FARGO, N.D. – Low tire pressure improves traction in wet muddy fields.
Unfortunately, nobody has time to change tire pressures when moving from road to field and back during a wet harvest.
Since the early 1990s, Hummer and other military vehicles have used a tire inflation system that runs a high-pressure, high-volume pneumatic line from a compressor to each wheel. A pneumatic rotary union coupling is used where the air pipe joins the hub to maintain the required pressure and volume of air.
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This lets the driver drop tires down to extremely low pressures when the going gets tough and traction is the biggest challenge. When traction improves, tire pressure bumps back to normal.
Tire inflation systems are beefed up, high-speed versions of the pneumatic swivel couplings found on air hoses in farm shops.
Tire pressure control systems on agricultural trucks provide better traction in wet situations because the pressure can be dropped instantly from the cab. Trucks can work in all kinds of muddy harvest environments without relying on a tow tractor.
Farmers and loggers with tire inflation systems say there is less drive train damage and they get longer life from each drive tire.
Pressure is either regulated manually by the driver or automatically by software that reacts immediately to the requirements.
A loaded truck on the highway or municipal roads would run the legal recommended pressure for that combination of weight, tire, truck and road condition, which is typically 100 psi or higher.
When returning to the field empty, drivers save wear and tear on the truck and road surface by dropping to 65 psi.
When they are back in the muddy field, tire pressures can drop below 20 psi to reduce wheel slippage and compaction.
Tire pressure gradually increases to about 35 psi as the truck loads.
Tire inflation remains low as long as the truck runs below a pre-programmed speed of 15 m.p.h. The computer automatically increases tire pressures if the driver exceeds that speed.
A computer will warn the driver if he forgets to do this manually and will do it automatically if needed.
Fewer blowouts are a big benefit for highway haulers. They usually happen when one of the duals is running lower pressure than the other. A tire inflation system means all tires run at the same pressure.
This is particularly beneficial for operators who spend a lot of time on crowned hard-surfaced roads.
The left side of the tire typically carries more pressure and creates more heat on crowned roads. A tire inflation system balances the tire contact patch.
Tire inflation systems also prevent blowouts by providing a real time reading of tire pressures. The driver will know immediately If one particular tire is going soft.
TireBoss, based in Edmonton, has been in the central inflation business since the early 1990s. It started with logging trucks, moved into the oil field construction industry and recently began selling a TireBoss system for agricultural trucks.
TireBoss president Les Hinz said potential customers are often skeptical at first about whether the system can survive the initial 12 hour shift.
“It may look a little precarious, but people get over that pretty quickly once they’ve run the system,” he said.
“I’m not aware of anyone with ag trucks having trouble. The odd logging truck drops a log on the fitting, but that’s rare. The hanger may look fragile, but it’s not. It’s spring suspended. The only thing that can go wrong is if you catch it on a solid object.”
Hinz said he sold a TireBoss unit to a sugar beet grower at Crookston, Minnesota, last year, where trucks often have trouble navigating the clay soil of the Red River Valley.
The grower said his TireBoss semi made 200 more trips fully loaded than any other unit in his 10-truck fleet last year. It never needed a pull and out-performed straight trucks.
The TireBoss system constantly monitors axle weight through the air bag suspension system and detects blowouts or leaks.
A cab monitor alerts the driver immediately so he can stop and manually turn off the air line to that specific tire. This isolates the system from the main pipe so the other tires can continue functioning as intended.
Hinz said some provinces now allow truckers with air systems to run full primary weights on secondary roads at 80 km/h at 70 psi to promote air inflation systems.
He said Saskatchewan Wheat Pool began outfitting its semis with Tire-Boss inflation systems about 10 years ago, installing it on a dozen or more rigs.
“This is very highway friendly. It saves the roads and drivers say it softens the ride,” Hinz said.
“Highway operators tell us they get about 20 percent more miles per tire with the TireBoss. Off-road guys like loggers get 40 to 50 percent more miles per tire.
“We installed 20 systems into a logging operation here in Alberta. They had typically taken out five or six differentials a year. Since we installed TireBoss, they haven’t had a single diff failure.”
He said a TireBoss system costs about $9,000 on a tandem farm truck. It ties into the existing air brake tank so there’s no need for an additional compressor.
For more information, contact Hinz at 780-451-4894 or visit www.tire-boss.com.
