Ballast Can I do it Myself?

[Oldpath05]

Way easier to do it upright and on the tractor. I did enough time in a tire shop to hate seeing a tractor wheel come in on a trailer, especially larger size ones. On the tractor is best as it's all up in the air and sturdy as you work

But if the tire is on a tractor, how do you break the bead if it's stuck on?, other then that I could see why it might be easier on the tractor.

 

[ovrszd]

Way easier to do it upright and on the tractor. I did enough time in a tire shop to hate seeing a tractor wheel come in on a trailer, especially larger size ones. On the tractor is best as it's all up in the air and sturdy as you work

Yep...

 

[olPete]

But if the tire is on a tractor, how do you break the bead if it's stuck on?, other then that I could see why it might be easier on the tractor.

If it has fluid in when you let out the pressure, it usually drags it off the bead with the weight, and you don't even have to give it more than a kick. We had a tool that was about a yard long a bit like a pick that you could give it a good smack with, if it was reluctant. I never had any trouble breaking the bead unless it came in on its own, had to drive the fleet truck over a couple to get them broken off the bead ;-) we'd usually offer to come out and do it on the tractor if they rang up rather than them battle it on and off, and us battle harder with it in the shop on blocks. These dinky tractors would be a lot easier due to weight, we didn't see many under 34" at the rear, put water in them and it's just asking to scunge up threads etc etc getting them on and off.

 

[ovrszd]

But if the tire is on a tractor, how do you break the bead if it's stuck on?, other then that I could see why it might be easier on the tractor.

With an air operator bead breaker if so equipped. Or with a hammer and a wedge if not. Tractor wheels do not have safety beads. So most times it don't take much to break them down.

 

[ovrszd]

If it has fluid in when you let out the pressure, it usually drags it off the bead with the weight, and you don't even have to give it more than a kick. We had a tool that was about a yard long a bit like a pick that you could give it a good smack with, if it was reluctant. I never had any trouble breaking the bead unless it came in on its own, had to drive the fleet truck over a couple to get them broken off the bead ;-) we'd usually offer to come out and do it on the tractor if they rang up rather than them battle it on and off, and us battle harder with it in the shop on blocks. These dinky tractors would be a lot easier due to weight, we didn't see many under 34" at the rear, put water in them and it's just asking to scunge up threads etc etc getting them on and off.

Sorry Pete, I was posting same time you were. Oldpath05, defer to Pete's response.

 

[olPete]

With an air operator bead breaker if so equipped. Or with a hammer and a wedge if not. Tractor wheels do not have safety beads. So most times it don't take much to break them down.

Most of our cowboys here have duals and run round with them flat before noticing so that does a lot of the work. Agree, they flip on and off easy as pie. Michelins and Pirellis are the tight ones if you are putting on new. It's like they think an inch is 25mm not 25.4! Even rusted old vintage tractor rims are straightforward if you give them some CRC WD40 etc and soak it in while the air comes out.
(they really need to install a 'like' button on here!!)

 

[Oldpath05]

So for loaded tires in cold weather, there's beet juice, windshield washer fluid and the terrible CaCl, out of these 3, which one weighs the most in the lowest volume, and which one's the cheapest, so is there anything else that can be used, like used motor oil? Been thinking of changing out the CaCl in my tires to something that's heavy and won't cause corrosion.

 

[olPete]

So for loaded tires in cold weather, there's beet juice, windshield washer fluid and the terrible CaCl, out of these 3, which one weighs the most in the lowest volume, and which one's the cheapest, so is there anything else that can be used, like used motor oil? Been thinking of changing out the CaCl in my tires to something that's heavy and won't cause corrosion.

From what I gather, windshield fluid is what most of the guys on here are advocating as being cost effective and safe. Also the common thing they do around central otago in NZ is leave containers at the local lube shops etc, and get the old antifreeze when people get it changed out. They run it diluted in their big tractors' rears.. imagine filling 2 50" tires, it has to be cheap!! I'll let the locals give you their best advice,

 

[mmranch]

OK, after much delays for aquiring tools, the tire is repaired and re-filled and ready to work. (I'm glad I did it myself!)


The last question is about tire pressure with liquid filled tires.

The tire says 'Max load etc. 32 PSI cold'. The tractor manual says 28 PSI. I currently have it aired up to 20 PSI and it feels very firm.

When using liquid filled tires, do you use less pressure than with non-filled?

Thanks again for all the ideas!

 

[Oldpath05]

I was wondering the other night if you got your tire fixed, at some point give a list of tools you used in case I might try this.

I'd rather have tractor tires soft than hard, when I had my 11.2-24 AG tires changed three years, they inflated them to 40 psi, what was they thinking. My son brought them back home, we put them on the tractor and to myself, why do these tire feel so hard to the point they even look deformed a little, after they was on I check the pressure and went wow, spent a 1/2 hour/tire bringing them back down to 18 PSI, CaCl all over the place, my manual says 14pis. So the next time I take my tires somewhere, I'll bring a tire gauge and they will bring the PSI down.

My chart shows tires filled to 75% that's why it doesn't take much air, on your 16.9-24 R4 tires, 28psi sound plenty to me.