1. Bead
Beads Anchor the tire to the rim and allow the tire to stay "seated" on the wheel.
UNDERSTANDING THE ANATOMY OF A TIRE
It's important to familiarize yourself with the basic anatomy of agricultural tires including each of the tire’s components to understand how tire construction impacts tire performance. Using this information, you can have a better understanding of the role each tire component plays in ensuring your farm’s tires are achieving top performance when you head into the field for soil prep, planting, spraying and harvest.
TIRE ANATOMY
2. Bead Filler
Bead Fillers stabilize the lower sidewall by enveloping the bead and extending up tin 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 determin the shape, or footprint, of the tire. Belts work in conjunctio with the cords to add stability and stregnth.
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 from stubble and debris. Sidwall flex is a big factor in deciding what tire is right for what job and what peice of equipiment.
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.
Armed with this information, the next decisions you will need to make is whether to purchase radial or bias tires, and what size should your tractor tires be?
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 are 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 economy 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
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
UNDERSTANDING TIRE SIZE
When choosing the right tire size for your tractor and your farm’s traction needs, you will be looking at a set of numbers on the sidewall of your tire for guidance.
For additional help understanding each of these measurements and choosing your tires you can read our How to Read a Tire Guide
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
Implements
Destination Farm 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
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
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
TRACTOR TIRE TREAD PATTERNS
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 an 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 Tread are twice as deep as an R-1 with more space between lugs for wet or flooded fields.
- Typical applications are rice, sugar carne, 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 is 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 loaders
- Tread depth is approximately 70% of the R1 tread