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Since the pneumatic farm tire was developed, the basic carcass construction has been bias or diagonal plies. As tractor manufacturers continue to produce models with higher and higher horsepower, it has become evident that the conventional design changes--lug shape, lug angle, aspect ratio, etc.--are no longer sufficient to achieve significant improvements in tractor drive wheel tire performance. After investigating various alternatives, B.F.Goodrich determined that a radial construction offered distinct performance advantages over a bias construction without requiring any redesigning of the tractor. These include: increased traction, reduced fuel consumption, longer wear and improved ride. This paper will present comparative performance results of radial and bias drive wheel tractor tires, and discuss the basic radial tire mechanics which make the performance improvements possible.

Using new equipment designed to quantitatively evaluate the behavior of tires in the laboratory, the study encountered here provides information on. large tractor tires by application of measurements more easily and accurately registered with smaller model tires. Data relating to tires of two aspect ratios are discussed. Corning forces and their generation and tire pressures are particularly considered.

Tire traction performance is dependent on both the tire design and the road surface on which the tire is operated. Measurement of a tire's traction capabilities is indicative of the performance of the tire-road surface combination. Therefore, it is important that the surfaces used to evaluate tire traction capabilities react in a manner similar to those on which the tire will operate. This paper presents a method for categorizing road surface traction properties by evaluating the traction performance of road surfaces when tested with a series of special tires. Data are presented on a series of road surfaces and recommendations are made for traction test surface design.