[jerry_s]

Bought my father a low hour 318 with Goodyear Terra bar tires size 26x12x12. Only half as much room between tire and fender pan as my 316's 23x10.5x12 turf tires. The 318 will need chains for winter snow removal and I'm wondering if chains on the 26x12x12 ag tires will still clear the pan and frame of the 318. Anyone use that combination without issue? Or will I need to swap the oversize bar tires for 23x10.5x12 to have clearance for the chains?

 

[imjd4ever]

With bar tires I use plenty of weight and lower tire air psi and got better traction without chains and less damage to my driveway.....

 

[jdrye]

Jerry I can't answer the clearance question, but I will say that I think chains work better on turfs. Dad has to have chains and does use turfs with chains. Most of the time I can get by on just bars, but have needed the chains in the past and I have around 400+ lbs of weight plus me.

 

[knottyrope]

chains on lugs can sit in the lugs which will not let the chains dig in

I used bald turfs and chains with out issue on my 420. it now has new turfs and chains since the olds one were dry rotted.

 

[hankvc]

One change to the 318 fender deck mounting I've thought of is to install the rubber isolators that are used on 322/330/332. Those would lift the rear of the deck some.

 

[bo2009]

Also, when chains are installed, normally the tires/wheels need be mounted in the "wide" position (valve stem facing the inside on mine) so the chains clear the brake rods. Bobo

 

[jerry_s]

I know chains work better on turf tires, been using the OEM Goodyear turfs with chains for 29 years on my 316. Never had to mount them in the "wide" position and never had the chains hit the brake rods. My OEM chains do not come way over the sidewalls like some I see, so there is sufficient clearance in the normal tire/rim position.

I'm hoping to use what came on the 318, the 26" lug tires.

So, no one has tried chains on 26" lug tires on a 318? Guess I'll just have to buy some chains for 26" tires and try it to find out if there is enough clearance with the fender pan.

 

[jdrye]

Jerry I have never had 26" tires on a 300 series but I do have 26" bar tires and chains for them on my 420. I have had a chain catch the brake rods when the tires are set to narrow. I do not know if the chain came loose before or after it caught but I do know it gave me problems and I stopped using them after that since it is fairly flat where I use the 420.

 

[joker]

I have a set of 26x12x12 on a 318 and the chains clear fine. I dont remember exactly the rim width they are the flat center style wheels off of a 420 with deestone 8plys, deestone seem to run on the smaller side.

 

[knottyrope]

you can always raise the fender pan up a lil with washers, spacers, etc to allow it to clear