Filled my front tires yesterday - L3800 R4s

[number9L]

Needed a little weight when using the RC without the FEL on hills. I am going to build a bumper / tie-rod protector but didn't want it to be too heavy.

My front tires are 27x8.50-15 R4's. I used window washer fluid and each tire held right at 6.5gal. That's about 108# of front weight that is on the ground. I used a garden pump sprayer, removed the nozzle and the hose slipped right over the valve stem. Pump it about 10 times and wait til the fluid stops dropping, then twist the pump/lid open a bit to let the air pressure in the tire out, then repeat. Took about 4 cycles like this per gallon. Didn't take too long at all. Cost about $30 or so.

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[tractorshopper]

Please let me know what benefits you see after you've been able to get a feel for it. I asked my dealer about this because I had my rear wheels filled when I bought it. He simply said they never fill the fronts and didn't really give me a reason or I don't remember what the reason was if he did give me one.

 

[number9L]

Mine told me the same thing about filling the fronts. But, when I am cutting one area on my pond bank and the front wheels are just skimming the ground while turned all the way to the right - I need more weight up front :laughing: Filling them didn't add that much weight, but it's 108# more than than I had before. And it's on the ground. I am going to make a bumper and try and get it around 100-150#. Manual says 275# is the limit for front weight - but that's on the frame, which is 275# weight on the front axle - this 108# in the tires don't count towards that.

I'll update when I mow again.


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[MHarryE]

Reason for not filling fronts is that air in the tire is the spring cushion. Reduce that air cushion and the tire is more susceptible to impact damage. Rears are effected the same way but due to their larger size, the remaining air cushion still provides some shock absorber effect. Still it is your tractor and knowing tire life might be reduced is something to consider but if it operates better, why not?

 

[Recoveryhill]

Suitcase weights up front are a better option in my book. I don't want additional mass in the front tires putting stress on the works while in 4WD. The rears are fixed, the fronts have to turn so there are more moving parts in the drive line.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Suitcase weights up front are a better option in my book. I don't want additional mass in the front tires putting stress on the works while in 4WD. The rears are fixed, the fronts have to turn so there are more moving parts in the drive line.

Please explain your logic. I agree that the suitcase weights are a better option, but cheaper, no and they must be removed to put the loader on if you have one. They are easily removeable, and put back with little effort but are far more expensive. The idea behind a filled tire is that it doesn't add axle stresses like adding an implement or loader does so i'm not entirely sure what you meant.

 

[Recoveryhill]

Please explain your logic. The idea behind a filled tire is that it doesn't add axle stresses like adding an implement or loader does so i'm not entirely sure what you meant.

When you fill a front tire, it increases the mass of the assembly which places additional stress on the bevel gears when driving and turning the wheels. When you place weights on the front of a tractor frame, it adds weight at the front end, seen at the tire, but does not increase the mass of what the front axle drive assembly needs to control.

I wouldn't disagree with you if you considered this "splitting hairs" but in my country I run 4WD most all the time due to the terrain so I baby my front drive line.

There is a difference between sprung and un-sprung weight. Although the term was coined for vehicles having springs, it applies equally to vehicles that do not. Sprung weight is the mass carried by the running gear. Un-sprung weight is the mass of the running gear, specifically the wheels and tires. My avoidance of loaded fronts on a 4WD tractor is to not increase the un-sprung weight of the fronts.

Should anyone with loaded fronts lose sleep over this? Probably not.

 

[600rider]

I had a Ford 1310 4wd with the front tires filled and the only problem I had was I would drive the tractor 1.5 miles to our church to do yard work and when driving on the road at high speed (14 MPH) the front would shake all over the road to the point of almost losing control! I figured they must have been unequally filled. I used it mostly for mowing the yard and didn't want all the weight all the time so I drained them and just added suitcase weights when I needed extra weight.