best conditions, the most suitable solution is to stand them upright (vertically) on a special surface or pallet to avoid contact with the ground. If the storage period is long, don’t forget to rotate your tyres regularly one quarter of a turn.
Tyre handling operations may be frequent, for repairs, mounting seasonal tyres or storing your tyres for winter. The weight and cumbersome size of agricultural tyres make handling operations complex and dangerous if you don’t have suitable equipment and if you don’t take certain precautions.
A wheel dolly is ideal for handling agricultural tyres
Agricultural tyres are very heavy, not to mention the additional weight of the rims (between 110 and 350 kilos for rear drive wheels). It is therefore unwise to carry out handling operations without the right equipment.
Here is an indicative list of a few tools which make it easier to carry your agricultural tyres with or without their rims:
Certain precautions must be taken when handling your agricultural tyres. Here is a detailed list of what not to do:
Your tyres represent a certain investment and good management of this equipment allows you to keep them for longer.
A minimum amount of handling equipment and optimal storage during the winter are part of the good practices which ensure long life to your tyres and save you money.
With Firestone, you have the guarantee of tractor tyres that deliver a real advantage, and that in choosing our brand, you can work worry-free.
Most people who read this article have also read some of the following articles:
