Repairing Tractor Tyres

Relugging

Significant savings are available by relugging radial tractor tyres or heavily constructed tyres such as forestry loggers.

Radial or heavily constructed tyres can be relugged by Big Tyre in a variety of patterns.

Big Tyre's policy is to use only high-quality rubber compounds, and to deliberately make the lugs larger than the originals to ensure that the initial savings are retained by the tread outlasting the original tread life. It is not uncommon for treads to last 30% longer than the original tread, which together with the initial savings, makes the exercise very economical especially for radials and larger tyres.

Alternative Tread Patterns

In addition to the regular treads, alternative patterns are available including treads designed specifically for road travel (to avoid ‘dancing’), diamond patterns (pictured below) for grass farms, sports fields and golf courses, and lugs without central overlap for better grip and less compaction to significantly reduce slippage and wear when tilling.

Tractor tyres with diamond tread for use on golf courses, sports fields & turf farms.

The picture below shows a 13.6 - 16 tyre as commonly fitted to small shopping centre tractors used for collecting trolleys. Although similar cost to new tyres these retreads are popular as the tread is much deeper & lasts longer than new.

13.6 - 16 tyre retreaded with a diamond tread.

Repairing Cracked Sidewalls

Tyres with cracking sidewalls can be repaired extremely economically if caught early enough.

New grader tyre with fender on outer sidewall.

The repair is carried out by buffing off the surface rubber that is cracking and replacing it with 6-12mm thick layer of rubber (referred to as a fender or scuff). This fender is often advisable when relugging a tyre as it extends the life of a tyre and provides significant added protection against staking.

Sidewall repair should not be left until the tyre is losing air, as by this stage the cost will increase with maybe 2 or 3 places in the tyre needing patches to reinforce the weakened areas. Caught early enough the fender is strong enough without needing any patches at all.

Fendering New Tyres

Adding a fender to new tyres is recommended where tyres are used in conditions where sidewalls are easily damaged. This is common practice for companies wishing to extend tyre life.