Remove water to add Rimguard?

[deere5105]

I live in South MS where the temperature seldom gets below freezing for very long. I have recently added a FEL and was pondering the idea of adding more rear ballast. I have had no problems when using with my MX6 attached, but expect a drastic decrease in traction with it removed. By way of the internet, I have determined that my 14.9-28 tires filled with straight water weigh about 442 lbs and filled with Rimguard would be 567 lbs. Looks like it would take 53 gallons per tire. I have had some spinning/loss of traction when pulling a heavy disk too. Thought about adding wheel weights, but the only source I have found so far is the dealer and they are pretty costly. The difference in Rimguard is about equal to one set of wheel weights. Two questions: #1 wheel weights or Rimguard, #2 is either one worth the cost...will I see a noticeable improvement in traction?

 

[whistlepig]

I can't see the difference in weight between Rimguard and water helping your traction enough to justify the cost. I would not pay the difference here if were not for my tires freezing in winter.

 

[radioman]

Since you don't need the freeze protection and switching to rimguard will only add 250 lbs total , this number by itself is alot of weight, but on a mdeuim size tractor, it's not really much. How much more weight will you get with wheel weights ? What if you had both water and wheel wieghts ?

 

[deere5105]

Since you don't need the freeze protection and switching to rimguard will only add 250 lbs total , this number by itself is alot of weight, but on a mdeuim size tractor, it's not really much. How much more weight will you get with wheel weights ? What if you had both water and wheel wieghts ?

JD lists there wheel weights at 110 lbs each. I looked up the price for one set of weights and the hardware to install them and I believe it was around $500 if I recall correctly. I had even considered trying to swap to the larger 16.9 tire but found out I would have to swap wheels too. One set of wheel weights with water is a little less but roughly equal to tires filled with Rimguard. Just curious if anyone had added one set of wheel weights and noticed a significant increase in traction. I would assume the added weight from the wheel weights or Rimguard since they are equal would be basically the same traction result.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have wheel weights and my tires filled but on a smaller tractor. I can not say I really notice that much more traction but it did add some stability. By the way I had 175# rear wheel weights first then put 4 30# front suit case weights on later then last year put in 20 gallons of Blue Windshield Washer Fluid in each of my rears for 40 gallons total or about 320#.

Chris

 

[GPintheMitten]

Two hours ago I just finished making a set of wheel weights for my Kubota B6200. 80 pounds for each rear wheel. Cost me about $20 bucks total. Used a 5 gallon pail full of concrete. I used 6 foot of 1/2 inch threaded rod (3 rods for each wheel, 12 inches each rod). I'll have to see how they work in a couple of days. The concrete is still wet. I figure they should make a good difference for my little tractor.

To keep the rods from turning inside the concrete when I bolt them to the wheels, I welded some scrap to the ends of the rods and then welded the scraps together in the center in the shape of a Y.

My wheels are 15 inch rims with about 12 inch inside diameter so the plastic buckets were a good fit. If you have larger rims, you could make heavier weights in a similar fashion. Just have to come up with a suitable cylander to put the concrete in and hold your rods.

An 80 lb bag of redi-mix is .66 cubic feet, same volume as a 5 gallon bucket.

 

[kennyd]

deere5105,

As I posted in your other thread, you need to have weight on the 3PH while using the loader. I just looked in the manual for your 512 loader and confirmed this.

 

[Big Bri]

Save your money buy the $15 water fill kit and do it your self. with the money you saved if you need more traction then buy the weights.

 

[deere5105]

deere5105,

As I posted in your other thread, you need to have weight on the 3PH while using the loader. I just looked in the manual for your 512 loader and confirmed this.

I read that reference in my manual too. I am trying to get somewhere around option #2. I currently have water filled 14.9-28 tires that gives me around 450 lbs each. I am leaning toward adding two 110 lb wheel weights per tire to bring it to the 660 lbs per tire the loader manual mentions. I would still be a little short on the hitch ballast with my MX6 rotary cutter, but due to the length of it I believe it will be fine. I am not only concerned with FEL performance, but also overall traction while pulling ground engaging equipment, which rules out hitch ballast for that application. I can't see a negative to the extra weight of the wheel weights except for the expense.

 

[deere5105]

Save your money buy the $15 water fill kit and do it your self. with the money you saved if you need more traction then buy the weights.

Think that is pretty much where I have arrived.

 

[larryccf]

I have wheel weights and my tires filled but on a smaller tractor. I can not say I really notice that much more traction but it did add some stability. By the way I had 175# rear wheel weights first then put 4 30# front suit case weights on later then last year put in 20 gallons of Blue Windshield Washer Fluid in each of my rears for 40 gallons total or about 320#.

Chris

Diamondpilot - can i ask how you filled those tires? is there an adaptor - i was thinking i'd have to take mine to a dealer - i'm adding a FEL

GPintheMitten - thanks for the mold idea - i was working out in my head what i'd do for a mold - i've got some 3/4" X 8" steel rings with a 4" donut hole, basically giant washers i was going to do similiar to you - use the giant washers for the backside of the concrete weights, weld some tubing to for guides or bushings for the bolts to pass thru and weld in some rebar - but the mold was worrying me - i've got a ton of different size plastic buckets

tks

 

[dave1949]

Diamondpilot - can i ask how you filled those tires? is there an adaptor - i was thinking i'd have to take mine to a dealer - i'm adding a FEL

tks

Gemplers.com carries the kits, got instructions too. Took my eye too. Didin't know about these

Dave.

 

[larryccf]

since that posting i'd actually thought about how to make or adaptor some metail valve stem caps to connect to a hose - i'll take a look at gemplers'

tks for the tip

 

[deere5105]

My local dealer also sells them for around $10. You will need a fitting with a valve so that you can release the air pressure as you add the fluid. I did mine with one of those fitting and a garden hose. Just run the valve stem to the top and keep adding water and bleeding air occasionally until you get water coming out the valve stem. You can then set the air pressure on top of the water as needed. I think it is CRITICAL to be able to bleed the air off otherwise you have a very serious potential problem of overinflating the tire. You will also need to pick up a valve stem core remover if you don't have one.

 

[GPintheMitten]

GPintheMitten - thanks for the mold idea - i was working out in my head what i'd do for a mold - i've got some 3/4" X 8" steel rings with a 4" donut hole, basically giant washers i was going to do similiar to you - use the giant washers for the backside of the concrete weights, weld some tubing to for guides or bushings for the bolts to pass thru and weld in some rebar - but the mold was worrying me - i've got a ton of different size plastic buckets

tks

Just to follow-up. I just got back in town last night after being gone for a few days. The bucket of concrete was good and hard. Spent a few hours getting them on the wheels. Hardest part is that they are so heavy. But I figured out an easy (relative speaking) way of mounting them. On my Kubota, the axles are hex, the wheel hub is hex and has a pin and bolt system that slides on the hex axle with various pinning points for whatever width you want to set the tires.

So I took the hubs off the axle but left them mounted to the wheels, set the whole tire/wheel assembly on top of the buckets with the threaded rod up. The wheels and tires were a lot lighter than the 80 pound wheel weights and easier to line up the threaded rod with the 3 holes in the wheel. Then I just tightened the nuts and mounted the wheel/hub assembly back on the axle. It was easier to line the hex up than 3 bolts. All done. Works great and looks good too.

Only funny thing is I used one green bucket and one white. I was going to paint them both black but forgot. I'll do that later.

If anyone wants to try this but can't quite visualize this, maybe I can get pics off my cell phone. Took some, but never have been able to get the pics loaded onto my computer yet. But hopefully, you can figure it out from the text I wrote up.

P.S. My wheels had 3 holes in the disc part of the rim, that's why I did the 3 bolts per wheel. Your wheels may be different. Anyway, for my little Kubota, that extra 160 pounds on the rear should help with traction this winter.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Diamondpilot - can i ask how you filled those tires? is there an adaptor - i was thinking i'd have to take mine to a dealer - i'm adding a FEL

GPintheMitten - thanks for the mold idea - i was working out in my head what i'd do for a mold - i've got some 3/4" X 8" steel rings with a 4" donut hole, basically giant washers i was going to do similiar to you - use the giant washers for the backside of the concrete weights, weld some tubing to for guides or bushings for the bolts to pass thru and weld in some rebar - but the mold was worrying me - i've got a ton of different size plastic buckets

tks

Sorry for the late reply. I used my valve I bought at Napa for about $15 and a buddies lawn sprayer with some hoses I rigged up. I have also used a 5 gallon bucket with a simple valve installed and a rope in a tree to hold it all. Gravity did all the work. I have also used a old Bilge Pump out of a boat in a bucket to pump it in.

Chris

 

[Bob Ha]

I'm also adding a FEL and need rear tires Juiced. I need some freeze protection but not a lot (North Texas/Southern Oklahoma). I understand how to get the water in but what痴 the best way to get the Antifreeze/Rim Guard/Wind shield fluid...... in the tires?

thanks, BH

 

[wedge40]

I filled mine with rimguard myself. I got the tool from NAPA and small pump from harborfreight (- Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices). Picked up the rimguard in 55 gal drums and went to work. I figured out after a while that pushing the little button on the filler tool to release the pressure was taking way too long. So I would let the pump run for 5 minutes or so, stop and loosen the hose to release the pressure then start again. I think it took me about a little over an hour to get 50 gals in each tire. (16.9x30). I appreciated the fact the rimguard is not toxic, because one time it sprayed pretty good and I got a face full of fluid.

If you're going to add a rimguard water mix, just place both in a barrel and pump away. Or you can put the barrels on the back of the truck, forget the pump and let gravety do the work. Rimguard isn't the worst thing I've every tasted.

Wedge


Wedge

 

[wedge40]

I'm also adding a FEL and need rear tires Juiced. I need some freeze protection but not a lot (North Texas/Southern Oklahoma). I understand how to get the water in but what痴 the best way to get the Antifreeze/Rim Guard/Wind shield fluid...... in the tires?

thanks, BH

Same way you got the water in.

Wedge

 

[kthompson]

Rimgaurd is not used here if so very little. Mostly water and some antifreeze as freezing is not a major issue.

Local dealership has a portable air tank with a plug on it they fill with antifreeze and let the air push the antifreeze into the tire.

However I have used a funnel and let gravity fill mine of course before putting water in the tires and weight supported as below.

If you will jack up the rear tire you are filling and get all weight off of and them remove the core of the valve stem helps. In doing so my normal house water pressure is more than enough to fill the tire.



Now the question of tires spinning with ground engagement equipment: are you sure it is due to not enough weight? Not sure the specs but when weighted correctly they recommend a certain percentage of tire slip with disk or such. Yes you can get too much weight on a tractor which some here can do much better job telling of the excess wear to clutch and such it causes.

What type of tires do you have, loader tread or field tread. If the loader design it is my opinion you will never solve tire slippage with a disk, they just are not made for dirt.

Having said all that on my field tractor I run water/antifreeze filled rear tires with Kubota's cast iron rims and and about 300 lbs on front end weight. When I bought it had rims filled before it was delivered but the front weights helped to stabilize the front end.