Car/truck tires on tractors

SmokeEater2 · Jan 8, 2016

Browsing through the tractor ads on Craigslist I see a lot of older tractors that have car or light truck tires on the front.

This seems to be pretty common, But is there any reason for doing it besides being cheaper than real tractor tires?

Can it damage the front end components in any way? I ask that so if I look at a tractor with car tires I can keep in mind that it causes problems.

I have no doubt that my tractor OCD would have me changing them out for 3 rib tires immediately.

glennster · Jan 8, 2016

radial truck tires seem to handle thorns better on a bush hog tractor, less flats. i run a set on my loader backhoe too, seem to handle stones and trash better with less flats.

M Nut · Jan 8, 2016

Nope. No issues, just somebody was short on cash
and needed to make do.

Goose · Jan 8, 2016

Someone just grabbed what was handy.

old · Jan 8, 2016

I do and have been running LT truck tires on some of my tractor for many years. If it has a loader on it they tend not to dig in as bad with the wider flatter tires and if you are mowing a yard etc they do not cut up a lawn near as bad

Russ from MN · Jan 8, 2016

I can't imagine it causing any damage to the tractor, why, how? Our Farmall C has car tires on the front, was told it's so it doesn't
cut up a lawn as bad as 3-rib, it has a Woods belly mower on it.

SmokeEater2 · Jan 8, 2016

(quoted from post at 16:48:26 01/08/16) I can't imagine it causing any damage to the tractor, why, how? Our Farmall C has car tires on the front, was told it's so it doesn't
cut up a lawn as bad as 3-rib, it has a Woods belly mower on it.

I had no idea if it would cause any damage to to the front end parts.

That was my reason for asking the question, I knew someone here would know the answer.

C. Amick · Jan 8, 2016

My Farmall C has had winter tread automobile tires on the front of it since I have had it. I have "free" used motor cycle tires on my plows and "free" used trailer tires on my pull type rotary mower. I have seen the automobile doughnut spare tires used as front tractor tires as well.

Bob M · Jan 8, 2016

About 45 years ago my father in law stuck wide, low profile light truck tires on his wide front Super M to reduce soil compaction. Almost a half-century later the tires are thoroughly worn out. But the tractor's front end is still in perfect shape!

rossow (mn) · Jan 8, 2016

I also have car tires (wide 15") on a tractor with a Woods mower. My tractor is an 8N Ford. It does seem to tear up less grass than the regular tractor tires.

James Howell · Jan 8, 2016

Old jeep tires work pretty good.

sotxbill · Jan 8, 2016

1st off cheapest replacement for tractor tires....used truck tires are cheap and fit the tractor for around $20 bucks mounted... doesnt matter if they are slick, as long as they are not cracking.. So the tire dealers love selling off old mostly slick truck tires.. its a win win for them as they dont have to pay the disposal fee, and get money to boot... These tires are availible in every town and tire shop. So lots of really cheap people do this.

2nd... great for front end loader work where narrow farm tires will sink due to weight. reg 6.50 or 7.00 will sink every time and bury the tractor in mud or sand.

3rd.. great for folk in blow sand country as they also help keep it from sinking.

negatives, they may not turn as fast as ribbed tire, and do put a bit more strain the the bearings. Ford had two sets of bearings on the 5000,, one for the larger tires and the regular ones, so there is a difference in pressure on the bearings and spindles. Flat wise, they are no better than tractor tires in mesquite thorn country, actually slightly worse. (Tractor tire ribs will usually resist a thorn, but the "inbetween" part will not.)

Pair-a-dice farm · Jan 8, 2016

I prefer truck tires on my tractors. I buy 14 ply truck tires and they will outlast a regular tractor tire 3x or more. They also seldom go flat due to thorns or rocks. I buy them new so they are not cheaper initially but in the long run they are.

rusty6 · Jan 8, 2016

Had a pair of ten ply truck tires on the front of the Cockshutt 40 since the early 1980s and I think they will last as long as I need them.
Wish I could put a pair of used ten ply truck tires on the front end loader tractor to handle the extra weight. Better than 6 ply triple rib
tractor tires.

SmokeEater2 · Jan 8, 2016

(quoted from post at 18:17:32 01/08/16) Old jeep tires work pretty good.

<img src="http://photos.yesterdaystractors.com/gallery/uptest/a210784.jpg" width="650" />

I think those tires look good on that JD!

1370pwr in ne · Jan 8, 2016

I had a spare 7.50-16 pickup tire on the front of my case 730 with the wide front. Driving down a gravel road that tire tossed lots of stones at me.For that reason I stay with either 3 rib or 4 rib.

Eldon (WA) · Jan 8, 2016

(quoted from post at 15:53:48 01/08/16) radial truck tires seem to handle thorns better on a bush hog tractor, less flats. i run a set on my loader backhoe too, seem to handle stones and trash better with less flats.

I had a set of 20" rims that I thought would be great to brushhog with, so I found some take-offs from a half ton Dodge on CL and put them on. They floated well, but then I found how easy the sidewalls tore when I swiped a small tree stump (2") while turning.....

Eldon (WA) · Jan 8, 2016

Best of both worlds, these came on a tractor I bought a few years ago.

Obviously someone is making tri-rib retreads out of truck tires.....

gwstang · Jan 8, 2016

I run implement rims on the front of my 8N and they have tubeless radial car tires on them. The advantage for me is using the 8N for cutting grass as they do not dig in like the three ribs do. They float much better on the ground. Works great for me with a finishing mower behind the N.

I still have the three ribs on the original wheels sitting around, if I need them for something like "Serious" type farming...lol 8)

notjustair · Jan 8, 2016

Right now my 886 loader tractor has a truck tire on
it. I blew one front tri rib and the co-op ordered the
wrong size in. That tire has been on a million things
as an emergency spare and I keep thinking it will be
dead the next time I use it. It's bald as a baby and
no doubt was an early 80's LT tire. This may do it -
I'm still using the tractor to feed bales and that tire
has to only be about a six ply from the way it
squats.

Bryce Frazier · Jan 8, 2016

I was putting used tri ribs on the front of my Ford 4400 Backhoe, but was shredding, or popping them... Went through 4 of them in 8 months!!! :

Went and got a set of take off 15 inch LT truck tires, with a 2500 lb per tire load rating.... Run them at 60 psi, and the loader can't pick up enough to even make the tires squat.

Picked up a 2500 lb Baler a few weeks ago to go to the scrap yard, was a little tough on the loader, but, it got it done.. . . .

Richard from SE AZ · Jan 9, 2016

I'm with glennster. Less flats. I bought my 46 2N 15 years ago. It had steel belted auto tires with tubes when I bought it. We have a lot of thorny mesquite trees here and I have NEVER had a flat. Had a loader on it for awhile. Made it easier to steer that the 8n with tri ribs I had that the loader on it.

John Deere D · Jan 9, 2016

This Case 610B, has 10PLY 16" Tires, as they are able to handle the Loader duties. Neighbour had me swap out a complete Transmission in his Ford 8N with a Sherman overdrive. He dropped off two New 10 Ply Tires, originally purchased for a Motor home. I run 80 PSI air pressure. I'm sure there are more appropriate tires for this job, however, these seem to work fine.
Bob..

rustred · Jan 9, 2016

the 3 rib tractor tire was for getting traction for turning in soft ground when doing field work. when the tractor is modified with a loader you need to do what you have to do to hold the extra weight on the front. front tractor tires dont have much of a load rating compared to truck tires. also broken spindles are not uncommon on loader tractors and that is one component that can fail. have seen them snap off .

brutus49DC · Jan 9, 2016

tractors steer harder with car tires so theoretically it would put more strain on wide front end parts, I think it looks cheap and would only use one from Saturday until Monday when I can go buy a new 3 or 4 rib. My older tractors 400/830 case, 77 Oliver ect. don't have to look new but they do have to look respectable. Others have their own reasons for using them but I won't.

jeffcat · Jan 9, 2016

That looks really cool! Remember some of the old toys when you were a kid would have just the same setup. Neat!

Jason S. · Jan 9, 2016

(quoted from post at 05:44:39 01/09/16) I was putting used tri ribs on the front of my Ford 4400 Backhoe, but was shredding, or popping them... Went through 4 of them in 8 months!!! :

Went and got a set of take off 15 inch LT truck tires, with a 2500 lb per tire load rating.... Run them at 60 psi, and the loader can't pick up enough to even make the tires squat.

Picked up a 2500 lb Baler a few weeks ago to go to the scrap yard, was a little tough on the loader, but, it got it done.. . . .

What you said made me think of my grandfather. His MF 165 always had 10 and 12 ply truck tires on the front. I asked him one day when I was little why? He said he kept blowing the tractor tires due to the weight of stuff he was picking up with the loader. Since 1980 I can only remember him having to replace one front tire on it.

Car/truck tires on tractors

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