Tractor waddle

[Dan-IA]

Anybody driving a tractor down a road has no doubt run into this. Tractor waddle. All our tractors do it (they walk like a duck), but I got one that was annoying me bad today. Either that was a stiff flat spot from all the cold or I found a magic resonant spot, but boy oh boy was it throwing me around while I drove a load of grain to town.

What can I do to the tractor to reduce or eliminate tractor waddle?

 

[Anonymous-0]

You need to adjust the wheel clamps to the rim. All the nuts on the clamps should be tightened the same. An easy way to check your wheel is to jack your tractor up, then you need to put a sawhorse next to the rim. With a steel rod or something appropiate, roll the wheel around by hand. You will see where the rim is closet to or farther away from the rod. Loosen the clamps where the rim is closest and tighten the clamps where the rim is farther away. Repeat the procedure until you have approximately zero run-out.

 

[Allan in NE]

Think Dan is talking about the "square tires" isn't he?

From sitting?

Allan

 

[Dan-IA]

Could be a flat spot, could be the rear wheels aren't round or balanced or adjusted. All I know is, it waddles. Kinda bad.

While I'm thinking of it, what pressure should be in my back tires? I know the local IH dealer has a sign up that says you should be running no more than 8psi in the rears in the field to reduce compaction by increasing the footprint, but for pulling a wagon on pavement, wouldn't a higher pressure be better? Say, 16-20psi maybe?

 

[Gene Dotson]

Is it possible that your ballast fluid is too weak and has frozen? Had that happen once. Once was one time too many... Gene

 

[Anonymous-0]

We have got a IH 5288 with the same problem. Have jacked up both wheels to check runout and they run true. Have decided that the Goodyear radials must be the problem. Belt shifted, or broken? Never had a similar problem on any other tractor we owned. Don't notice the problem until roading the machine, but since it is our grain hauling tractor it can be on the road a lot.

 

[Leland]

nothing bacause most likely the tire is out of round from sitting .

 

[RAB]

Front tyre pressure may be too high. It sometimes helps to reduce the wobble if you run a little (or a lot) lower pressure. I am assuming here you mean at higher road speeds only?

Also what type of trailer hitch? Weight distribution may be making it worse.

Regards, RAB

 

[Joho]

'bout the only way I've seen to keep the tires round is to jack the tractor tires off the ground when not in use. Real convienient. [not]

 

[buickanddeere]

Long Bar-Short Bar tires will sometimes "waddle" depending on the air pressure, weight carried and road surface.
Tires that are too hard due to too much liquid ballast and too high air pressure worsens the syndrome.

 

[Anonymous-0]

This is caused by stretching of the tire cords. my Ford tractor has Allstate tires on it and thumps on the paved road.Nylon cord tire stretch and thump, seems to be worse than the old rayon cord.