Akron, Ohio, Nov. 10 - The new generation of heavy, high-horsepower tractors and beefy implements have increased the demands on farm tires. To compound the problem further, some farmers are forgoing dual drive configurations due to crop or row clearance issues.

As a result, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has issued a product service bulletin encouraging farmers who employ single-position applications for tires under these severe conditions to choose the correct tire size and inflation pressure for the load.

"Ten years ago, an 18.4R46 farm tire could withstand a single-position application, even for heavy-duty service such as plowing. However, because of the increasing size of tractors and implements, farmers need to apply a larger tire," said Dave Weed, Goodyear's applications engineer for farm tires.

Overloaded and overpowered tires can experience sidewall or ply turn-up separation, as well as cracking above the rim flange.

"When you remove the outer dual, you are doubling the load on the remaining tire. Row crop tire sizes are particularly prone to being overloaded in this situation because they must be operated closer to their inflation rating and cannot be inflated more to compensate for the increased load," said Weed. "In planting and cultivating operations, the tire chosen for single-position applications must be capable of carrying the full weight of the tractor and the implement in the raised position."

The service bulletin suggests three separate approaches to avoid tire overload:

· Continue using dual applications, and investigate the use of straddle dual setups to eliminate row clearance issues.

· Select a tire size with increased inflation pressure that is capable of absorbing the load increase when the outer dual is removed.

· Maintain a second set of tires for use in single-position applications that has extra capacity to handle the load. (Many applications, however, do not permit a second set of larger single tires.)

"Farm equipment and methods of farming are changing in order to help farmers improve their bottom line. Overstressing tires and causing premature damage defeats that goal," said Weed.

Goodyear is one of the leading suppliers of agricultural tires as original equipment to the world's major tractor manufacturers and offers a full range of agricultural tires to allow farmers to choose the right tire for the way they farm.

Authorized Goodyear farm tire dealers can be located by dialing 1-888-FARMTIRE. Additional information on Goodyear's agricultural tires, along with its other commercial and passenger tires, can be found by visiting the company's home page on the World Wide Web at www.goodyear.com.