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Tractor Pulling Discussion Forum

How wide is too wide?

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Lamont

10-14-2006 20:19:57




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For 18.4 X 38 tires, some say 20 inches is too wide and that 18 inches is better. What do you folks who've actually had experience with this say... go 18 or go 20? Thanks.




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cousin_gary

10-16-2006 17:40:11




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 Re: How wide is too wide? in reply to Lamont, 10-14-2006 20:19:57  
If you are running bias tires, you want to be 18" or less to 16" minimum.

I made the mistake of making rims 20" and putting 18.4's on them. I soon converted back. A neighbour of mine did the same. After wanting to keep him interested in pulling I told him what I found out. He changed from 22" to 18" then finshed 2nd to me his next hook.

I would love to pull against anyone running 18.4 bias tires on 20" rims on any track surface.

What you want to look for is what tires dominate. Different tires pull better on different tracks.

I have multiple brands of 18.4's, ALL on 18" rims.

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bm3501466

10-15-2006 18:49:49




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 Re: How wide is too wide? in reply to Lamont, 10-14-2006 20:19:57  
Depends on track conditions. We had a local pull over a two day period. Everyone showed up on Friday with their huge tires. They all floated because the track was harder than a rock. The weather forecast for the next day had no rain scheduled, so all the pullers the next day came with significantly less wide tires. I would have two sets and if possible eyeball the track before the pull.



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Mike Aylward

10-14-2006 22:40:07




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 Re: How wide is too wide? in reply to Lamont, 10-14-2006 20:19:57  
Lamont, if you are going to machine cut your tires there is no advantage to going super wide. A flat profile can be put on your tires when they are cut. Too wide of a rim will make the tire soft in the center of the tread on a hard pull. I usually recommend to my customers an 18" rim for an 18.4 tire. This keeps the sidewall "square" with the tire. Hope this helps. Mike



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Lamont

10-16-2006 20:36:34




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 Re: How wide is too wide? in reply to Mike Aylward, 10-14-2006 22:40:07  
The rims I'm running right now are some that a guy had made a few years back. They are 17 inches wide. Don't know why he went with an odd measurement, but that's what they are. These should probably be alright with some machine cuts, don't you think? Seems like they should sort of square up the sidewall and keep the center of the firm too. ????? Thanks for your reply.



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Mike Aylward

10-16-2006 21:00:13




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 Re: How wide is too wide? in reply to Lamont, 10-16-2006 20:36:34  
Your rims should be ok. I've cut 18.4's on rims from 16" wide clear up to 22". There simply is no advantage to going over 18" on a machine cut tire. While 18's would be ideal, your rims will be satisfactory as they are still an inch over the normal 16" size rim. Mike



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mr.thinker

10-16-2006 21:06:45




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 Re: How wide is too wide? in reply to Mike Aylward, 10-16-2006 21:00:13  
explain to us why there is no advantage to go over an eighteen inch rim?what backs up your facts??



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Mike Aylward

10-16-2006 21:13:40




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 Re: How wide is too wide? in reply to mr.thinker , 10-16-2006 21:06:45  
The reason there is no advantage to going wider than 18" is because in going wider the sidewall is no longer supporting the center of the tire. This is the reason another poster said the wide rim is picky about air pressure. When the rim is too wide for the tire the center of the tread has a tendency to buckle inward. You then have an uneven ground pressure and you lose traction. A "square" sidewall tire fully supports the tread and carries a more even ground pressure distribution, increasing traction and being more forgiving of air pressure errors. This makes the tire less "fickle" and tends to make it more of a "general purpose" tire rather than only being good in certain situations. All around this setup is more dependable than a wide rim, and there is not the added weight of the rim width, either. I back this up with many satisfied customers. Most of my business is repeat business. Mike

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family tradition

10-14-2006 22:26:24




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 Re: How wide is too wide? in reply to Lamont, 10-14-2006 20:19:57  
we have a UB w/ 18.4"s on 18" and a U w/ 18.4"s on 16" and our experience is the UB does not pull as good the lighter you get, seems that the wider wheel gives a "floating" effect, so my conclusion is, lighter=narow, heavy=wide



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Ohio Mike

10-14-2006 20:56:08




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 Re: How wide is too wide? in reply to Lamont, 10-14-2006 20:19:57  
What has always worked best for me is wider. Most of the pullers that I know run wider and have good luck. I have my 14-9 on 16" rims, my 16-9 on 18" rims and my 18-4 on 20". I know some pullers that run even wider. Just my opion and what works best for me.



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hillbilly78

10-14-2006 20:47:22




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 Re: How wide is too wide? in reply to Lamont, 10-14-2006 20:19:57  
it would depend on the tractor and the classes you pull.i usually suggest 18's for most purposes.



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