Bias VS radial duals

A guy at work has a IH 5488 FWA and is going to put new tires all the way around. He's leaning toward radials, but it has duals on the back and he is wondering about running radials on the inside tires and bias on the duals. Will this cause any problems??? Thanks, Chris

I don't think I personally would. My 8430 has a mix on it, but all on the same axle. All four front tires are bias, all four rears are radial. I can't give you a good reason not to, but I would just avoid it myself.

Why does he even want to do that? Putting bias tires next to radials would offset any advantage the radials would offer in my opinion. And I've been told that too by tire shops.

I don't think it makes much difference in the field. I would not want to do to much road travel though.

In my opinion it all amounts to traction. On a car or truck, there are handling realities that prevent mixing tire types due to high speed handling issues between bias and radial tires. On a tractor not really important. If they support the weight and distribute that weight uniformly they will work. If they are drastically different in standing height, I would not. Pressures and weight biasing will take some tweaking to fine tune any change I would expect this to be no different. Jim

Well, years ago, when we actually drove on the highway on bias ply tires, as I recall, they wore out in no time. I remember having to spend more money on tires than on gasoline.
One thing that was dangerous was mixing radials with bias tires. Radials on the rear and bias on the front would be nearly impossible to keep going straight at any significant speed. Radials on the front and bias on the rear made it really unresponsive to turning maneuvers. Mixing on the same axle was deadly. No way would a car go in a straight line with a radial on one side and a bias on the other.

On a tractor, at low speeds like in a field, probably would not be a problem. However, mixing a radial with a bias on the same pair might cause them to work against each other. Might cause unusual tire wear. Probably not recommended. Keep in mind that the two tire types are totally of different construction. Could turn out to be incompatible with one tire doing all of the work while the other does not add its share to the dual setup.

Just my opinion, but I would be inclined to stay with one type. That would provide the best performance. After all, it is a proven fact that radials are superior tires in every respect as compared to bias ply tires.

Been doing that with several tractors for decades.

You need to research the compaction difference between radials and bias ply tires

If it were me I would go all bias. As far as I'm concerned there is no difference between radial tires and retreads. I've had two trucks and two trailers damaged by radial tires delaminating while the bias tires I put on my jeep in 1999 are still in good condition.

What pray-tell does this have to do with a tractor? Are you driving your trucks and trailers through corn fields at 60mph that you can't avoid debris?

it will not cause any problems. I never recommended it, as many farmers found out, If going with redials--radials inside and out are the best solution.

Radial tires have a bigger footprint, they do this with running belts radialy instead of circumference. Because of this they move side to side more easily. If you put radials on the inside and bias on the outside they would stress the bias tires around the rim. If you only ran duels part of the yr you probably would never encounter a problem.

To efficiently put the power to the ground, go with radial tires all around. You have a lot of horsepower in that 5488 with mfwd. I have a 4960 Deere with mfwd. I have 18.4 x 46 radials on the rear and 14.9 x 30 on the front. I also have the tractor ballasted with 20 suitcase weights up front and a 1350 lb. weight on each inside rear wheel. I run the rears at 10 psi and the fronts at 28 psi. These pressures are based upon the recommendations in the owner's manual. I have respectable traction in most conditions. There are times when I am lacking in "bite." I would have to agree with one of the other posts, in running radials on the inside and bias on the outside, the two might fight one another. I would not want anything but all radials on my tractor.