Traction Fluiding tires

[Justin Austin]

I have a 706 IH that has plenty of power but needs more weight in the rear. It has 15.5 38s on it. To better myself I really need 18.4s but can't afford it right now. Instead of paying to have fluid pumped into the tires by our local tire store, had a friend tell me u could buy a pump at rural king and pump windshield washer fluid in them and work just fine. Has any one done this before or know if it can be done or will work. Looking for any
advice or help with this. Thanks.

 

[moored4]

1st off :welcome: to TBN! :thumbsup:

Happy :tractor: ing!

If you do a search on filling rear tires you will find a wealth of info. I have rim-guard in some of our newer tractors but we also have used RV antifreeze and water in the rear tires on our older ones, RV antifreeze is non poison痴 to animals if it ever leaks out! :thumbsup:

 

[k0ua]

I filled mine with RV anti-freeze.. here is the valve..it has a "burp" button so as the pressure in the tire increases as you pump in the fluid you can lower the air pressure about every 3 gallons or so by burping the tire. I used one of those cheap junky drill pumps from home depot.. It is junk but it lasted enough to do my tires. So you need some hose pieces, a bucket to draw from, a pump and this fill valve. I used the hose shut off valve in line too, as I was worried about losing the prime on the drill pump as I burped the tire, I was afraid the liquid already in the hose would run backward into the bucket thru the drill pump so I closed the hose valve first, then burped the tire and reopened the hose valve and started pumping again.

James K0UA

 

[Bud Soda]

I just used one of those tire valve stem adapters from TS. Hook a funnel to it with a short peice of hose. Turn the tire so the valve stem it at 12:00. Put in two or three gal. of anti-freeze per tire. Then hook up the water hose and fill with h20.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

Welcome.......

First thing I would do is an experiment. I would put the product you plan to use in the tires, in the same proportion mixture in a sample plastic bottle and test it in the freezer. Depending on the lowest winter temp you can expect to have in your area that will determine what you use to fill the tires.

Somewhere on the web there is a chart that tells tire size and gallons of fluid it will hold.

Good luck

 

[sellercreek]

Good tutorials here: Installing Liquid Ballast in Tires | Gempler's

 

[Reg]

You don't need a pump.
Go to the Firestone or Goodyear web site to find your tire's capacity, they list just about all ag and industrial tire sizes as gallons to 75% level.
Get the tire adapter, review grade school subject "siphon", get valve to 12 o'clock, take weight off tire, remove valve stem, insert adapter, set up a 55 gallon drum in the loader bucket with your mixture, raise high enough to start siphon, start siphon.
If it turns out that you want/need more than 55 gallons figure a way to replenish the barrel when it is say 1/2 way empty.
Once the siphon is started you probably don't want to break it, so better to top up the barrel than to start over.
I have never had to use more than 65 gallons, YMMV.
R4s for some compact tractors take as much as 50% more thanR1s for same tractor, they're just "FATTER", turfs are similarly "FAT".
It may or may not be the best decision to go for a full 75% fill, see whole treatises on ballast, traction and efficiency - your choice, but there IS such as thing as too much ballast.

Once it starts, MAYBE raise the bucket all the way, if you are confident that you won't dump it back onto yourself (-:
Tie it in if you are a reasonably cautious person (I am).
Leave it, go do something else, like the watched pot that never boils, this takes FOREVER if you watch and wait.

PS tie something to the end of your siphon hose to make sure it stays on/near the bottom of the barrel.
Also, make sure the bottom of the barrel is always above your tire valve.
As I said, review grade school subject: "siphon" (-:

{I will re-word that for the purists; make sure the level of fluid in the barrel is always above the level of the valve (-: }
==============================================
Once you have done this you MIGHT want to review your general driving habits, particularly with regard to FEL use.
The initial impression can be that the tractor now REALLY STICKS TO THE GROUND - and it does.
There is some risk that you may be tempted to "do more", e.g. try cutting more aggressively with the bucket.
Well, it still ain't a dozer. The FEL is still just the FEL.
Rear wheel spin has been your friend, your "force fuse", it has protected the FEL and you.
To continue the analogy; You will be replacing a 20 amp fuse with 1/4 inch bolt.