| Author | Message | ||
     Super 55 |
I am working on an Oliver Super 55, a 1955. I will need to replace the tires. They are 12-28 rears. The ones on there now are Firestone, All Traction Champions. What size and what brand would be best to replace these with? This tractor will get light work only. | ||
| Chris Losey (Admin) |
13.6-28 tires would look good on those rims. You could go with a 12.4-28, but the 13.6 will get you a little bigger foot print and make the tractor look a little meaner in my opinion. 4 ply tires will save you some money, and if you're planning on light work, they should work fine. If it is going to see some heavy loads, then I would opt for the 6 ply rating. As far as brands go, I have had good luck with Firestone ag tires. But I have seen a few problems with the Goodyear ag tires. I recently bought new BF Goodrich tires for my 1655, but haven't put them on as of yet. I sure hope they are nice, because they weren't the cheapest ones out there. I guess I would try to find a tire with a basic 23 degree or 45 degree bar angle. Something that looks as close to original as possible. Also,(in my opinion) avoid the Goodyear Dyna-Torque II tires. They seem to last and hold up fairly good, but will make your tractor shake something awful. I have 2 tractors and a combine with these tires on, and if you get going the right speed on firm ground, the whole tractor starts a shakin'. These are a long bar-short bar design. I don't know about other long bar-short bar tires, but if these are what they are all like, try to steer clear of them. | ||
| Super 55 |
Chris, thanks for the info. Would the 12.4 look more original? I plan on filling these tires, but I may opt for the more expensive antifreeze rather then the Calcium. I took a look at the photo gallery the other day. I completely forgot about that item on the menu. I usually just jump into the Everything Oliver. This site and YTMag are my favorites. | ||
| Chris Losey (Admin) |
I have 13.6-26's on my Super 55. While I doubt their original (close to 100% tread after 3000 hours, I don't think so...), they are still quite close to the age of the tractor. The previous owner had transmission troubles and instead of repairs, he went out and bought a new 550. My guess is the 13.6's were put on shortly before his tranny troubles. The literature for the Super 55 from 1957 shows 10-28, 11-28 and 12-26 for factory tire sizes. I belive the 12.4-28 is the proper replacement for the 11-28.  13.6-28's are a little taller than 12.4-28's, so to keep the rear end from being too much higher than the front, I would go with the 12.4-28. There is a place here in Michigan that had been advertising using some kind of beet pulp derivitive to make fluid for filling tires. It is supposed to be so non-corrosive that they say you can fill a tubeless tire with it and it actually protects the rim. I don't see an ad right off in this weeks Farmers Advance, but I let you know if I find anything. | ||
| Chris Losey (Admin) |
Do you have your specification number handy? I should be able to tell you the original size tires that it had from the factory from it. | ||
| Fred Zelch |
I am buying a 550 to restore and will have to replace the rear tires and rims. I have a Ford 600 with 12.4 x 28 tires and rims. Will the tires on the Ford fit the hub bolt pattern on the 550? | ||
| Chris Losey (Admin) |
I can't answer that question. Anybody else? | ||
| Mark |
The ford rims have the 8 x 8 pattern that most of the little utilities have, the problem can be hub diameter. I can't remember what make had the largest hub id. |
