KNOW YOUR TIRES

THE ANATOMY OF A TIRE

It's important to familiarize yourself with the basic components of agricultural tires.
Then, you can understand the role each part plays in ensuring your farms tires are achieving top
performance when you head into the field for soil prep, planting, spraying and harvest.

1.BEAD

Beads anchor the tire to the rim and allow the tire to stay "seated" on the wheel.

2.BEAD FILLER

Bead Fillers stabilize the lower sidewall by enveloping the bead and extending up in the sidewall to maximize stability, steering response, and case durability.

3. INNERLINER

Liners protect the cord body by insulating the tubes from the cords. Liners are essential for resisting air and moisture permeation.

4. BELTS

Belts determine the shape, or footprint, of the tire. Belts work in conjunction with the cords to add stability and strength.

5. TREAD DESIGN

Treads serve to interact with the soil or paved surface and provide traction. Tread design varies between tires to maximize traction and resist wear and tear.

6.SIDEWALL

Sidewalls are made of flexible rubber and provide lateral stability. The sidewalls keep the body plies and innerliner of the tire protected. Sidewall flex is a big factor in deciding what tire is right for what job and what piece of equipment.

7. LUG BUTTRESS

Lug depth is important for traction. Together with the lug buttress, this component provides tread stability.

8. BODY PLIES

Cords run radially from bead to bead and determine the strength of the tire, determine its load capacity and provide lateral stability.

RADIAL TIRES, OR BIAS TIRES?

WHAT ARE THE ADVANTAGES?

Bias ply tires engineered with multiple plies of rubber criss-crossed over one another. Thus, the sidewall and tread are connected. Conversely, radial tires are made of two separate parts. The body plies run perpendicular to the bead and the undertread hugs the tires circumference with steel belts. This way, sidewall movement isn't transferred into the tread so radials offer reduced soil compaction. To sum up the debate, bias tires are great for forestry, or non-tillage equipment and they cost less than radials. Radials have a larger footprint for better traction and reduced soil compaction. Plus they're more fuel efficient. A certified Firestone Ag Dealer can help to determine the correct type of tire for your needs.

BIAS TIRES

Cost-sensitive solutions
Bias tires ares perfect for smaller, lightweight production equipment that requires extra stability for non-tillage work.

• Stiff sidewalls are ideal for forestry and avoiding cuts and punctures
• Crisscross body plies create internal friction that create stability but run hot
• Cost effective options for older or lightweight equipment
• Best for environments where sidewall punctures are common
• Not for every day tillage/production

RADIAL TIRES

Dependable fuel economy
Increased traction helps with fuel economy and allows you to cover more ground. Radial tires can last up to 30% longer than bias tires. Radial tires with AD² technology allow you to carry more load at lower inflation pressure.

• Shows an advantage of 6% to 14% in traction, fuel efficiency and reduced wheel slippage over bias tires
• Bigger footprint, longer tread wear and a smoother ride
• More resistant to tread cuts and punctures
• Typically easier to repair
• Run cooler
• Ideal for larger equipment

AD² SUPER RADIALS

Heavy loads. Lower pressure.
AD² tires have a larger footprint that can help improve the productivity of today's heavier
equipment with less time in the field and reduced fuel consumption.

• Carry the same loads at lower pressure
• Reduced soil compaction
• Improved traction
• Smoother ride

TRACTORS

Firestone tractor tires with AD² technology are specifically engineered for today's high-horsepower equipment.

More traction and reduced soil compaction
A better ride
Deep R-1W tread bars feature longer wear and added traction in wet soils

SPRAYERS

Firestone sprayer tires with AD² technology may help solve many of the load and compaction problems of today's larger equipment

Smoother "roading" and reduced soil compaction
Rated for 40 mph
Available in IF and VF designations

IMPLEMENTS

Destination Farms radial implements can outperform equivalent sized bias- and radial-ply truck tires commonly used to carry heavy implements.

Wider tread arc can significantly reduce soil compaction
Engineered for extended, worry-free wear
Available in both IF and VF designations

HARVEST

Cyclical Field Operation (CFO) harvest tires are specifically built for the exceptional demands of combines and grain carts.

AD² technology delivers a load advantage
Engineered for significant load fluctuations
Designed to meet unique harvest challenges

TREAD DESIGNATIONS

What type of soil you're working with determines what type of farm tire tread you need. Read the
traction comparison info below to select the right tread for the job, or see a traction comparison chart.

R-1

Regular Agriculture

Aggressive patterns establish traction in most common soil conditions
R-1 is the standard tread for dry-land farming

• Radial All Traction 23°
• Radial All Traction FWD
• Super All Traction 23°
• Super All Traction FWD
• Radial 9100
• Super All Traction HD

R-1W

Premium Tread Agriculture

Designed for wet or sticky soils
R-1W lugs are 20 to 25% deeper than and R-1 tire

• Radial All Traction DT
• Radial Deep Tread 23°
• Radial All Traction RC
• Radial 9000
• Performer Series
• Radial 4000

R-2

Wet Farming Applications

Designed for super wet conditions
R-2 treads are twice as deep as an R-1 with more space between lugs for wet or flooded fields
Typical applications are rice, sugar cane, and high-value vegetable crops

• Radial Champion Spade Grip
• Champion Spade Grip

R-3

Shallow Industrial

R-3 is non-aggressive pattern for minimal ground disturbance sites such as airports, golf courses, cemeteries or roadside maintenance
Relatively closed tread pattern in designed to evenly distribute the load on maintenance trailers and grain carts

R-4

Construction and Light Industrial

R-4 tires are intended to be operated on hard surfaces with backhoes and small end loaders
Tread depth is approximately 70% of the R1 tread

YOU'RE NOT ALONE IN THE FIELD

The Firestone dealer network is here to help.

The Firestone network of dealers know our tires inside and out and can tell you anything you want to know about what kind of farm tire is right for any job or piece of equipment.