Common Tread Patterns of Loader Tires and Their Suitable Conditions

The loader is a type of earthmoving construction machinery widely used in highway, railway, building, hydroelectric, port, and mining projects. It is mainly used for loading soil, sand, lime, coal, and other bulk materials, as well as for light excavation work on ores, hard soils, and more. With the advantages of high operating speed, efficiency, mobility, and ease of operation, the loader has become one of the main types of earthmoving construction machinery in engineering construction.

The loader tire is an important part of the loader's walking system and has a significant impact on the vehicle's quality of use. The traction performance, braking performance, and economic performance of the loader are all related to the tire's performance. Meanwhile, tires are vulnerable parts and have a high price, accounting for 6% to 16% of the total cost of the loader. Therefore, the correct selection and use of tires can maximize the service life of tires and reduce operating costs.

Common loader tires tread patterns

• Traction pattern (L-2): suitable for operating in soft and muddy ground conditions. It can exert maximum traction and has good self-cleaning performance.

• Block pattern (L-3): suitable for operating under various conditions, with certain wear resistance and anti-cutting performance.

• Deep block pattern (L-4): suitable for more severe operating conditions, with good wear resistance and anti-cutting performance. It can prolong the service life of tires.
  

• Super deep block pattern (L-5): suitable for operating in more severe conditions such as rocks, with good cutting resistance and puncture resistance. It also has good stability and traction performance.
  

Loader solid tires: Due to their advantages of puncture resistance, no need for puncture repair, and anti-cutting, solid tires are being used by more and more loaders, especially in harsh environments such as steel plants and glass factories, which eliminates the high maintenance costs of tire punctures.

When using, maintaining, and repairing loader tires, attention should be paid to the following

• For inflated tires, special tire protection chains can be used in rock work areas to reduce damage to the outer tires caused by rocks and other materials. Solid tires should not exceed the specified speed.

• The wear level of coaxial tires should be roughly consistent.

• Before loading materials, operators of tire-inflated loaders should bring the bucket close to the ground, clean up any scattered materials in the operating area, especially in old building demolition sites, where they must confirm that there are no exposed steel bars or other foreign objects protruding from the ground to prevent tire punctures.

• If there are exposed wire layers in any area of the tire, the outer tire should be replaced in time.

• When replacing or repairing the tire, it should be installed correctly to ensure that there are no folded or clipped inner tubes. When a loader tire blows out, it should be replaced on-site. Even if the distance travelled is short, the inner tire can be scrapped, causing damage to the outer tire and reducing its service life.

• Storage: The inventory of loader tires should not be too large. Since tires are made of rubber, they are prone to oxidation and have a shortened service life with an extended storage time. The longer they are stored, the higher their oxidation level. A tire stored for a long time has a gray appearance on its outer surface. In addition, the tires should be stored in a dark and dry environment as high temperatures can also accelerate tire aging.