DO IT YOURSELF TIRE BALLAST

[Anonymous Poster]

I recently wrote concerning one tire filled with ballast and the other side not filled. I am interested in filling the remaining tire myself. I have looked at previous postings and have noticed many postings of people using antifreeze with water or windshield washer fluid to fill the tire. I am a novice at this and need more advice. I am assuming that my tire to fill does not have a tube, so you would just fill the tire with the fluid and let the rim seal hold it in? It seems easy enough if you are careful and patient. I thought that a dealer had told me that when they put calcium chloride in a tire, they add an innertube. Is this not the case with antifreeze or windhield washer fluid? Please help!!!!

 

[EdKing]

Calcium chloride is very corrosive, so an innertube is used to protect the rim. If you are using antifreeze or winshield fluid, there is no need for a tube.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thank you Ed.

 

[jasonf]

For what it is worth: My 2710 had innner tube, and I went to Gemplers and got the hose adapter so I could put a 50/50 mix of anti freeze and water in. When you fill it the tractor should be jacked up and the valve stem must be at either the 11 or 1 oclock position. (This forces you to create an air cushion) Mix 1 gallon of antifreeze and 1 gallon of water and use a drill pump it into the valve adapter. You want to stop putting fluid into the tire when the valve stem spits back water. DO NOT CONTINUE to fill the tire completely up with fluid. You need to have some air in the tube to act as a cushion to allow the tire to have some 'give'. I think Gemplers has a listing of how many gallons fits in each tire size, if not someone on this forum does (JM III ?) Stay away from calcium chloride, it is corrosive and if you get a flat/leak it kills whatever it touches. I used antifreeze/water, some use windsheild wiper fluid, I feel if you dont have a tube you are better going with Antifreeze because it has corrosion inhibitors that WW fluid does not have. Hope this helps......

 

[MikePA]

Also, don't forget that antifreeze is lethal to animals and they will drink it because it tastes sweet. /w3tcompact/icons/sad.gif So be sure to clean up well after filling the tires.

 

[patrickg]

Mike, The poison angle is why I don't like to consider antifreeze for tire ballast B-E-C-A-U-S-E you have no control over where you may dump your ballast. If you get a large puncture you are going to dump a lot of poison out on the ground wherever you may be. I'm sure that some folks will shrug their shoulders and go on or figure they won't ever have a bad puncture. I know I get flats on my new tires and I know I don't want to pour gallons of poison on the ground so I have to think of alternatives.

There is environmentally friendly antifreeze. If I should elect to ballast my tires it would be with that unless it is fair to think of foam fill as ballast. I'm considering foam fill as a hedge against down time and hassle from flats.

Patrick

 

[ByuBill]

Liquid Tire Ballast Chart

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorsmart.com/Farm_Tractor_Liquid_Tire_Ballast.htm>http://www.tractorsmart.com/Farm_Tractor_Liquid_Tire_Ballast.htm</A>

 

[beenthere]

Seems to me the classification of anti-freeze as "poison" is a bit over-hyped. IF it leaks out of the tire onto the ground, it will likely not stay there for long as a puddle that can be consumed by a thirsty dog or cat. Once it soaks into the ground, is it still lethal or poison?

Anyone tried to get rid of stray cats, pesky racoons, woodchucks, or possums using anti-freeze? If it works, it would be tempting to try it. I doubt it will work.

 

[chim]

I used antifreeze. It's not that I don't care about my dog or "mother earth", but rather because I believe the risk is very slight. After all, there are generally 3 cars, a truck and 2 tractors on site with cooling systems full of the stuff, and every once in a while one of them cooks over or develops a leaky hose or water pump. I only ever had one flat tractor tire, and it was an AG front..............chiim

 

[Soundguy]

I'm not sure of what concentrations are needed ( I think there is a chemist floating around somewhere here ) but prop-glycol based antifreezes will cause kidney problems in animals. And it can be lethal.

However, once on the ground, you have dilution factor, and there is probably a decay time... ( Chemist anyone? )

Soundguy