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The range of floatation wheels available for SAM sprayers is vast. SAM would not advocate using pressures
in any floatation wheel below 1 Bar (15 psi). The ultra low pressures of bygone years have proved to be of no
particular advantage to the soil or the crops. It simply caused the tyres to wear rapidly and increased fuel
consumption.
Consult SAM Ltd for further information.
Floatation wheels impose extremely high stresses on all associated components i.e. bearings, axles,
kingpins and steering components. A shorter life expectancy on these wearing parts must therefore be
expected, especially in the case of bushes.
Any help the operator can give the machine in reducing the stresses caused by floatation wheels: - by not
driving on kerbs; by not driving at excessive speeds on ploughed land; by not using excessive acceleration or
braking, will extend components' life substantially.
Warranty on component failure, associated with floatation wheels, is severely limited and will only be
accepted for a manufacturing defect.
TYRES - FLOATATION
3-4
The tyres on a crop sprayer are probably the most abused item on the machine. Because of the 'ever
decreasing weight' nature of a crop sprayer, the tyres attract a loading bonus, however, this bonus refers to
low speed operations only.
Ensure tyre size i.e. contact area, is suitable for the prevailing conditions. Narrow tyres, very steep slopes
and green foliage just DO NOT MIX.
High loads and high speeds can cause premature tyre wear not only to the tyre tread but also within the tyre
carcass.
Wheel rims and/or centers will also fracture under excess fatigue (i.e. under the above conditions).
Your attention is therefore drawn to the load/speed graph below.
TYRES - GENERAL
It should be noted that an unusual tyre wear pattern has been identified on sprayers that spend a large amount
of time fully laden on the road. One or more tyres will show very heavy wear between the center of the tyre and
the outside edge but without the feathered edge normally associated with tracking problems. The cause of
this phenomenon is the tyre rolling under the rim during cornering. Whilst the wear rate can never be reduced
(see load/speed graph), it can be spread more evenly across the tyre by increasing the tyre pressure by
approximately 10 psi.
SPEED (KM/H)
Rapid Tyre Wear
High Rim Fatigue Rate
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