IS IT REALLY POSSIBLE TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR TYRES?
As a farmer or farm manager, you have to control and optimise costs, and the maintenance of your vehicles represents a significant cost item. Finding the right budgetary balance is often difficult, because unexpected events occur frequently with the need to invest immediately so as not to hinder the smooth running of your business. Ideally, we should be able to control these financial problems by anticipating them better.
Wear is the main cause for replacing agricultural tyres, therefore leading to significant and recurrent expenditure, yet there are solutions to limit wear and reduce the frequency with which you have to replace your agricultural tyres..
RESISTANCE TO WEAR CAN BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AT THE MANUFACTURING STAGE
Firestone has developed a new compound that is ultra-resistant to wear. All the tyres from the PERFORMER EXTRA and MAXI TRACTION range are made using this manufacturing development which makes it possible to extend their lifespan considerably.
RIGHT FROM ITS CONCEPTION, EACH TYRE HAS ITS SPECIFIC FOOTPRINT WHICH INDICATES ITS RESISTANCE TO WEAR
In the same way as our fingerprints are unique, the tyre footprint is too. It is the fruit of the combination of several technical compounds, combined with precise choices in terms of rubber and a specific design. This combination is different for each car manufacturer, even if this is sometimes be barely visible to the naked eye.
These different combinations will influence the tyre’s performance. The illustration above shows the footprint made by 6 different brands of 580/70R38 tyre mounted on the same tractor, with the same load and inflation pressure.
Each image shows the tyre’s soil footprint and its pressure on the ground, with the lowest pressure in blue and the highest pressure in red. The red areas are therefore areas where wear on abrasive ground is likely to be the greatest and to generate irregular wear.
You must therefore investigate the quality of the casing and of the rubber used attentively. Our engineers have regular discussions with the main tractor manufacturers and farmers throughout Europe with the aim of adapting our products continuously to satisfy your ever-changing needs. This constant strive for improvement guarantees high quality standards during the production of our top-range tractor tyres, with a competitive hourly cost. Firestone’s superior casing is reputed for its robustness and durability.
As part of its commitment to serve its customers with superior quality, Firestone is offering a 10-year warranty on its agricultural tyre products. This warranty guarantees Firestone customers that its agricultural tyres are free from material and manufacturing defects for 10 years from the date of purchase.
THERE MAY BE MULTIPLE CAUSES OF WEAR TO YOUR TRACTOR TYRES
Before replacing your used tyres, it is useful to identify exactly why they have become worn, above all if the wear seems premature. This will avoid facing the same problem again with your new set of tyres.
For this, it is necessary to distinguish between the “normal” causes of wear to the tyre and the “abnormal” causes of wear. A tyre wears by definition, since its components must satisfy all the requirements linked to its use
- transmit power to the ground,
- provide comfort while driving,
- pull implements in the fields,
- transport loads safely,
- bear heavy and variable loads
- and handle accelerations, braking and turning on abrasive ground.
A tyre should wear very gradually evenly over the entire surface of the tyre.
Wenn das nicht der Fall ist, sollten Sie sich der Sache annehmen.
If this is not the case, it should draw your attention. The causes that lead to abnormal wear to your agricultural tyres are recognisable.
Certain are linked to conditions of use, for example:
- Driving on a sloping road
- Excess load
- Under-inflation
- Over-inflation
Others to mechanical or technical causes, for example:
- Misalignment
- Camber defects
- Incorrect tractor/trailer alignment
- Damaged or rusty rim
It’s your tyre specialist’s job to investigate and determine the exact cause.
Once the origin and the potential impact on the lifespan of your tyres have been identified, he will be able to advise you on the corrective action need. “Prevention is better than cure” as the saying goes!
To help you identify the warning signs which could lead to premature tyre wear, we have developed a comprehensive guide which you can download free of charge “How to detect abnormal wear in my tractor tyres”
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