Ballast AG tires ballast

[RickB]

That's what I've always been told, not to exceed 50%

Up to valve level is the norm. 50% is a scam when new tractors have ballast added for “free”.

 

[arrow]

Wonder why they are saying only 50%?

Two reasons. 1. Allegedly filling tires at 50% provides for smoother hwy travel and 2. To alleviate power hop when plowing or using draw bar implements at high speed.. Neither circumstance applies to many here.

 

[arrow]

Up to valve level is the norm. 50% is a scam when new tractors have ballast added for “free”.

Mine wasn't free but I didn't think to ask about how much was actually used or else I would have asked for more had I known they were only filled to 50%. Got charged a "standard fee" so you could call that a scam I suppose.

 

[Texasmark]

Agree on leaving room for air so that there is something to absorb shock when the tire hits an uneven surface. Just to the top of the inner wheel is where mine is.....how much is that?????? 50 gallons of water and AF in a 16.9x28 becsuse the tire service guy had 2 55 gallon drums in the back of his truck where he mixed up the brew and I used 1 per tire.

Want to know where yours is, wait for a warm humid morning when the atmosphere is warming faster than the tire.....fluid will sweat, air won't.

 

[arrow]

Want to know where yours is, wait for a warm humid morning when the atmosphere is warming faster than the tire.....fluid will sweat, air won't.

Exactly how I found out where my fluid level was.

 

[Fallon]

Want to know where yours is, wait for a warm humid morning when the atmosphere is warming faster than the tire.....fluid will sweat, air won't.

Unless you live in Colorado. Where we have no humidity, ever.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Two reasons. 1. Allegedly filling tires at 50% provides for smoother hwy travel and 2. To alleviate power hop when plowing or using draw bar implements at high speed.. Neither circumstance applies to many here.

A lot of different meaning in the word allegedly. Down in Louisiana where I farmed with my Dad till I was 24 years old and where it seldom gets cold enough to freeze a tire solid, we used pure water and always filled the tire a bit over full then with the valve stem at 12 o'clock, drained it till we had just air coming out. That is considered 75% fill. Never had any issue with highway travel, dont have a clue what you mean by power hop and have pulled drawbar pull implements all my life usually putting over 1000 hours per year on each of our tractors. If you mean the tractor tire jumping then gaining traction, slipping again, then more weight would lessen that effect better than less weight.
We always had our Ag tractors fully ballasted with water in all tires (front and rear), full sets of front and rear weights which usually equated to around 1000# in front and about that much on each rear wheel plus running duals on the rear when using ground engaging equipment. We never had power hop as you call it because we had the traction to prevent slippage to not more than 5%.
Actually I could see how 50% fill might cause more problems with liquid sloshing in the tire than a 75% fill since you have less air space for it to slosh in. Mostly the liquid just stays put and the tires rotate around it, pretty hard to make water run uphill but beet juice just may tend to a bit more than water or water/antifreeze mix.

 

[RickB]

You can slap the sidewall with the flat of your hand and determine the liquid fill level. The filled portion will have a dull thud, the air portion will have a distinct ring.

 

[arrow]

A lot of different meaning in the word allegedly. Down in Louisiana where I farmed with my Dad till I was 24 years old and where it seldom gets cold enough to freeze a tire solid, we used pure water and always filled the tire a bit over full then with the valve stem at 12 o'clock, drained it till we had just air coming out. That is considered 75% fill. Never had any issue with highway travel, dont have a clue what you mean by power hop and have pulled drawbar pull implements all my life usually putting over 1000 hours per year on each of our tractors. If you mean the tractor tire jumping then gaining traction, slipping again, then more weight would lessen that effect better than less weight.
We always had our Ag tractors fully ballasted with water in all tires (front and rear), full sets of front and rear weights which usually equated to around 1000# in front and about that much on each rear wheel plus running duals on the rear when using ground engaging equipment. We never had power hop as you call it because we had the traction to prevent slippage to not more than 5%.
Actually I could see how 50% fill might cause more problems with liquid sloshing in the tire than a 75% fill since you have less air space for it to slosh in. Mostly the liquid just stays put and the tires rotate around it, pretty hard to make water run uphill but beet juice just may tend to a bit more than water or water/antifreeze mix.

I say "allegedly" because I have not experienced the deviation myself. Less liquid means more space for air which serves as more of a shock absorber at speed as opposed to a more stiffened tire caused by more liquid. 2. Power hop is not "what I call it" but an actual term. This is "power hop" which is not a traction issue as much as having to do with harmonics.:https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...=-tdObZ6jQoo&usg=AOvVaw30JV1m3y4ZwiqG-0WWs-9G

 

[RickB]

Power hop is corrected by adjusting inflation pressure and axle weight (ballasting) to the needs of specific applications. Blanket statements concerning tire fill levels having a linear effect on power hop are incorrect.