Is there a way to get a first fix on the water level in a tractor's tires?

[Bullstrode35]

If you were checking LPG/propane gas bottles, you'd probably start by dinging them to hear if they're empty. I've heard there's a better way by using the condensation on the outside although not sure of the details.

Well, I just thought I'd ask if anybody knows of a parallel trick for getting a first fix on the water level in a tractor's tires. Of course, you can keep moving the wheel a tad and check when the valve drips, but just thought there may be a 'traditional way' to get a rough fix before confirming by the drip method.

Any suggestions gratefully received,

B35

 

[RickB]

Slap the sidewall. There's a distinct ring to a tire with no fluid, or the part of a tire above the fluid level.

 

[dieselcrawler]

Under the right conditions, the "frost line method" is an attention getter when you walk into the barn on a warmer morning after a few really cold days... yup, both front and back tires are loaded on my tractor.

 

[RBLapham]

I don't have loaded tires anymore after moving south, but possibly try a stud finder and see if it reacts to the water level?

 

[Gary Fowler]

Other than rotating the tire till water comes out the valve stem, the "sweating" of the tire under certain cold and damp conditions is about all I can think of. This sweating might take a long time to see because the weather conditions have to be just right.
It is much easier to just rotate the tire by moving the tractor a little at a time.

 

[k0ua]

Pretty much what everyone else said, Cool night and a warm humid morning makes them sweat, or if colder sometimes you get a frost line, but as said the humidity conditions have to be right. Someone needs to try the studfinder thing to see if that will really work.

 

[teg]

It does NOT work with an old stud finder... Main light would not go out. Tested it on a flat wall, worked fine. The tire was not flat (smooth) enough.

 

[CobyRupert]

Slap the sidewall. There's a distinct ring to a tire with no fluid, or the part of a tire above the fluid level.

:thumbsup:

 

[CobyRupert]

I like the "outside the box" suggestions, like the stud finder. In theory it might just work, ...or not.

Here's another one:
- Verify air compressor tank volume.
- Pump up air compressor tank and let it turn off, note air compressor's pressure.
- Note tire's initial pressure,
- Increase tire's air pressure by some known amount (say 10 or 20 psi).
- Note change in compressor tank's pressure.

-Then do a bunch of science stuff* (i.e. which might involve calculating the number of moles transferred? Moles!!, assume no heat transfer, ignore or estimate tire deformation, etc..), but I think if you know all the above you can calculate the volume of the air space of the tire. Then compare this volume of air to the whole volume of the tire and that's how much water is in the tire!!

*- Must research specifics more.

 

[mjw357]

infrared thermometer on the sidewall? go out in morning, with the tractor in the sun portion of tire with air will warm up faster than portion with water/fluid in it