Ballast Filling Rear Tires - Breaking Tire Bead?

[gusg]

Thanks for all of your help. I am probably going to try loading them with water next week. I won't use tubes. The dealer said that if I really wanted to he would fill them if I brought them in. I think I will save my back and try filling them myself. I will put about 15 pounds of air back in them.

I have heard two schools of thought though about where to put the valve stem. Some threads have said 12 o'clock and some have said 10 or 2 o'clock. I was thinking that I would put them at 2 o'clock and after filling for a short while with the hose adapter see if any water comes back out. When it comes out and them stops that should do it. I understand that you want about 20% of the tire not filled. Does that sound about right?

 

[Jay4200]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have heard two schools of thought though about where to put the valve stem. Some threads have said 12 o'clock and some have said 10 or 2 o'clock. I was thinking that I would put them at 2 o'clock and after filling for a short while with the hose adapter see if any water comes back out. When it comes out and them stops that should do it. I understand that you want about 20% of the tire not filled. Does that sound about right? )</font>

You're splitting hairs. I've not done this, but I read up on it. Specified load volume/weight is at 75% fill (or 25% empty, depending on whether you are a pessimist or an optimist). This is with stem at 12:00, according to the tire specs I've seen. The idea, I believe, is to get as much liquid in there as possible (to maximize weight) while keeping enough air to retain flexibility. A 12:00 valve stem does both. Also, pressurize your filled tires to the same pressure you would run w/o fill, which I suppose is close to whatever is printed on the side of the tire.

Jay

 

[wushaw]

Ditto on what Jay4200 said.

 

[GregJ]

Gusg,
I just saw your post and am happy to report that close to 3 years later my loaded tires are still working just fine. Henro posted the thread about my adventure with tire loading. I haven't had to do a thing to them and I have worked the tractor hard. I hope your installation has gone well. I have to say that I am glad that I have tubes in them though, after seeing how easy mine came unseated. I would hate to have a blowout, on a hill with a heavy load. I don't know if they have changed the wheels at all on the B7510, but on mine, there was virtually no bead and it was just a friction fit. Let me know if you have any questions.

Greg

 

[Reg]

I think ONE of the reasons for the 12 o'clock position is to get the rim "under water" most of the time. The other reason is to get as as much weight in there as you can.

Sure, the mixture sloshes around in there when driving, but for most of us the tractor is stationary most of the time.
Salt water isn't THAT corrosive {ask any salt water diver}, salt water AND air is what does the damage.

BTW, has anybody found the tool that is shown on the Firestone Ag web site - for a REASONABLE price ?
Myers has something like it for ~$82, NAPA has something similar for >$300. I was hoping for around $20 (-:

 

[638]

Might I ask what kind of tool are we talking about??

ron

 

[simonmeridew]

I don't think the bead will "break" by just deflating the tire especially if the axle is on the jackstand. It can actually be a bear to get the tire free of the rim as some posters have said. But if you drive on a deflated tire it may well work its way off the rim. And ruin the tire.

You might look into the beet pulp stuff to load your tires. "Non toxic" and probably less corrosive.

Windshield washer fluid is good for some though not as heavy.

I would prefer putting tubes in the tires and filling them, keeping liquids off the metal.
simonmeridew

 

[orangebluegreen]

You didn’t mention if you have R4’s or Turfs.

I recently traded my R4’s for Turfs and went the opposite way of having to empty loaded Turfs. I agree with Henro it matters what type of tire because when I bought my tractor with R4’s one rear had zero air and I drove it over a bumpy dirt road with a rear finish mower hanging off the back and actually tried it out a bit without realizing there was no air in one tire. I’m certain the turfs would have popped the bead off in that situation. But the turfs I just drained I had off, set them on their side with valve cores out, stood on the sidewall and the bead came off very easy. No hammer, no nothing, very easy. It allowed me to get the water out through the bead. I had absolutely no problem reseating the bead, did it with the core in no less. Very easy.