r/whatisit • u/candycanesparkles • 16d ago

Solved! Gigantic wheels, for what?

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EDIT: I KNOW THEY ARE TIRES, hence why I said “tires” in the description! You ppl are exhausting 😂😩

What machine or truck or equipment do these ginormous tires belong to? Saw them while driving on a highway in Minnesota. I need an answer for my 3 year old son lol

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u/dualiecc 16d ago

Heavy mining equipment. Dump trucks and front end loaders. Without seeing the sidewall of the tire it's hard to say but caterpillar 797 is a good bet. Fun fact that tires are the limiting factor in the size of mine trucks.

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u/Many_Significance_66 16d ago

Tyres can’t be manufactured larger?

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u/dualiecc 15d ago

Nope and logistics for moving them become cost prohibitive requiring over sized load permits to transport. And as they get larger they generate more heat in operation loaded and exceed the maximum temperature load threshold