Ballast

[ADin]

I've seen it mentioned many times that loaded tires plus rear weight is necessary to properly ballast (safety/traction/etc) and to relieve weight/stress off the front axle due to fulcrum affect on the rear axle.

Q: I can see how rear weight would serve both purposes, but intuitively it would seem filled tires would only serve to keep the back end down, but not actually relieve strain of the front axle (as the weight is not "behind" the rear wheels and applied to the frame). Is this correct or am I still missing something?

 

[beenthere]

I think you are right. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

We can remember how the simple teeter-totter worked. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Cliff_Johns]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is this correct or am I still missing something? )</font>

You are correct, sir.

Cliff

 

[3RRL]

ADin,
You are correct as the others said.
I might add in addition to rear ballast relieving "strain" on the front axle, it is used to offset a heavy FEL load, making the trractor more balanced and manuverable, thus being safer to operate under that condition.