I've further confused myself: tires

[al m]

In a post below,I was warned a slight variance in tire size in a 4x4 tractor can put undue strain on the drivetrain,makes sense ,right. I also read somewhere on the web ,if any variance must be had, the rears should lag behind the fronts,so the front in effect is pulling.in my manual,for turfs,two sizes of rears are listed,both mated with the same size fronts,that size apparently can't be bought. The rears vary by 3". Seems extreme.

 

[al m]

Here is a shot of a page from the manual with recommended tire sizes

 

[85Hokie]

In a post below,I was warned a slight variance in tire size in a 4x4 tractor can put undue strain on the drivetrain,makes sense ,right. I also read somewhere on the web ,if any variance must be had, the rears should lag behind the fronts,so the front in effect is pulling.in my manual,for turfs,two sizes of rears are listed,both mated with the same size fronts,that size apparently can't be bought. The rears vary by 3". Seems extreme.

I understand your confusion!!

See if this helps at all - if you were to buy a 265-70-17 tire for your truck, and there were two companies making those tires........ I will bet you that one will have a larger circumference than the other - despite be the same "size" printed on the outside - a firestone make have 2 more inches in circumference than a bridgestone!!!!

ON trucks with 4wd - it is a really bad idea to replace JUST front or just rears....since the ratio on trucks and 4wd cars is 1 : 1 , replacing a worn set of rears and a semi worn set of fronts will have a huge effect on the mechanics inside the transfer case!

Tractors dont use a 1 : 1 ratio - but somewhere buried in the manuals are the correct ratio between fronts and rears, forgot the tire sizes - the rolling circumference(s) of these sets have to be very close the transmissions ratio.

SO many times when you see an AG tire vs a R4 tire vs a Turf tire....somewhere in the mix - those matching front to backs are a "perfect" ratio...or close to it

 

[al m]

I understand your confusion!!

See if this helps at all - if you were to buy a 265-70-17 tire for your truck, and there were two companies making those tires........ I will bet you that one will have a larger circumference than the other - despite be the same "size" printed on the outside - a firestone make have 2 more inches in circumference than a bridgestone!!!!

ON trucks with 4wd - it is a really bad idea to replace JUST front or just rears....since the ratio on trucks and 4wd cars is 1 : 1 , replacing a worn set of rears and a semi worn set of fronts will have a huge effect on the mechanics inside the transfer case!

Tractors dont use a 1 : 1 ratio - but somewhere buried in the manuals are the correct ratio between fronts and rears, forgot the tire sizes - the rolling circumference(s) of these sets have to be very close the transmissions ratio.

SO many times when you see an AG tire vs a R4 tire vs a Turf tire....somewhere in the mix - those matching front to backs are a "perfect" ratio...or close to it

Yes,I understand all that,what's confusing,in the manual,two different size of rear turfs have the same size front turfs listed,and from what I gather,that size of front tire is no longer available on the open market,so I checked,and although close,the fronts on my tractor are the wrong size,so I have "newer" fronts that are slightly off size,and the correct sized rears that are weather checked,what's a guy to do?

 

[coachgeo]

Yes,I understand all that,what's confusing,in the manual,two different size of rear turfs have the same size front turfs listed,and from what I gather,that size of front tire is no longer available on the open market,so I checked,and although close,the fronts on my tractor are the wrong size,so I have "newer" fronts that are slightly off size,and the correct sized rears that are weather checked,what's a guy to do?

Pretty sure it is only an issue when your in 4x4. Still not as much of an issue when 4x4 is in slippery enough condition to where the wheel can spin a hair. This hair of motion keeps the physical gears from binding due to the ratios being a bit of.

Suggest one use 4x4 as sparingly as possible. If in 4x4 Also put it in reverse for a foot or so on occasion to help unload the bind if your ratios are a good bit off. Do the same just before you switch out of 4x4 and back to normal is said to be helpful too.

 

[armylifer]

Since you did not list the tire sizes that you are talking about, this may or may not apply. However, you can often find tire sizes listed for cars, trucks, and tractors that different sizes but the circumference of the tire are the same. What you really need to be concerned about is the circumference of the tires. As long as the new tires are the same circumference as the stock tires were, you should not have any issues when operating in 4wd.

 

[al m]

Since you did not list the tire sizes that you are talking about, this may or may not apply. However, you can often find tire sizes listed for cars, trucks, and tractors that different sizes but the circumference of the tire are the same. What you really need to be concerned about is the circumference of the tires. As long as the new tires are the same circumference as the stock tires were, you should not have any issues when operating in 4wd.

Agreed,what I found to be a fact, and surprising,is that although the same size,the actual circumference varies significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer,tables and listed sizes are a guide,but ultimately trust your own rollout measurements

 

[armylifer]

I once found a tool online that compared number of revolutions per mile for different tire sizes, by manufacturer. Although I don't have that link anymore, I feel confidant that information can still be found via a Google search. That should be able to help you in matching tires.

 

[MZ73]

My "new to me" B4200 has Bridgestone 212/80D15 on the rear and 20x8.00-10 on the front. They need replacing. My dealer said the 212/80D15 is no longer manufactured and claims a good replacement is the Titon Turf Saver 28x8.50-15.
Are these two compatible? Any other recommendations?
Thanks