Rim Guard aggrivation

IMCA38 · Apr 20, 2011

A couple of years ago, I made the discovery that the rear tires on my tractor were loaded with calcium chloride. I caught it as one of my valve stems was starting to rot, but got them pumped out before there was any wheel damage. I felt like I needed to go back with some sort of ballast, so I opted for Rim Guard from a local supplier. He loaded up my tractor tires, and then I decided loading the back tires on my Dixon ZTR would be a good thing as it doesn't get very good traction on slopes or long/wet grass. Last year I was mowing and noticed a weird smell and a brown streak in the grass when I turned around at the end of the pass. Initially I thought I was blowing oil out of the engine, but then discovered it was Rim Guard. Turns out that the inside valve stem on the left rear came apart. (At the time I surmised that I might have hit a stick to cause the damage.) As I had lost the majority of the Rim Guard, I cleaned up the mess, installed a new valve stem and finished mowing with one unloaded tire. Later on, I took that tire back to be re-filled.
Fast forward to this year.
I got the Dixon out, serviced it and started to mow. When I stopped for a break, I noticed that the right rear looked a little low. I took it to the shop and went to add some air. When I tried to unscrew the valve cap, I twisted the guts out of the valve stem. The nasty brown juice started to ooze out, I covered it with my finger and found a nearby bolt to jam in it and stop the flow with minimal loss. I took the weel back to the supplier and he said he could put in a new valve stem. I mentioned that it might be wise to also replace the undamaged valve stem on the back side as well. (The Dixon has reversible offset wheels and thus a valve stem on both sides.)
I picked up the wheel today and the supplier mentioned that he just thought that it was a cheap valve stem and he had only replaced the bad one. I got it home and as I was sliding it back on the hub, I apparently hit the back (unreplaced) valve stem on the hub and suddenly brown stuff was spraying all over the place! I had to pull it back off so I could see the valve stem and put my finger over it. By that time, I had sprayed $#!+ 15 feet in every direction inside my shop. I had the stuff running down the walls, in my bolt bins, and all over the floor.
Needless to say, I'm pretty ticked and about ready to scrap the whole idea of ballast in mower tires. I'm tempted to drain the stuff into some milk jugs and take it back to the supplier.

David_Kb7uns · Apr 20, 2011

Have had a lot of problems with the cheap valve stems on just about everything, even had one go on the Dodge RaM 3500. Around here they usually put tubes in when they load the tires if it is calcium chloride or Rim Guard.

David Kb7uns

Gary Fowler · Apr 20, 2011

Sounds like rimguard might not be corrosive to steel but is to rubber. I wonder how long it will be before we start hearing about other folks having to replace the tubes or even the tires. Has anyone heard of any testing on this stuff to determine the effects on rubber. Cheap valve stems or not, looks like there is a definite problem.

wedge40 · Apr 20, 2011

Its sugar water. When was the last time your Honey bottle sprung a leak?
I'm thinking the OP got some bad valve cores and they would have leaked with just air in the tires. Cheaper and less messier, but still would have leaked.

simonmeridew · Apr 20, 2011

how well did you rinse out the tires and rims before you put in the beet juice? A little residual saltiness is enough to gradually rust and rot out steel rims and/or corrode brass valves and fittings.
simonmeridew

IMCA38 · Apr 20, 2011

simonmeridew said:
how well did you rinse out the tires and rims before you put in the beet juice? A little residual saltiness is enough to gradually rust and rot out steel rims and/or corrode brass valves and fittings.
simonmeridew

The mower tires never had anything but air before I put the Rim Guard in.

Deere Dude · Apr 20, 2011

Go with steel valve stems. Then you only have to worry about breaking them off. That is a sinking feeling when beet juice is spraying all over the place. Been there, done that:laughing:

radioman · Apr 20, 2011

First- I just can't beleive you had NO tubes when you had calcl, if you did, you mad no mention of it. without tubes, the rims are going to be already rusting within 2 years and adding rimguard perhaps is making a cleaning effect on the rubber and metal. I have rimguard and its in a turf tire and have issues except one. I had one stem leaking and it was where the threaded brass core goes into the rubber had seperated. I suspected it might be the rimguard but more of blamed kubota using crappy cheap stems. I replaced it and moved on. one stem been there since I had tractor for over 4 yrs and other replaced 2 yrs ago.

I really don't think its the rimguard itself or many others would be posting the same issue after 2 years. I think its the combination of thee salt, rimgaurd and possibly bad stem. Too many variables to pin it down.

grsthegreat · Apr 20, 2011

rimguard is Beet juice. it doesn't corrode rubber. Id say the valve stems are at fault. Ive had rim guard in my old JD for years...never a problem. Now the calcium chloride is crap. I blew a tire and rained CaCl all over sheets of steel in my shop. wrecked havoc on my shed. Never again for that crap.

CBW1999 · Apr 20, 2011

Even though itis just "beet juice", it's concentration of sugars may still have an effect on natural latex (tube) as well as it's PH adding to the problem.

Since latex IS a porous material, the higher concentration on the inside of the tube will naturally want to diffuse through to the outside- which will always have some minute amount of moisture trapped inside the rim.

The same is true for any solution used as ballast. Using a tube is not a fool proof method of preventing solution from coming in contact with the rim, althoug it will slow it down a bit.

Using "Rim Guard" is on my mind right now as, my tires are loaded (likely) with Calcium Chloride. They are 5 years old and I am getting nervous about the condition of the rims. The valve stems are in tact and I have added air here and there over the years.

Just not sure if taking the tires off, cleaning and trying to refill will cause more problems or flat out failure.......and of course, I have no idea if there are tubes inside!