Tires Help loading tires...front & back?

[SteveM]

Someone on the forum here bought an inexpensive tool or adapter that will let you load your own tires with washer fluid....any help? I assume it is simply a garden hose to air nozzle adapter? I already have a pump, just need the adaptor (and any helpful hints!) /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Also, anyone fill the front tires? My 4wd Kubota could use some extra front weight..thanks

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Napa has what you're looking for. Screws on Schraeder valve. connects to garden hose.

 

[KiotiJohn]

I belileve it's not recommended to load front tires on a 4WD tractor. It's not uncommon at all on two wheel drives. It may have to do with the inherent lead / lag between front and back tires as they don't turn exactly the same, and loading can cause damage to the FWD.

Not uncommon at all on 2WD tractors. Add weight to the weight bracket on the front of the tractor when you need extra weight. If you don't have a front end loader, this would be a good excuse to get one. You won't need to add weight then.

John

 

[3RRL]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I belileve it's not recommended to load front tires on a 4WD tractor.)</font>
Hi John,
Actually, it is recommended to load the fronts on 4wd systems. It is timprotant to keep the balance so the fronts can pull with good traction. See this TIRE BALLAST article. Note the recommended weight distribution difference between 2wd and 4 wd.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Actually, it is recommended to load the fronts on 4wd systems. )</font>
I couldn't find any reference in this article to adding liquid, filling, or in any way loading tires. This article is all about adding ballast weights to the tractor, and not about filling tires.

I will attempt to find the articles that I read over two years ago when I was considering this question. As I remember it, a compact tractor with a loader would preclude adding liquid ballast to the tractor as the weight distribution would not be correct. There are many variables to the question, and most people that I've talked to don't add liquid ballast to their 4WD, but they do to their 2WD tractors.

If I missed any reference to liquid ballast in the article, please refer me to the pertinent section. Thanks, John

 

[Henro]

What I did was take the valve core out of the stem, select a piece of cheap plastic hose that would slip over the stem, hold it on with a hose clamp and fill away. Cheap and effective.

I did have a valve set up between the pump and the valve stem however, that I could use to release air pressure that built up in the tire as the fluid was pumped in. The tractor was also jacked up to keep the tire off the ground during the filling process.

The front tires on both of my tractors are foam filled. I have found no reason not to fill front tires. I did it to prevent flats on my larger tractor, after getting one within hours of the tractor's delivery.

On the smaller tractor I had the fronts foam filled to gain added stability on slopes. Both tractors have liquid in the rears. Foam is a lot heavier than liquid fill, as the tire is 100% filled, as compared to about 75% for liquid fill.

 

[3RRL]

John,
Yes you are correct about the article being about ballast weights...you did not miss anything. You're also right about there being many variables to the question.

In the article, among other information presented, one of the main considerations is to keep the tractor balanced properly when adding weight and it clearly addresses the difference between 2wd and 4wd. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the priciple is the same. In my opinion, this would hold true for any kind of weight you add, whether it be liquid in tires or other. This is what I was referring to. The primary purpose is to increase traction yet retain balance.

The guidelines suggested in the article were what I used to keep my 4wd balanced while loading the tires. I also followed their recommendation how to obtain the correct "footprint" for maximum traction. It was an interesting learning experience. Most interesting was a noticeable difference in the way the tractor felt....improved traction and stability all around. Also noticed how the fronts didn't "squish" nearly as much when handling a full bucket.

So yes, there are many variables.

 

[KiotiJohn]

I now remember where I first saw a reference to not filling the front tires with LIQUID ballast, don't know about foam, but when I was editing a Kioti owner's manual, there is a !caution box that states, "Do not fill the front wheel with liquid to maintain steering control."

I remember that after I read that I was able to find some articles that backed that up, but so far, I have not been able to rediscover them, but I'll try, as time permits to find them.

I'm not sure how steering control would be compromised, but I would surmise that Kioti's engineers must know something about it or they wouldn't have included this in the information I had to work with.

The only thing I can think is that the tires should normally be filled with the valve stem at 12:00 which will result in a 75% fill meaning that the water will be swirling around while the tractor is moving, and turning could possibly be compromised by the action of the water continuing to move while turning.

I could see that this could also cause some extra wear in the mechanical 4WD linkage, but I'm no expert, just my thoughts.

I must correct my earlier statement about lead / lag, as that is an issue with putting the wrong size front tires on a 4WD tractor as the rears and fronts are geared to work together with certain size tires, not anything to do with liquid ballast.

I hope we can research this a little more and find a definitive answer, it's interesting, and may save some damage to someone's tractor, or relieve remove any reason not to add liquid ballast to front 4WD tires.
John

 

[Farmwithjunk]

A trick I learned a few years back to speed up filling tires is this.

Remove the valve core with the tractor jacked up. Let all the air out. Lower the jack to "flatten" the tire. Hook up line from pump/water source/ . Jack tractor up. You've eliminated a good bit of the air you will soon need to displace. About 1/2 way through the filling process, shut off the pump, unhook fill hose, and repeat the entire process.

 

[KiotiJohn]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Lower the jack to "flatten" the tire. Hook up line from pump/water source/ . )</font>
Is that with a tube in the tire? Otherwise, I wouldn't want to break the bead on a tubeless tire and have to wrap a ratchet strap around it to get it to reseat.

If one buys the proper fill adaptor, the air will displace as the tire is being filled with water, no problem. A lot easier than making bead again in my estimate.

For a tubed tire though, sounds great.
John

 

[N80]

The manual for my Kubota L4400 4wd says several times _not_ to put fluid ballast in the front tires. No explanation is given.

 

[BGL990]

Hmmm, interesting. I do have my fronts filled and have had absolutely no ill effects. My 990 owner's manual makes no statement one way or the other whether or not to fill the fronts with liquid ballast. It does talk about the suitcase weights that are available to hang on the front (as I'm sure all tractor manuals do).

It is obviously OK to add weight to the front, so what possibly difference could there be to the driveline whether that weight is hanging off the front as cast iron weights or lives inside the tires as liquid??? Either way you are giving the fronts more bite and more traction. In fact, the suitcase weights should theoretically be more harmfull because their weight is felt by the front wheel bearings where liquid ballast isn't. Also, what about adding or removing a loader - that will make way more difference to the traction of the front end than having filled tires or not.

Personally, I'm not the least bit worried about damaging anything. As far as steering control, I expect the only time it could possibly be negatively affected is at high speeds (heavier wheels having stronger gyroscopic effects), but I don't think our machines go fast enough to really make any difference. I certainly haven't noticed any difference at all between loaded and unloaded tires running down the road at top speed (and I bomb around at full speed quite a bit).

There's my $0.02 /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[KiotiJohn]

Here's something interesting that I found. Not just about front wheel, but all wheels.
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Is liquid ballast headed down the drain? Michelin gives nod to iron

Liquid farm tire ballast may be going the way of the oxen-pulled plow on many American farms, according to Tod Gillespie, North American marketing training manager for Michelin North America Inc.

Running a liquid-filled tire "is like playing with a basketball that's half-filled with water," he says. Liquid "doesn't distribute the weight where it needs to be."

A more effective solution is hanging cast iron weights on tractors and other machines, he says. "The objection you might see is the price of cast iron; it's about $1 a pound. But the cost over the life of the machine and the tires" makes its worthwhile.

"We believe cast iron is the way to go. We reinforce that through our training." )</font>