Are calcium filled tires a horror show?

[JasperFrank]

I'm not getting the air valves to work any more on the rear tires of my '87 Ford 1220 with Firestone R1 9.5-16 / F-51 tires. These are Calcium filled. My compressor, even at 150 psi, will not add air. I am hesitant to attempt to replace the air valves, if I can't get the old ones out or the new ones will no longer thread. Any one with experience on this - been there done that -, I seek your wisdom.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I'm not getting the air valves to work any more on the rear tires of my '87 Ford 1220 with Firestone R1 9.5-16 / F-51 tires. These are Calcium filled. My compressor, even at 150 psi, will not add air. I am hesitant to attempt to replace the air valves, if I can't get the old ones out or the new ones will no longer thread. Any one with experience on this - been there done that -, I seek your wisdom.

Same on my old Ford 3400. The stem inserts (valves) are replaceable and solved the problem. Few bucks at the auto store for the nickel ones. Make sure the stems are at the top (12 o'clock), and jack the tractor up just enough to take some of the load off the tires (too high and you risk the bead popping and leaking. You want just a bit of weight on the jack so the tire doesn't collapse). Unscrew the valves, replace and air the tire back up.

 

[JasperFrank]

Thank you, Mid, this is exactly the info I was seeking.

 

[Midniteoyl]

If you do get some spillage, just rinse it off with a hose. Good luck!

 

[nyone]

Put the valve at the top. How ever I have never had a calcium tire not take air. In fact I have hardly ever had to add air to calcium tires because a leak is prety easy to find and you will have tubes.

I have tires so rotted on my old for that I think the tire chains and tube is the only thing keeping them together.

 

[Hay Dude]

I'm not getting the air valves to work any more on the rear tires of my '87 Ford 1220 with Firestone R1 9.5-16 / F-51 tires. These are Calcium filled. My compressor, even at 150 psi, will not add air. I am hesitant to attempt to replace the air valves, if I can't get the old ones out or the new ones will no longer thread. Any one with experience on this - been there done that -, I seek your wisdom.

I would think the valves are shot from the calcium but could be clogged with dirt on the outside.
I went to add air to a tedder tire yesterday and it had just enough mud dried around the valve pin to not allow air to be added.

 

[Jims1025R]

When I bought my previous tractor (JD650) it came with calcium loaded tires. I occasionally topped the air as described above, but it always seemed a bit of a fussy affair. It always worked, but never well. When I replaced the tires, I took the rims to sandblast and paint them. They were pretty rusted out, particularly around the valve stem hole. I ended up welding in washers to rebuild the valve stem holes, which worked. I did not reload them, simply carrying ballast as needed instead. I was more satisfied with the latter arrangement.

 

[Hay Dude]

When I bought my previous tractor (JD650) it came with calcium loaded tires. I occasionally topped the air as described above, but it always seemed a bit of a fussy affair. It always worked, but never well. When I replaced the tires, I took the rims to sandblast and paint them. They were pretty rusted out, particularly around the valve stem hole. I ended up welding in washers to rebuild the valve stem holes, which worked. I did not reload them, simply carrying ballast as needed instead. I was more satisfied with the latter arrangement.

I have never understood the use of filled tires. Just buy cast rims and/or cast wheel weights. Too many drawbacks to filling rims/tires, both mechanical and environmental

 

[Working on Rust]

Calcium filled tires are an extreme pain to deal with after the first few years. Valve cores corroding and sticking is only the beginning of the problems, tubes or no tubes it always ruins the wheel after enough years. Tire bead rusted solid to the rim, rims rusted right through after a while and if you get a flat then the fun really begins.
We had a rim rusted very badly to the point the tire was about to come off the side it was so rusted from the calcium loading. The tire was seized solid to the rim and was extremely hard to remove, then needed a angle grinder with wire brush and hammer and cold chisel to remove the rust chunks from the tire bead. Washed and washed the tire before putting it on a better rim with a new tube, so far so good, did I say loaded tires are a pain?

 

[oldballs]

There are many die-hard loaded tire fans on TBN. Maybe the daily functions on those users is helped by loaded tires. In my short 12 years of CUT home ownership, I've found that ballast has provided sufficient traction.....summer chores and winter (chains). I do have cast wheel weights on my Case 448 however.

Cheers,
Mike