Tractive Performance of Radial-ply and Bias-ply Tractor Drive Tires

Abstract

Reports from manufacturers and other tests and evaluation are unaimous in improvement in tractor performance of 10 to 20 per cent occasionary up to 30 per cent more traction, consumption of 10 to 15 per cent less fuel by radial tires. But as there are few reports revealing by experimental data, this study has been conducted to findout the actual drawbar performance of a radial-ply and bias-ply tires by measuring rear axle torque and drawbar pull.
Under the conditions tested for the tractor equipped with radial tires, 4.4 to 22.1 per cent more traction, 5.9 to 23.3 per cent more rear axle torque, 4.9 to 20.2 per cent more coefficient of traction at no load speed of 1.5m/s, could be odtained inspite of the difference due to the various tire inflation pressure. The results suggested that the elasticity, contact width, contact length, and slip sinkage of tire were associated with drawbar pull, and it was quitely affected by the forces acting at the interaction between the contact surface of tire tread and media on which it was operating. It can be pointed out from the further study that the radial-ply tire can give the remarkable fuel efficiency from the view point of energy saving.