Tyres

Introduction

Contents

Contents

Radial Ply
Useful notes
Role players

Radial Ply

Imported tractors are normally fitted with Radial Ply tyres. These tyres are all marked with a Load Index and Speed Symbol on the sidewall. A copy of the Speed Symbol table is below.

However, these merely indicate the tyres maximum carrying capacity and speed at the maximum speed. When it comes to recommended tyre pressures, it would be advisable to either use the tyre pressures as recommended by the tractor manufacturer, or alternatively call in a tyre expert to recommend tyre pressures. This is particularly important when looking at 4 wheel drive or Front Wheel Assist tractors.

Speed Symbol Speed km/h
A1 5
A2 10
A3 15
A4 20
A5 25
A6 30
A7 35
A8 40
B 50
C 60
D 65
E 70
F 80
G 90

 

LI kg LI kg LI kg LI kg
96  710 119  1360 142  2650 165 5150
97  730 120  1400 143  2725 166 5300
98  750 121  1450 144  2800 167 5450
99  775 122  1500 145  2900 168 5600
100  800 123  1550 146  3000 169 5800
101  825 124  1600 147  3075 170 6000
102  850 125  1650 148  3150 171 6150
103  875 126  1700 149  3250 172 6300
104  900 127  1750 150  3350 173 6500
105  925 128  1800 151  3450 174 6700
106  950 129  1850 152  3550 175 6900
107  975 130  1900 153  3650
108  1000 131  1950 154  3750
109  1030 132  2000 155  3875
110  1060 133  2060 156  4000
111  1090 134  2120 157  4125
112  1120 135  2180 158  4250
113  1150 136  2240 159  4375
114  1180 137  2300 160  4500
115  1215 138  2360 161  4625
116  1250 139  2430 162  4759
117  1285 140  2500 163  4875
118  1320 141  2575 164  5000

Useful notes

Find the very useful technical (and other) information at www.satmc.co.za.

Farmers can use old tyres in a number of ways, says Eastern Cape farmer Roelof Bezuidenhout. These include the following:

  • Feed troughs.
  • Building walls and fences. This protects animal hides in cases where animals are pushed against fences or run into them. Arranged along the ground at the bottom of a fence, old tyres can keep out burrowing animals (and jackals or other predators which may want to follow).
  • Strengthening contour lines and stabilising soil and vegetation.
  • Tied together and dragged behind a vehicle, old tyres function as an implement for levelling fields or gravel roads.
Source: Farmer’s Weekly 30 May 2014. See also the article by Joseph, F. & van der Westhuizen, M. listed under the last heading.

Although advanced materials may be used that protect against tyre damage, rubber is particularly prone to absorbing oil, grease, fuel and other solvents, and is further degraded by exposure to heat and light. Therefore, tyres should be kept in a cool, clean and dark area, and away from other machinery such as motors, generators and welders as the ozone emitted by such equipment causes cracks in the rubber and, ultimately, failure of the tyre carcass. Similarly, wash any chemicals off the tyres after using the tractor in spraying operations.

 

For storing tyres mounted on rims, but not on machinery, reduce the pressure to ten psi and store vertically on the tread. Tyres off rims can be stacked evenly on their sidewalls, but never so high as to distort the bottom tyre.

 

On a machine or implement in storage for extended periods, block up the vehicle to lift the tyres off the ground. If this is not possible, increase the standard tyre pressure by 25% to reduce deflection and move the vehicle periodically.

 

Source: adapted from an article by Goodyear which appeared in Pula-Imvula (a magazine put out by Grain SA), January 2009.

Role players

 

Associations

  • New Tyre Manufacturers Employers’ Association Tel: 041 378 1942
  • Retail Motor Association (RMI) Tyre Dealer and Fitment Association (TDAFA) Tel: 011 886 6300 www.rmi.org.za/tdafa Represents Tyre Dealers and Fitment Centres
  • South African Tyre Manufacturers Conference (SATMC) www.satmc.co.za This association represents the new tyre industry on matters relating to WTO negotiations, tyre safety, and the environment.
  • Recycling and Economic Development Initiative of South Africa (REDISA) https://redisa.org.za

 

Tyre standards and research

  • South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) Standards Information Centre Tel: 012 428 7911 www.sabs.co.za Find the list of published standards (November 2016) for tyres here.
  • Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Built Environment, Dr Morris de Beer mbeer [at] csir.co.za www.csir.co.za

 

Tyre changing and repair equipment

 

Local Manufacturers

 

Major Importers

 

Tyre Dealers

 

Recycling and retreads

 

Websites and publications

  • Southern Africa Treads Liana Shaw (Editor) Tel: 011 658 0011 www.satreads.com
  • Each company involved – see above – has a website and manuals, which are usually beefed up versions of what is on their website.
  • Other publications (usually car ones) carry tyre-related articles every now and then.
  • Find the Environmental Affairs parliamentary committee discussion (25 May 2021) on the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment presentation “Functioning of Waste Bureau; Progress in Waste Tyre Management”.

 

Some articles

 

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