Tires Newbie Question: To Fill, Or Not to Fill Tires

[AndyMA]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
Rim Guard is basically beet juice (from sugar beets) with some special additives in it. I wish someone around here had it back when I was filling my tires (I've got Calcium Chloride now... it will get replaced with something else the first time I spring a leak.)

John Mc )</font>

John

I have calcium in my 2120 and have had since 1987. I've had 2 flats and in neither case did I loose more than about 30% of the fill. The tire guy just pumps it out and then puts it back in with whatever is necessary to make up. My 2120 rims do have some significient corression in the valve stem area but I am living wiht it. I'm running Rim Guard in the TN. In 2 years I've had 2 flats. In the first case I lost it all. 70 gallons = $140 In the second case I only lost about 20%. What did I learn from this. When you get a puncture park with the hole on top and if possible jack up the offending tire. I did that with the backhoe stabilizers. I also learned that the cost to get guys to repair filled tires in this area ranged from $40 to $150 plus the fluid cost so shop around. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Andy

 

[AndyMA]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
Andy thats interesting reading. But it brings up another question. If I filled my tires with beet juice to the maximum which I believe is a 75% fill, can you tell me the weight to expect from a set of filled Class III rear tires. I believe byax65 mentions 500 pounds per tire in an earlier post. Is that 500 max or can more liquid ballast be added? )</font>

Mike

What size rear tires are you running? I have a table that provides weights for most all tire sizes. It has been posted here before.
New Holland recommends a max fill of 75% of tire volume.

Andy

Andy

 

[PineRidge]

I'm sorry Andy I should have included the rear tire size 17.5L x 24

 

[AndyMA]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( rear tire size 17.5L x 24 )</font>

According to the Firestone tire chart Filling Chart
Your tire 75% full contains 55 gallons of fluid. With 7.5L-24 on 15.00 wide rims, 55 gallons water equals 459 lbs per tire.
47 gallons water with 165 lbs calcium equals 557 lbs per tire.
45 gallons water with 225 lbs calcium equals 600 lbs per tire.

The RimGuard Chart at
RimGuard Chart
shows your tire with correct volume (but labeled incorrectly) at 55 gallons equaling 588.5 lbs per tire.

I personally always run liquid fill, never run wheel weights and almost always run with substantial weight on my 3 pt hitch when I'm using the loader for any heavy work.

Andy

 

[PineRidge]

Andy thanks for the info and for the links that you provided.

 

[AndyMA]

You're welcome Mike.

I'm sure you're all sick of me on my soapbox about filled tires and I've been wondering why I've become such a fanatic. It just occured to me. I've been on tractors since I was 8, 45 years ago and have flipped I think 4 of them.. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif And that's 4 too many. I have never flipped a tractor with filled tires (and haven't flipped one in 25 years either), and it's not just weight. They just don't bounce as much and it's usually the bounce that sent me over. All you need to do with a full bucket is drop a front tire in a small hole or soft spot or bounce a rear over a rock or log that you don't see. You won't believe how fast it goes over. I've read somewher that 70% of tractor roll overs are fatal so I must be living on borrowed time. I know I'm more cautious. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Andy

 

[byax65]

Andy,

4 times hey? Sounds like some good stories there.......

BY

 

[OverlyRun]

Even with rear TC35 tires filled my 16LA will lift a rear tire if I am trying to lift something immovable like a stump that has not yet reached its time. That experience is sufficiently exciting to recommend filled tires to me....and probably some 3-pt weight as well....I'll have to rig some up.

Chas

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue">...will lift a rear tire if I am trying to lift something immovable like a stump that has not yet reached its time...and probably some 3-pt weight as well....I'll have to rig some up. </font>
Keep in mind, after adding more weight, the stress of trying to lift an immovable object will shift from raising the rear wheels off the ground, and thus 'warning' you that you're attempting the impossible, to someplace else and, potentially, break something. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif