Tire Safety - Ken Jones Tires

Tire Safety for Tractor, Construction and other OTR Tires

Tire Safety for Specialty Tires such as tractor, farm, construction and other OTR Tires

Proper tire maintenance is important to maintain traction. Tires that show signs of damage, have excessive tread wear or are under inflated will not perform safely. Checking the tires on your equipment should always be part of your daily inspection before operating any type of machinery. While the most obvious safety risk is from tire blow out or failure during operation, there are many other factors that could cause harm to both the operator and the equipment. Tractor or other types of equipment rollovers pose the most risk to operators and while there are many reasons that a rollover can occur, having the right tires, tire pressure and proper traction for the application and environment can help prevent these accidents. This is also important to your bottom line… when your tires are not performing properly, you will not get the optimal performance from your equipment. And any tire failure will cause very costly downtime! So take the time to properly inspect your tires for signs of wear, cracking, rim damage and inflation.

Quick Tire Check List from Firestone

Tire Safety for Tractor Tires, Construction Tires & OTR Tires

While most safety tips will be true for any type of specialty tire, there are some specific safety recommendations for farm tires or OTR tires due to the generally larger sizes of the tires and the heavier loads they carry.

Proper Tire Selection

The size of the tire is just the starting point when it comes to specialty and OTR tires. Keep in mind that the same tire size in a. different brand or even the same brand but with a different tread design will affect their dimensions. Weight or load carrying capacity, applications, surface and environment for use, traction requirements and equipment type are just a few factors to consider. This is why it may be best to speak with an expert before you purchase. Ken Jones offers exceptional product support and will know how to find the right product for your needs and your budget. So just give us a call at 1-800-225-9513, email your questions to sales@kenjones.com, or live chat with a tire expert on our website.

Watch the video below to learn more about proper farm & tractor tire selection

Watch the video below to help you select the RIGHT OTR or Loader Tires

Inflation Pressure and Load

Maintaining the correct inflation pressure at all times will give you the best results from your tires. This is true for almost any type of tire. Keep in mind that it takes tires up to 24 hours to cool after completing a job. Because of this, it is recommended that you check and adjust inflation pressure after long breaks or weekends.

Safety Starts with Proper Demounting & Mounting Procedures

Due to the size and weight of these tires, following proper procedures for demounting and mounting is extremely important. The task of servicing tires and wheels can be extremely dangerous and should be performed by trained personnel only, using the correct tools and following specific procedures. If you have any doubt in performing any step in the demounting, mounting, or inflating process STOP! Seek assistance from a qualified person. ALWAYS FOLLOW MANUFACTURERS GUIDELINES for proper mounting and demounting procedures.Generally they will have useful tips about using the proper size rim and lubricants as well. For best practices you should follow all safety guidelines and procedures as recommended by the tire manufacturer and equipment manufacturer as well. Demounting and Mounting Safety from Titan Tires

Mounting/Dismounting Safety Tips

“Before mounting the tires on the vehicle, check the wheels and rims and make sure that the vehicle is in perfect mechanical condition. Upon completion of the mounting process, check the clearance between the wheel and the vehicle all around. For duals, install a permanent rock ejector to prevent damage from wedged rocks.”
“Duals should not vary in their overall diameter, more than ¼” for tires of up to 8.25” cross section, and ½” for tires with cross section of 9.00” and above. If this is not adhered to, the larger tire is likely to fail prematurely. Never try to make up for larger differences by changing the inflation pressure.”

Manufacturers and other Tire Safety Links

Other tire factors that can affect your overall operational safety

Liquid Ballasting

When extra traction is needed, especially in agriculture and OTR (off road use), liquid ballasting can be used to help improve traction, stability and higher adherence on the terrain. When filling tires with liquid ballast, it is recommended not to exceed 75% of its volume, in order to leave an air reserve of at least 25% of the tire volume. It is very important to use proper inflation pressure as recommended by the manufacturer with reference to the loading conditions in order to maintain safety and performance. In harsher climates, anti-freezing agents such as calcium chloride or magnesium chloride can be used. It is highly recommended that these operations are carried out by a professional technician only.

Proper Handling & Storage

Avoid storing tires for more than a few months. Store in areas that are dark, cool, and free of dirt and oils. Try to store as far as possible from running electric engines. For more proper handling, transportation & storage tips from BKT Tires, click here.

Proper Driving Techniques

To get maximum performance from off-the-road tires, it is important to use proper driving habits. Avoid things like: chuck holes, strong spinning, sudden starting or breaking maneuvers, high speed cornering, and locking one wheel for sharp turns. Any of these maneuvers can harm your tires and shorten their working life.

Proper Load & Speed

The following tables come from ATG/Alliance Tire Safety Tips Page:

LOAD INDICES
Indice	Load in kg	lbs	Indice	Load in kg	lbs	Indice	Load in kg	lbs	Indice	Load in kg	lbs
100	800	1760	123	1550	3410	146	3000	6600	169	5800	12760
101	825	1815	124	1600	3520	147	3075	6765	170	6000	13200
102	850	1870	125	1650	3630	148	3150	6930	171	6150	13530
103	875	1925	126	1700	3740	149	3250	7150	172	6300	13860
104	900	1980	127	1750	3850	150	3350	7370	173	6500	14300
105	925	2035	128	1800	3960	151	3450	7590	174	6700	14740
106	950	2090	129	1850	4070	152	3550	7810	175	6900	15180
107	975	2145	130	1900	4180	153	3650	8030	176	7100	15620
108	1000	2200	131	1950	4290	154	3750	8250	177	7300	16060
109	1030	2266	132	2000	4400	155	3875	8525	178	7500	16500
110	1060	2332	133	2060	4532	156	4000	8800	179	7750	17050
111	1090	2398	134	2120	4664	157	4125	9075	180	8000	17600
112	1120	2464	135	2180	4796	158	4250	9350	181	8250	18150
113	1150	2530	136	2240	4928	159	4375	9625	182	8500	18700
114	1180	2596	137	2300	5060	160	4500	9900	183	8750	19250
115	1215	2673	138	2360	5192	161	4625	10175	184	9000	19800
116	1250	2750	139	2430	5346	162	4750	10450	185	9250	20350
117	1285	2827	140	2500	5500	163	4875	10725	186	9500	20900
118	1320	2904	141	2575	5665	164	5000	11000	187	9750	21450
119	1360	2992	142	2650	5830	165	5150	11330	188	10000	22000
120	1400	3080	143	2725	5995	166	5300	11660	189	10300	22660
121	1450	3190	144	2800	6160	167	5450	11990	190	10600	23320
122	1500	3300	145	2900	6380	168	5600	12320	191	10900	23980

SPEED INDICES
Speed code	Km/h	Mph
A1	5	3
A2	10	6
A3	15	9
A4	20	12
A5	25	16
A6	30	19
A7	35	22
A8	40	25
B	50	31
C	60	37
D	65	40
E	70	43
F	80	50
G	90	56
J	100	62
K	110	68
L	120	75
M	130	81
N	140	87

Remember tire safety starts with choosing the right tire! Ken Jones Tires offers expert advice for all types of speciality tires: tractor, lawn & garden, construction, industrial, and more! We want to give our customers options, such as good, better and best choices! Just give us a call and we will help you find the right tire for your specific application and your budget!