My incomming Kubota L5040 has 9.5-16 tires. The Rimguard website shows that it would add about 125 pounds per tire if filled with Rimguard. Thats considerable. 250 pounds total way out front would certainly keep my front end solid on the ground even with a heavy mower on the back. What is the bad side of filling the small front tires? A rougher ride I would guess. Anything else??
Fluid in front tires?
- Thread starter bilrus61
- Start date
brain55
Veteran Member
I don't have any experience with Rimgaurd. But, I can share my experience with foam filled front tires. I was a mechanic for a landscape contractor for 8 years. We foam filled all of our front tires including our Kubota M6040 that we used as a grading tractor, plus half a dozen B2710's. We also had a few New Holland TC55's and TC33's, and 2 case 570LXT's. I would consider solid foam filling to be much harsher on parts than liquid ballast could be. And I never noticed any acceleration in parts attrition except on the Cases. After having the fronts recapped a few times the centers would bust out of the wheels.
Brian
Brian
dieselscout80
Veteran Member
What kind of foam did you use?
gwdixon
Elite Member
Maybe if you didn't have a FEL then loaded fronts would be OK. It sounds like that is your situation.
Turning weighted tires has to be more difficult on the steering components.
If you do have, or will get, a FEL the weight of a loaded bucket will already put tremendous downward force on the front tires/axle.
Also, if you have a FEL you can scoop up some dirt or gravel and have a very effective front weight for balancing a heavy implement on the rear.
Turning weighted tires has to be more difficult on the steering components.
If you do have, or will get, a FEL the weight of a loaded bucket will already put tremendous downward force on the front tires/axle.
Also, if you have a FEL you can scoop up some dirt or gravel and have a very effective front weight for balancing a heavy implement on the rear.
brain55
Veteran Member
It was a poly-ethelene foam which made the tires solid and it was quite heavy. There are different compositions for different applications. I left that to my tire guy.
Brian
bp fick
Super Member
+1 :thumbsup:
3BPercherons
Silver Member
Why not just hang some suitcase weights on the nose? Less wear and tear on the steering components, and you can adjust weight as necessary.
rjkobbeman
Platinum Member
I have no dog in this fight, but does transferring the weight from the tires to the front of the frame really change the stress on the steering components? Seems to me the weight on the frame is actually adding stress to more components, not less.
Of course, depending on the weight, this may be irrelevant.
brain55
Veteran Member
Think about this guys. Weight is weight, whether it is on the frame as front weights, or in the loader bucket, that weight gets transfered to the front tires and axles. Wheel weight is probably the most efficent because half or more (if liquid ballast) of the weight is underneath the axle. Solid tires create issues, not because of the weight but because air filled tires act like shock absorbers, when you take the air out you get a much more rigid ride so every shock loading situation gets amplified. With liquid ballast you retain a good portion of air space in the tire, so things aren't as harsh. Like I said, even with solid foam filled tires on our Kubota and New Holland machines I did not notice any accelerated wear and we put thousands of hours on these machines.
Brian
Brian