Ballast Water in rear tires = more stable??

[woodhawg]

Been using my Ford 1720 for years bush hogging land. Put new rear tires on it and did not fill with water like they had been in past. My father in law is using it today and thinks the tractor is less stable when crossing hills on the side, that is not up and down hills. Does that make sense?

Thanks

 

[k0ua]

Been using my Ford 1720 for years bush hogging land. Put new rear tires on it and did not fill with water like they had been in past. My father in law is using it today and thinks the tractor is less stable when crossing hills on the side, that is not up and down hills. Does that make sense?

Thanks

It does to me. Lower center of gravity with the filled tires= more side hill stability..

 

[Rocky Hoffler]

Yes weight in tires as water gives it a lower center of gravity

 

[LD1]

Your father in law is correct. it is less stable without filled tires

 

[jimpen]

But I wouldn't use water. That can cause rust. Use something like Rimguard, windshield washer flu it or radiator coolant.

 

[MossRoad]

It probably had calcium chloride in the water in the tires. That's basically, salt. Salt water in that concentration did not freeze very easily and it weighs something like 30% more than straight water. That was fairly common for a long, long time. Today, there are better alternatives, as mentioned. Beet Juice, windshield washer fluid, rimguard, etc... (some of those are toxic) but also as mentioned, you don't want to use just plain water because it can cause rust in the rim and it can freeze. As I recall, you can tube the tire to protect the rim from the calcium chloride (or an other liquid, for that matter).

 

[Bird]

I put antifreeze in my Kubota tires, but the only real farmers I knew of using filled tires in this area used nothing but water. Even in the late '50s when I fixed a flat on a tractor tire at my Dad's service station, I had to refill it with water, and I learned from neighbors in the '90s they were still using plain water. Of course those were farm tractors that were not used during freezing weather.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I just switched to turf tires on my Kubota L5740 and I added water. It was easy, cheap and quick. We rarely have to worry about freezes here in South Louisiana.

Growing up on a farm, we always used just water in tractor tires.

 

[radioman]

yup - it makes sense woodhawg - but during summer water might be ok - but come winter its gonna be an awful drive when that water freezes up. Listen to the other guys and put in other liquid ballast thy mentioned. they all have thier pros and cons but its better then straight aqua.

 

[woodhawg]

Thanks to all for your comments. Now I have to figure out how to get whatever liquid in there.

Oh well