Development of axle torque by the inside and outside rear dual tires.

ABSTRACT A two-wheel-drive agricultural tractor equipped with dual tires on the rear axles was instrumented so that the axle torque developed by the inside and outside dual tires could be separately measured. Tractive performance was evaluated at three different inflation pressure combinations; the inflation pressure in the outside tire being less than, equal to, and greater than the inflation pressure in the inside tire. Performance tests were conducted on three different surfaces, concrete, stubble, and plowed soil. No apparent differences in overall tractive efficiency and dynamic traction ratios were observed among the dual tire inflation pressure combinations for a specific surface. However, the respective torques developed by the inside and outside tires were affected by the inflation pressure combinations and type of surface the tractor was operated on.