Studded front tire cover sleeve concept?

[BeninCT 451]

Lots of chatter about front tire tread pattern, front tire chains and roller chain and as I plow into the street with my tires at 45 degrees and the tractor still going straight ahead I am wondering about the same thing lately.  So, here is my thought/question:

 

I have a donor tractor and was thinking I might cut the front tires off the wheels maybe leaving 1 1/2 or so of sidewall after the tread, stud them with sheet metal screws and use them like a sleeve that fits OVER my current front tires held in place with a couple zip ties or maybe just deflate/inflate trick.  Anyone ever done this?

 

Worried that roller chain will make a mess of brand new paving and think this could be “free” since I have a bucket of sheetmetal self tapping screws and the old front tires already. Worst case I could even buy new front tires and cut them up. Mine are 15x6x6 so I think a 16 x 6 tire would be a good size for the sleeve. 

Edited February 20, 2021 by BeninCT

[JoeM 7,874]

Now that is thinking out of the box!

Edited February 20, 2021 by JoeM

[DennisThornton 4,769]

I was using hex head sheet metal screws as studs in some winter boots.  The hex screws were slotted but I carefully and slowly ground a V deeper to help with grip.  I ground slowly with cooling hoping to save any temper.  They worked GREAT!  For a while.  Just yesterday I installed carbide insert screw in studs.  Works GREAT!  We'll see for how long.  My last employment had a forklift that was worthless in a light snow.  We installed commercial screw in studs and what a difference!  But they would mark the asphalt if spun!  Studs are for traction. 

Roller chain is steering only, and it does it's job well!  If I was concerned about asphalt damage I think I'd try them and see OR try smaller bicycle chain.  If all they do is scrape off some asphalt or sealer and NOT cut into the aggregate then a very light touch up in spring would restore the visual damage.

[Ed Kennell 38,250]

I had a similar thought of making a set of rubber chains for the rears.   Using an old larger tire and cut away the areas required to create rubber strap chain.   I neve had the correct size old tires to try it, but Mrs. Ks van is due for some new shoes so ......

[seuadr 488]

interesting idea. wouldn't be a lot of time or money invested to try it.

 

personally, my horse is mainly for snow removal, so i put aggressive tread ATV tires on it and it helped immensely with steering while blowing snow, but not having used the plow i can't say if it would be similarly benificial.

[BeninCT 451]

1 hour ago, DennisThornton said:

I was using hex head sheet metal screws as studs in some winter boots.  The hex screws were slotted but I carefully and slowly ground a V deeper to help with grip.  I ground slowly with cooling hoping to save any temper.  They worked GREAT!  For a while. 

Did the screws just wear down until they had no heads eventually?  I did this to a bike tire as a kid and I recall some just pulling out...

[BeninCT 451]

43 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

I had a similar thought of making a set of rubber chains for the rears.   Using an old larger tire and cut away the areas required to create rubber strap chain.   I neve had the correct size old tires to try it, but Mrs. Ks van is due for some new shoes so ......

 

Do that soon so I don’t have to go first!

[DennisThornton 4,769]

Just now, BeninCT said:

Did the screws just wear down until they had no heads eventually?  I did this to a bike tire as a kid and I recall some just pulling out...

The sharp edges would cut into ice and wood at first, then wear down steadily getting less grip.  

Couldn't come inside much and I expect similar with my new carbide insert screws but these aren't as sharp as my modified screws.

[wallfish 17,017]

Good idea but doubtful studded screws would do less damage to asphalt than the roller chain if that's the main concern. The roller chain is only about $20 or so and added weight will help keep them from sliding sideways on the driveway more. It's the side sliding that leaves the most marks so if you notice the tractor sliding with the roller chain or the studs, stop taking such a big bite to keep the tires rolling forward. If you're still using the steel scraper bar and not something else like PVC for the scraper then that will leave more scrape marks than the chains or studs do. AG lug tires have enough depth in the treads to just stud them.

Bicycle chain is too small and it will roll on the tire and roll off. Not sure if the tire cover would do the same, they would need to be anchored well to the tire.

[DennisThornton 4,769]

48 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

I had a similar thought of making a set of rubber chains for the rears.   Using an old larger tire and cut away the areas required to create rubber strap chain.   I neve had the correct size old tires to try it, but Mrs. Ks van is due for some new shoes so ......

I've cut tires and hated it but I watched a YouTube using a oscillating tool that went rather well.  Some smoke but speed looked ok.  Not fast, not fun but reasonable.  I see no reason why DIY rubber "chains" isn't doable.  I don't have asphalt but if they worked well I'd be interested in the outcome if you tackle this.  You too have perhaps seen tire chains use cable for both the cross  links and to hold the cross links.  Wondering if the cable might make the process easier with drilling two small holes in the rubber straps and weaving the cable through ending in cable clamps and some bungees to snug them up. 

 

I quit using bungees on my compact and went with turnbuckles to a 3" ring in the center of the wheel.  Worked great!

[DennisThornton 4,769]

4 minutes ago, wallfish said:

 

Bicycle chain is too small and it will roll on the tire and roll off. Not sure if the tire cover would do the same, they would need to be anchored well to the tire.

I was tempted to try since I have lots of bike chain, but I didn't.  Guess now I won't!

 

I'd think, that IF the roller chain slipped, beside what you just wrote, back off the steering some, just adding more weight would give so much traction that just couldn't slip.  I was SO impressed with just the roller chain but I could still fill the fronts, add wheel weights standing by AND/OR more weight to the front with an added bracket or an adaptation to the Tach-Matic.  Doubt it would slip much then!

[wallfish 17,017]

5 minutes ago, DennisThornton said:

I was SO impressed with just the roller chain

Bet you wish you tried it sooner huh?

The edges of the chain wear down too and leave less scrape marks on hard surfaces after a while.

[pfrederi 17,741]

20 minutes ago, DennisThornton said:

I've cut tires and hated it but I watched a YouTube using a oscillating tool that went rather well.  Some smoke but speed looked ok.  Not fast, not fun but reasonable.  I see no reason why DIY rubber "chains" isn't doable.  I don't have asphalt but if they worked well I'd be interested in the outcome if you tackle this.  You too have perhaps seen tire chains use cable for both the cross  links and to hold the cross links.  Wondering if the cable might make the process easier with drilling two small holes in the rubber straps and weaving the cable through ending in cable clamps and some bungees to snug them up. 

 

I quit using bungees on my compact and went with turnbuckles to a 3" ring in the center of the wheel.  Worked great!

 

 

I have one Horse set up for plowing the short section of pavers. Rubber chains and PVC plow edge.  Yesterday tried to use it to clean up the rest of the drive after snow blowing.  Surface is packed snow and ice.  They were terrible.  Packed snow and Ice you need Steel!!!

Edited February 20, 2021 by pfrederi

[DennisThornton 4,769]

4 minutes ago, pfrederi said:

 

 

I have one Horse set up for plowing the short section of pavers. Rubber chains and PVC plow edge.  Yesterday tried to use it to clean up the rest of the drive after snow blowing.  Surface is packed snow and ice.  They were terrible.  Packed snow and Ice you need Steel!!!

As I always found and always thought.

Thanks for confirming!

[Ed Kennell 38,250]

My experience...Rubber has more traction than steel on plowed bare paved surfaces.    Without question on packed snow,  ice, and unpaved surfaces,  2 link V-bar steel chains on turfs will outperform  rubber.

[DennisThornton 4,769]

29 minutes ago, Ed Kennell said:

My experience...Rubber has more traction than steel on plowed bare paved surfaces.    Without question on packed snow,  ice, and unpaved surfaces,  2 link V-bar steel chains on turfs will outperform  rubber.

Same on any hard surface.  If the chains can't bite or dig into a surface they don't help but slide instead.  Much rather have bear rubber on bear hard surface than chains.  But!  I've never been stuck with chains on a hard surface, just slip around a little bit.  I've got V-bars on my blower but not on the pusher that I use almost all the time.  Something wrong with that...  Think it's time for another set of good HD 2 link V-bars.

[BeninCT 451]

1 hour ago, wallfish said:

Good idea but doubtful studded screws would do less damage to asphalt than the roller chain if that's the main concern. The roller chain is only about $20 or so and added weight will help keep them from sliding sideways on the driveway more. It's the side sliding that leaves the most marks so if you notice the tractor sliding with the roller chain or the studs, stop taking such a big bite to keep the tires rolling forward. If you're still using the steel scraper bar and not something else like PVC for the scraper then that will leave more scrape marks than the chains or studs do. AG lug tires have enough depth in the treads to just stud them.

Bicycle chain is too small and it will roll on the tire and roll off. Not sure if the tire cover would do the same, they would need to be anchored well to the tire.

Not sure they would really need to be anchored to the tire to prevent rotating but certainly to prevent any other movement. 

Switched to a homemade poly wear bar last week and it did great during this recent storm but not scraping as hard as the steel one was.  I will stay with it though- 

[wallfish 17,017]

1 hour ago, BeninCT said:

Not sure they would really need to be anchored to the tire to prevent rotating but certainly to prevent any other movement.

Not rotating. I've rolled off loops of roller chain which was on the tire very tight and many others have already found out how tight they really need to be to keep them on. It's the side forces that could roll off the cut tire cover. If the stud screws are biting into the surface as hard as the roller chain does it could easily roll the cover off of the tire sideways