Foton FT404 tires & recommended pressures

[traktorz]

Reading from the tires, I find the following:

Front:
ARMOUR 8.3-20
Nylon 6PR RIM W7
Pressure: 240 kPa
Load: 695 kg

Rear:
ARMOUR 12.4-28
Nylon 8 PR RIM W11
Pressure: 230 kPa
Load: 1510 kg

Reading from the Operations & Maintenance Manual for the Foton Europard 40 Series Wheeled Tractors, I find the recommmended pressure to be:
Front: 90~120 kPa
Rear: 80~120 kPa

However with the heavy front loader and a heavy 1.8m bucket attached, the tractor becomes frontheavier. With the recommended air pressures (120 kPa) it's visibe that the pressure is too low in the front tires. Taking the tractor off road and into the forest, I expect a higher pressure is highly recommended, in order to avoid a flat tire as results. What would therefore the recommended pressure become in this case? How close to the maximum pressure ratings can we go?

[3RRL]

My 55hp Kama 554 has the exact same size tires and wheels as your Foton.
I too have a big loader on the front with dual grapples on a 72" bucket. I agree you need to run a little more air pressure in the tires than the recommended book values.
Here is what I run in the fronts:
28/30 psi = 193/206 kPa

I also carry a 1,200lb backhoe or a 1,000lb box blade at all times.
Here is what I run in the rears:
20/24 psi = 137/165 kPa

I have been running those pressures for 4 years and mostly on on my dirt roads and off road on my ranch. There is very little tire lug wear over that period. I have also filled both rears and front tires with liquid ballast during that entire time. It helps very much with traction and stability. You can check out the Kama section for the tire threads.
Rob-

[traktorz]

I didn't have any pressure vs load table for these Armour tires, so your experiences with your values are much appreciated. Thanks!

Both your 55hp Kama 554 tractor and front end loader seems more heavy duty than the TZ04D-404 FEL on our Foton FT404 tractor. For our FEL, the rated carry capacity is only 400 kg according to this table for the Jinma tractors, so with a 196 kg heavy bucket, already 50% of it's carry capacity is taken. For winter and snow, that's less of a problem.

Just curious what capacity in weight your Koyker 195 FEL has? What's the weakest point in your and our tractor setup? The FEL itself, the tires, or what might frightens me most, the front axles of the tractor itself? What is the first item to brake, if overloaded?

[3RRL]

Jun 21, 2009 2:18:00 GMT -5 traktorz said:

I didn't have any pressure vs load table for these Armour tires, so your experiences with your values are much appreciated. Thanks!

Both your 55hp Kama 554 tractor and front end loader seems more heavy duty than the TZ04D-404 FEL on our Foton FT404 tractor. For our FEL, the rated carry capacity is only 400 kg according to this table for the Jinma tractors, so with a 196 kg heavy bucket, already 50% of it's carry capacity is taken. For winter and snow, that's less of a problem.

Just curious what capacity in weight your Koyker 195 FEL has? What's the weakest point in your and our tractor setup? The FEL itself, the tires, or what might frightens me most, the front axles of the tractor itself? What is the first item to brake, if overloaded?

Hi traktorz,
The Koyker loader is a very good loader (and bucket) set up.
I don't have the numbers in front of me but I believe the max lift capacity is over 2,000lbs. I have lifted heavier objects so I know from personal experience. I lifted my milling machines and surface grinders off my trailer, so the fel was already up about 8' in the air. The mills and surface grinders weigh about 2,000 to 2,500 lbs. I have my hydraulic pressure set at 2,250 psi.

The weakest point, IMHO, is the front drive reduction gears. I blew out a set when moving full buckets of sand and mud at a very high rate. I was shuttle shifting rapidly because it was pouring rain and the gears sheared off with the abrupt jerking forward and backward. I repaired both sides with a new set of gears. The front axles were fine as were the large bevel gears and also the front differential. It was the smaller diameter bevel (miter) gears that sheared that are in each front drive unit.
The repair is under the Kama section.
Rob-