Quick easy ballast fill

   / Quick easy ballast fill #21  
I guess the modern day solution would be to use nitrogen rather than air to inflate. I gather that nitrogen is the current rage for hi ticket cars, presumably most major tire shops would offer that service.

Air is 78% nitrogen. Unless when they mount the tire and set the bead, they remove all air space and fill with nitrogen, you will have air in your wheel. I think they just like to up charge people. I don't see an advantage for N2 in your tire.
 
   / Quick easy ballast fill #22  
Air is 78% nitrogen. Unless when they mount the tire and set the bead, they remove all air space and fill with nitrogen, you will have air in your wheel. I think they just like to up charge people. I don't see an advantage for N2 in your tire.

Think of it as dilution.

Air contains 21% Oxygen at atmospheric pressure, and registers "Zero", on a pressure gauge. A tire filled to 15 psi with N2 equals a dilution to 50%, so that 20% is then 10% oxygen. That's 1/2. 'Might be important, might not.

For the automobile, the benefit of N2 is in the DRYNESS of Nitrogen fill gas. Water vapor changes pressure dramatically with temperature. Dry "air" not so much. For my money, Fill car tires in Arizona. ;-)

Dry air and filled tractor tires are at odds, but the reduction of available Oxygen by filling with N2 or CO2 or even Neon or Argon can't hurt on the corrosion aspect.
 
   / Quick easy ballast fill #23  
I have tube's in my tire's and the calcium is in the tubes, why wont that work?

It will work fine as long as there are no leaks. Pay particular attention to the stems. Corrosion will work on the stem core and can cause seepage.
 
   / Quick easy ballast fill #25  
Just wait a while and get back to us.

Actually there are owners that have ran corrosive ballast for decades successfuly. Just hafta be diligent about seeps.
 
   / Quick easy ballast fill #26  
It will work fine as long as there are no leaks. Pay particular attention to the stems. Corrosion will work on the stem core and can cause seepage.


I had a tractor for 25years with cacl. Who knows how long it was there before I got it. The valve stems/cores never had a problem.

Make sure you have tubes.
 
   / Quick easy ballast fill #28  
Still baffled as why people still use corrosive calcium in steel wheels. Sorry just not my cup of tea..

I agree. For 2 pounds per gallon it seems like a lot of downside as far as hurting rims. I guess you could use tubes.

I wanted weight and I hate fixing flat tires so I kill 2 birds with 1 stone by foaming. It's more expensive but I added up the cost of having a few flats over the life of the tires and it was cheaper in the long run to do this. Being down for a day or more to have a tire repaired, tubed, and re filled was pretty expensive IMO and it never seems to happen at a good time for me. There are numerous nails and screws in my tires and I always laugh when someone is out and they show me the nails.
 
   / Quick easy ballast fill #29  
I agree. For 2 pounds per gallon it seems like a lot of downside as far as hurting rims. I guess you could use tubes.

I wanted weight and I hate fixing flat tires so I kill 2 birds with 1 stone by foaming. It's more expensive but I added up the cost of having a few flats over the life of the tires and it was cheaper in the long run to do this. Being down for a day or more to have a tire repaired, tubed, and re filled was pretty expensive IMO and it never seems to happen at a good time for me. There are numerous nails and screws in my tires and I always laugh when someone is out and they show me the nails.

Just a point of reference

I've got a 1952 Fordson that I bought in '78 Tires weren't new, but not bad.
They are filled with chloride/water.

Never a leak, never a problem, no signs of rust on the outside.

When will the troubles start? I can hardly wait ;-)
 
   / Quick easy ballast fill #30  
I agree. For 2 pounds per gallon it seems like a lot of downside as far as hurting rims. I guess you could use tubes.

I wanted weight and I hate fixing flat tires so I kill 2 birds with 1 stone by foaming. It's more expensive but I added up the cost of having a few flats over the life of the tires and it was cheaper in the long run to do this. Being down for a day or more to have a tire repaired, tubed, and re filled was pretty expensive IMO and it never seems to happen at a good time for me. There are numerous nails and screws in my tires and I always laugh when someone is out and they show me the nails.

I agree foam has it's place.

How is tire replacement performed?
 

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