Quick easy ballast fill

[Tonyinohio]

I thought i would share my calcium ballast fill on my new tractor. I have a 55 gallon pto powered spray tank. Filled it with water and 200 pounds of calcium ice melt. I had to take my time adding the calcium due to the heat and keeping the lines from plugging. I replaced the wand with a blow off nozzle with the aluminum top drilled out to ~1/8". Worked well and was inexpensive.

 

[ovrszd]

Nice innovation!!!!

Make sure you clean everything very well, especially your sprayer pump, etc. Calcium is extremely corrosive!!!!!

You gain some weight with calcium, 10lbs p/gallon versus 8lbs p/gallon with windshield washer fluid for example. But the offset of corrosion makes up for it. Your valve stem cores are not going to like this at all. They will start seeping which will start corroding your rims. Be diligent about controlling any leak you spot and keep the rims clean. Good luck.

 

[prs]

I have done a similar thing using one of those paint spray tanks that look like a big pressure cooker and an air compressor to force the liquid through a small metal pipette. I note you are doing this with tires mounted and vertical. With calcium chloride you need to be sure the liquid level is high enough so that ALL metal inside is ALWAYS submerged, that is the liquid has to a good bit above the Schrader valve so that the inner rim is always submerged. If not, your rim will be doomed to early rust-out. My last ballasting used winter grade windshield fluid and the rim maker had been kind enough to put two shcraders on the rim 180 degrees opposed. Easy-peasy!

prs

 

[johnk]

In the long run you're better off paying the price and getting rimguard installed in the tires and be done with it. I did it 8 years ago and the only regrets I have is I didn't do it sooner. I ,don't have to worry about my rims rusting etc...

 

[sw99]

Still baffled as why people still use corrosive calcium in steel wheels. Sorry just not my cup of tea..

 

[4570Man]

Still baffled as why people still use corrosive calcium in steel wheels. Sorry just not my cup of tea..

My Grandpa ran corrosive calcium in his tires for 30 years. He traded the tractor last year and the rims were still intact. I haven't even seen a tractor with 30 year old tires filled with a non corrosive ballast to prove it doesn't rust them. The best solution is to use iron weights.

 

[CalG]

It takes oxygen to rust a wheel. Calcium Chloride is not enough.
It helps though, if you give the tire a shot of air from time to time.

Leaks, especially around valve stems are the real trouble.

 

[Luke'sScreenName]

Well done Tony! Don't stress about the CaCl just deal with any leaks.

 

[Tonyinohio]

I like this forum because it's opinion + experience with some facts sprinkled in. Good stuff.

I felt that calcium will be fine if taken care of and i'm nuts about taking care of equipment.

Thanks all,

Tony

 

[CalG]

I like this forum because it's opinion + experience with some facts sprinkled in. Good stuff.

I felt that calcium will be fine if taken care of and i'm nuts about taking care of equipment.

Thanks all,

Tony

Just a thought for those who want to "do all they can do". It may be a good idea to boil the water to remove all dissolved gasses (such as oxygen) prior to mixing in the chloride.
I'm not certain that the hydration of the chloride does a complete job of degassing.

Again, no oxygen, no chance of iron oxide formation.

There is no reason to mess with the water while it's hot however, let it cool before putting the CaCl to it. ;-)

 

[Btown]

Don't you have to put some air in the tire after adding your fluid. If you do that you are adding oxygen.

 

[ovrszd]

Don't you have to put some air in the tire after adding your fluid. If you do that you are adding oxygen.

Now why ya gotta be logical like that????

 

[Tonyinohio]

My understanding is that you want to keep all metal (rims) submerged in liquid at all times so you fill the tires with liquid to above the rim line. Filling with air is needed so there is some cushion in the tires.

 

[Btown]

My understanding is that you want to keep all metal (rims) submerged in liquid at all times so you fill the tires with liquid to above the rim line. Filling with air is needed so there is some cushion in the tires.

you have to add air to put pressure in the tire. It would be hard to completely fill the tire and pressurize it with fluid and removing all air. I thought you want to put fluid in a tube, not in the tire itself. But hey that's just me.

 

[jack707]

Last week I had my back tires fill with rimgaurd beet juice and let me tell you its like having a 4x4! 450lbs in each tire I don't get stuck anymore and when I have a load in the loader no more tippy feeling best money spent!

 

[carmedic310]

I loaded mine with antifreeze from the junk yard good for -35.Went to TSC got the fitting for 6.00 bought pond pump on e-bay for 23.00 and a well footvalve to go on hose in the barrell 8.00 a few pieces of garden hose and ready to go added 1100lbs to the rear.would kill some grass if i got a leak but I keep a tubeless tire repair kit in the tractor. About 40 bucks total in it as the antifreeze was free and no worries about rusted wheels did this 4 years ago now other than plugging one hole a couple years ago no problems

 

[PILOON]

I guess the modern day solution would be to use nitrogen rather than air to inflate.
I gather that nitrogen is the current rage for hi ticket cars, presumably most major tire shops would offer that service.

 

[prs]

I "think" the most plausible benefit of nitrogen from the bottle tanks is that it has been dehydrated. Otherwise, good ole Earth air is by vast majority nitrogen. To add dehydrated atmosphere to a tire/wheel assembly filled with mostly water solution would be folly, IF my "thinking" has merit.

In 4WD tractors, filling the fronts is also of benefit for stability and lowering the center of gravity.

prs

 

[buickanddeere]

I thought i would share my calcium ballast fill on my new tractor. I have a 55 gallon pto powered spray tank. Filled it with water and 200 pounds of calcium ice melt. I had to take my time adding the calcium due to the heat and keeping the lines from plugging. I replaced the wand with a blow off nozzle with the aluminum top drilled out to ~1/8". Worked well and was inexpensive. View attachment 461457View attachment 461458

Welcome to the world of corrosion.

 

[Oldpath05]

I have tube's in my tire's and the calcium is in the tubes, why wont that work?