I have Titan R4 industrial tires on the front axle of my tractor. I’ve noticed a lot of cracking in the tread area and along the bead on the sidewall. This tractor is 5 years old, always stored indoors. When I first noticed the start of these cracks (2 years ago) I asked the dealer about it and their response was it is normal for R4 tires due to the rubber used. They suggested I run them until they leak, then add tubes…. I’m concerned that these tires will fail when I’m airing them up or in use when I have a load in the bucket/forks. So, is this actually “normal” for R4 tires? Should they be replaced or is the dealers suggestion valid?
Was it new the year you bought it. A lot of these machines sit on a dock or at the dealer for a long time. My Brother bought a new tractor from the dealer and turns out it was new, but actually 4 years old.
If it's stored indoors I guess it can't be blamed on sunlight. That's the amount of cracking I would expect on a 20 year old tire. I'm guessing it's just cheap rubber. If it was mine, I would just run it until they leak like the dealer suggested. And don't buy the same brand tires next time! It's definitely disappointing that they are cracking like that so quickly.
Yes, ordered specifically for me and I took delivery immediately. It was a 2021 build.
IMO that is not normal for a tire that new, what size and brand are they? I have Goodyear/Titan R4's on my Kubota B3200 which is a 2009 model with 1400hrs on it and they are in way better condition than those. Edit: I'll also add, most likely you can run them for a very long time without any problems. The R4's on my '89 Case backhoe are very old (possibly original) and have terrible checking and cracking but still hold air, when one blows I'll replace them.
The tyre appears at first blush to maybe have been run under-inflated.
They are size 10-16.5. And I double checked the date code, manufactured is 2021. Tractor has about 400 hrs on it.
That’s possible. I normally keep them up at the max recommended pressure (40 psi) as the tractor does a lot of loader work but I can’t recall if I was as diligent with the pressure checks when the tractor was new.
The bead cracking is pretty normal on machines doing loader work. We usually ran them at higher pressures that what was printed on the side wall of the tire. The checks on the OD between the tread bars I would guess is because of the rubber compound in cold weather. You don't have split rims so it is not likely you would ever see a catastrophic blow out that might be dangerous. They will likely run for years if you keep the pressure up and they make lots of goopy stuff now days to seal any leaks.
An internet search revealed the following. I don’t have any experience with this size so cannot comment further if what’s written below is good info or not. “Recommended tire pressure for 10-16.5 skid steer tires typically ranges from 60 to 90 PSI, with 75-80 PSI being a common standard for many heavy-duty applications to ensure stability and proper load capacity.”
Air pressure is based on tire size/construction vs load vs speed. I'd go by what the tractor manual says, not whats on the sidewall or generic pressure for a certain size tire. The max pressure on the side wall is just that, max. Sometimes you may need to run that much but sometimes it is way, way more than needed. On the flip side, if the tires are marginally large enough for the load you may have to run max pressure listed on the sidewall. A few examples of discrepancy between tire sidewall listed PSI and vehicle/maunal listed PSI: -I used to have a '97 Toyota Tacoma and '99 4runner. Both listed considerably less psi for the tires (26-29psi) than what the tire sidewall called for (44psi) -All of the Honda CRV's we've had were the same, about 10-20psi less than what the tire called for -the 385 floats on the front of my tandem are rated at almost 10000lbs load each at 130psi, the truck only has a 16K front axle so they'll never see that load. I run them at 100-105psi to keep from wearing the centers out. With all that being said, sometimes the opposite is true especially front tires on compact or farm tractors with loaders. What model tractor is it and what does the manual list for tire pressure?
The tractor is a Kubota L4060, the manual says 20PSI or “maximum pressure if using a front loader”. Tire sidewall says max pressure is 45PSI. Tires are Titan Trac Loader. Currently I run them at 40-45PSI
Sounds like you are good then, may have just been a bad batch of tires or they've cheapened the rubber compound up in recent years. Either way I'd just run them and not worry about it.
I'm not faulting you Nige for re-posting what Google said, but this is a good example of how AI can be dangerous. I'm sure that was some generic BS that the Google AI Overview made up, but putting 90psi in a tire rated for 45psi is a good way to get maimed or killed.
Our first 2 mauldin graders came with a constellation tire. After a couple years they started to get bulges in the side wall. When we changed them, one of the guys in the shop cut one up, and it seemed like the outside layer of rubber was detaching, almost like a recap.
I have a 2003 Kubota L48 TLB with 10-16.5 R4 calls for 60psi in the manual, and 17.5L-R4 calls for 20psi. They are cracked way more then yours. Had to put a tube on left rear couple years ago and front ones are leaking a little now. The worst tires for snow traction I've seen.
100% agree. I really should have dug into one of my tyre data books for some definitive information but was too slack to bother. That’s on me. It also makes a difference if the tyres in question are radial or bias and what type of tyre the manual is referring to when it quotes recommended pressures, because the recommendations for the two types of tyres will be very different.
What is the date code stamped in the tires? It wouldn't be the first time a dealer has swapped tires on a factory fresh machine...
6th week of 2021 for a 2021 build year tractor.
Sorry- I missed that part of your post earlier. Yeah, there's something not right about those tires but as long as they're holding air....use 'em.
I have 2 of those same tires and they are cracked like them also. 40 psi of air since new. I think it is ultra violet damage from sitting outside. But, I don't know. They look terrible, but they can still carry a loader bucket of broken concrete with no problems.
Sounds like it might just be this tire. I’m liking the idea of a sealant in the tire just in case and then run them.
It seems to me that the rubber quality being used is just less than what it used to be. I ran the original R4 tires on my bobcat (had the Bobcat brand on the sidewall) all the way until they were bald and had tubes in them. I finally took it to a tire shop and got 4 new R4s and 6 new tires for the dually that pulled it there. Those R4s are now barely over a year old and have all kinds of chunks missing out of the treads. It is very rocky where we live, but none of my other R4s have performed so pitifully. These were the regular 14 ply 12-16.5 tires, too.
Got original Titan Trac Loader tires on 2004 massey 1428 tractor with loader that gets used ALOT. Stored indoors all winter long but spends a lot of time outdoors otherwise. Tires show no signs of cracking at all let alone what you've got going on. That sucks for 5YO rubber.
Original Goodyear 10:00-16.5 on my skid steer were horrible for early cracking. I found out after the fact that they could have been replaced under warranty. I think it's pro-rated but they were cracked within less than a year. Book calls for 35 PSI but I run about 40 just so they stay on the rim better in skid turns. You should check if there's warranty for early cracking. The Goodyear radial tires I bought at auction for the grader apparently have a special rubber compound to protect from UV damage which is a bonus since they're foam filled.