Liquid in tires

[Stonewall Cardinal]

I have a pretty new 55 hp JD. Should I add liquid to the tires? I have a canyon in my property with a couple fairly steep roads going down there and wonder if liquid in tires would help. I have not yet braved these roads as I'm still getting use to the tractor. If so, what kind of liquid. I'm in Texas but it does freeze a few days a year here.

 

[jeff9366]

Is your Deere 5055e equipped with a Front End Loader?

If you are concerned with the stability of your tractor, first consider spreading the rear wheels farther apart. Then consider filling your rear tires 50% with liquid to lower the tractor's center-of-gravity.

If your Deere 5055e is 2-WD you may have very limited braking going downhill, as tractors only have brakes on the rear wheels. Going downhill tractor weight shifts to the front wheels, so rear wheels are only in light contact with the ground.

If your Deere 5055e is 4-WD, and 4-WD is engaged, you will have something resembling four wheel braking.

If your tractor is barn stored when not in use it is unlikely water will freeze in your tires. However, you may wish to add some windshield washer fluid, which contains alcohol, to the tire fill liquid to lower the freezing point two or three degrees. You know your Texas winter weather better than I.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

You can use RV antifreeze or the 0° washer fluid, or go with the high dollar Rim Guard. Fluid will definitely increase your traction and stability.

 

[Stonewall Cardinal]

Is your Deere 5055e equipped with a Front End Loader?

If you are concerned with the stability of your tractor, first consider spreading the rear wheels farther apart. Then consider filling your rear tires 50% with liquid to lower the tractor's center-of-gravity.

If your Deere 5055e is 2-WD you may have very limited braking going downhill, as tractors only have brakes on the rear wheels. Going downhill tractor weight shifts to the front wheels, so rear wheels are only in light contact with the ground.

If your Deere 5055e is 4-WD, and 4-WD is engaged, you will have something resembling four wheel braking.

If your tractor is barn stored when not in use it is unlikely water will freeze in your tires. However, you may wish to add some windshield washer fluid, which contains alcohol, to the tire fill liquid to lower the freezing point two or three degrees. You know your Texas winter weather better than I.

Thanks. Yes, it has a FEL and it is 4WD. It's kept under a shed with 3 walls, but is not out of the cold.

 

[Rockbadchild]

You can brave some pretty steep hills if you are going straight down or straight up, it's when you are going side ways in a hill where you have to be careful. If that's the case then you might want to consider adding fluid in your tires.

 

[jeff9366]

Rear tires are filled 75% with fluid when max traction is required.

This is "sometimes" for 4-WD tractors and almost always for 2-WD tractors.

I'll "guesstimate" that two 75% loaded rear 5055e tires will add ~800 to 900 pounds to total tractor weight. This may be useful if you will be pulling heavy Category 2 Three Point Hitch implements through tough soil. But the additional weight also increase soil compaction, which is never good, in my opinion, and can create rear wheel tractor ruts in the field.

(From years of posting here I expect 85% of implements pulled by Deere 5055e tractors are Category 1 TPH implements NOT Category 2 TPH implements.)

Rear tires are filled 50% with fluid when a lower the center-of-gravity / improved-stability is the primary objective and adding weight for traction is the second objective. With 50% fill all the liquid weight is lower than rear axle height.

Tires should never be filled 100%. Without at least 25% air in the rear tires a tractor has zero suspension and will ride ROUGH.

I have owned three tractors of good weight but moderate horsepower. The tires on all three of my tractors have been inflated only with air.

Your Texas tractor operating conditions may vary considerably from my Florida tractor operating conditions.

 

[jeff9366]

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[/pine]

Generally...filling the rears with liquid ballast is primarily for adding traction...
Often encountered using the FEL...the first time you spin your tires you will realize this...
...Always be sure 4 wheel drive is engaged when descending hills especially in wet or slippery conditions...braking on hills can cause the rears to lose traction and then it's WHEEeeeeeeeeee....!!! (4WD prevents this)...always be ready to drop the FEL bucket and or the 3PH implement etc...

 

[RjCorazza]

I have my rears filled for added weight and traction plowing snow. I believe mine are filled with an alcohol based fluid.
I think loaded rears are a good idea on any loader tractor, plus added 3 point ballast as required.

 

[amhicks21]

I run with bulk washer fluid in all 4 tires in the winter. Haven't had any issues and its very cheap. I used to have a set of rear tires that were bought used that had calcium chloride in em and that was enough to convince me to never use that stuff. They nearly rotted through.

 

[ljjhouser]

Add ballast - box blade or more. Forward down the hill, back up the hill. And liquid will also help 40-50%. And slow. Going up a hill forward invites real problems is steep and you bounce off a bump or rut. Take your time. Learn the road and what your tractor will tolerate. Best Wishes.

 

[SmallChange]

Tires should never be filled 100%.

No argument there, but: how could you do that anyway? You can't get the valve at the top of the bubble of air inside to let it out, can you?

 

[jeff9366]

When the tire lays flat on the ground it can be filled 100%.

When tractor tires are foamed, they are filled 100% with the tire laying on the ground.

 

[oosik]

I have 775# of Rimguard in each rear tire. This and my eight foot Rhino rear blade( 1000+#) keep me firmly planted on the ground. My rear tires are set at the widest setting. This helps with stability on slopes. Otherwise it's experience and common sense.

 

[Torvy]

I would approach the question this way...what reasons would you have to NOT add ballast to your tires? The only good reason I have heard is if you are working a nice lawn and want to reduce tread damage.

The added weight helps with stability, which leads to more safety, which, in my way of thinking, trumps any lawn work you might do. To be fair, I am among the least interested people here vis-a-vis lawns. Any other arguments I have heard boil down to mess or inconvenience. Again, they don't come close to added safety in importance.

We are in NE Texas, from what part of Texas do you hail?

 

[oosik]

I completely agree with Torvy. My 10,000 pound+ tractor stays far away from my lawns. I have a riding mower for the lawns. I don't have steep hills or impossible grades to traverse. BUT - I DO HAVE the occasional hidden hole for a tire to drop into. Stability and safety are primary concerns for me and my tractor.

As far as safety - I'm somewhat OCD. For a fact - it's a 45 minuet wait for help of any kind to reach me under the best of conditions. The "golden hour" is almost shot before I will receive any help.

 

[Citydude]

Just one added comment on filled tires. Keep a plug kit on the tractor. Ive used my kit twice to plug punctured rear tires.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

All this discussion. I won't have a machine without water in the tires. I'm 56 miles from Texas. We run 6 tractors. We have one tractor that's probably 5000 lbs from the stealership. It weighs 13,600 lbs now. Weight makes the work happen. We have every machine putting the power to the ground.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

I run with bulk washer fluid in all 4 tires in the winter. Haven't had any issues and its very cheap. I used to have a set of rear tires that were bought used that had calcium chloride in em and that was enough to convince me to never use that stuff. They nearly rotted through.

Yep, water and some type of no freeze around here too. Overall better by far in the long run. If you have a flat with beet juice, have to park it a few months and save up for fuel because the Joose be so high. I mean, you looking down on a cat's back with that. I can fill an Olympic swimming pool with what they spend on beet juice. I can beat that. At the end of ten years, dollar for dollar, against work done, water is the winner. Every house has water. Some old ladies have canned beets.

 

[ROUSTABOUT]

Just one added comment on filled tires. Keep a plug kit on the tractor. Ive used my kit twice to plug punctured rear tires.

I run tubes. If it don't have tubes, I put tubes in.