Ballast Right Rear Tire Ballast Fluid Leaked! What Do I Do?

[Zebrafive]

You might try turning the wheel that lost ballast (with it jacked up) until you determine what position the stem is at and matches the ballast level, then drain the other side with the stem in the same position.

It's my understanding the ballast can be pumped out and saved (say you are putting a new tire on) . Tire shop might be willing to purchase it from you.

 

[foggy1111]

Couple things here.

I like tubeless tires cause you can plug a small puncture without removing the tire or loading the tractor for repairs.

I have tubeless tires and used rim guard in my current tractor for the above reason.

THOUSANDS of tractors have used Calcium Chloride for weight, both with tubes and tubeless for many years in ag-country. This is still the primary weight for ag tractors - why? Low cost, doesn't freeze, and wide availability.

IF YOU BLEED SOME of the CC off the tire and expose the rim on the inside to oxygen....you will speed up rusting of your wheels. Cal Chloride requires that you keep the wheel covered to prevent rust. Dont do this. Keep your wheels covered if you use Calcium Chloride.

Stuff happens. The valve stem was probably defective. The dealer should not have made such a big deal out of it.....but stuff does happen (easy for me to say when its not my problem).

If your using your loader....you should keep ballast in the tires AND an implement or ballast box for weight....IMO.

 

[foggy1111]

Couple things here.

I like tubeless tires cause you can plug a small puncture without removing the tire or loading the tractor for repairs.

I have tubeless tires and used rim guard in my current tractor for the above reason.

THOUSANDS of tractors have used Calcium Chloride for weight, both with tubes and tubeless for many years in ag-country. This is still the primary weight for ag tractors - why? Low cost, doesn't freeze, and wide availability.

IF YOU BLEED SOME of the CC off the tire and expose the rim on the inside to oxygen....you will speed up rusting of your wheels. Cal Chloride requires that you keep the wheel covered to prevent rust. Dont do this. Keep your wheels covered if you use Calcium Chloride.

Stuff happens. The valve stem was probably defective. The dealer should not have made such a big deal out of it.....but stuff does happen (easy for me to say when its not my problem).

If your using your loader....you should keep ballast in the tires AND an implement or ballast box for weight....IMO.

OH....and one wheel being a few lbs lighter than the other isn't going to hurt anything for a while. Just leave it as-is until you can bring the other one back up to full (or figure out another plan).

 

[USNative]

Thanks ZebraFive abd Foggy1111,

Actually Foggy1111, you took the words right out of my mouth. I was going to drain out the other tire some today and got to thinking that the weight difference wasn't that bad so I decided to leave it as it is. :thumbsup:

I am going to be getting rid of all of it in the spring anyway so it can just stay in there till I get rid of it all together and get a new solution going. I'm thinking of going with the Rim Guard or Beet Juice and 3PH Ballast Box Combination. But I have plenty of time to decide between now and spring.

ZebraFive , I think some tire places will buy the Calcium Chloride. Maybe I can get a little $ out of it to go towards the new solution. I don't know why anyone would want that crap in their tires anyway when there are so many far better alternatives out there now. Tubes or no tubes it really isn't worth the risk of wasting my rims! If I had of known how caustic that stuff was I never would have gave John Deere the go ahead to have the tires loaded. Maybe that stuff ate up my valve core and thats what caused it to malfunction.

Beet Juice or Rim Guard is the way to go if you want liquid ballast. John Deere Dealership or any other dealership for that matter that loads that stuff should at least let the customer know of the risks before loading it in their tires, especially someone like me that was a first time tractor buyer. Well now I know, and that will never happen again, Ever!!!

Yep, that Calcium Chloride (ACID) has got to go for sure. That stuff is nasty!

Thanks everyone for all the great replies & suggestions, much appreciated.

 

[jenkinsph]

I have never been fond of liquid filled tires in utility applications as there is too much of a chance you will loose air/fluid with a flat. Much more difficult to work with for tire maintenance and repair too. I mounted three 110lb rear wheel weights on my tractor wheels when new to avoid this very problem. while the weights are expensive initially it is a one time cost.

 

[USNative]

I have never been fond of liquid filled tires in utility applications as there is too much of a chance you will loose air/fluid with a flat. Much more difficult to work with for tire maintenance and repair too. I mounted three 110lb rear wheel weights on my tractor wheels when new to avoid this very problem. while the weights are expensive initially it is a one time cost.

Good Point, and wheel weights are a definite option I will be looking in to before I make a final decision on my new solution. I can see the benefits of weights over filled tires definitley. :thumbsup: I think I would rather go that route but I will have to see where the money situation is when the time comes. I can always go with a good liquid for a while then switch to weights when the funds become availible. I may end up with weights in the end for sure.

Thanks.

 

[Zebrafive]

Post up when you have the C.C. removed. I am interested in what's involved. I.E. do you have to have the tire removed and have the rim washed? Or do they just fill with water and rinse several times. It does not sound like a D.I.Y. job.

I have a full size AG tractor (JD 6415) and the loader manual (JD 640SL)states to use 700kg (1543lbs) on the rear wheels, so wheel weights are not the total answer, plus 850kg (1874lbs) rear ballast.

I can put three 110lb weights on each wheel (before they hang out), but that leaves me over 400lbs short per wheel. I need to check the tractor's manual and see if there is a maximum number of wheel weights I can add.

I am thinking new valve cores every year might be good preventative mantainance.

I too, wish I had Rim Guard instead of C.C.

 

[radioman]

Have you tried the other JD dealers yet to see what they have to say? Be sure you tell them you have no leaks, but a bad tire stem and need help. Being humble helps. Sometimes what one dealer says is an AXX but another is wonderful service.
I think dealers are still using CC since they already have the equipment since it been around for awhile and dont want to invest in beet juice equipment. Also CC is heavier then beet juice but difference in a sub compact is small. My dealer uses CC and I told them NO CC. I went 60 miles out of way one way to go to nearest rimgaurd dealer and filled the tires myself. I'm happy I did that.

 

[USNative]

:thumbsup:

Post up when you have the C.C. removed. I am interested in what's involved. I.E. do you have to have the tire removed and have the rim washed? Or do they just fill with water and rinse several times. It does not sound like a D.I.Y. job.

I have a full size AG tractor (JD 6415) and the loader manual (JD 640SL)states to use 700kg (1543lbs) on the rear wheels, so wheel weights are not the total answer, plus 850kg (1874lbs) rear ballast.

I can put three 110lb weights on each wheel (before they hang out), but that leaves me over 400lbs short per wheel. I need to check the tractor's manual and see if there is a maximum number of wheel weights I can add.

I am thinking new valve cores every year might be good preventative mantainance.

I too, wish I had Rim Guard instead of C.C.

I will do that ZebraFive. I will make a thread about it and I will try to include step by step pictures if they will let me take some. I don't even want to mess with it myself, when that crap got on my hands it burned some. I hate that crap and I will leave that to the experts and then I won't have to worry about it again after it's gone for good.

It definitley wouldn't hurt to change out valve cores every year if a person chooses to have the CC in their tires , I think I would now that I know how it can destroy your steel if it gets exposed to the nasty crap.

I did give that rim a bath by the way and got most of the rust spot of from around the valve stem hole but there is still a minute rust stain there but you can hardly see it. Still ticks me off though. I am just glad it wasn't a major leaking problem and glad to have my tractor back up and ready to work.

We get some big snow drifts here and I need to have that tractor ready to go or else I won't get out of here. I feel some relief now knowing I can get the snow cleared again now.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL TBN MEMBERS & HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! :thumbsup:

 

[foggy1111]

Things arnt always as black and white as they may appear......

For our comparatively small CUT's the beet juice (rim guard) wont break the bank. But for big tractors your talking lots of cost difference. Maybe a factor of 3x or so over CC. (based on Rim Guard is about $3 to $3.50 a gallon)

Another thing is that its difficult for a dealer to set up for both CC and Beet juice (or so I was told by a tire dealer) as their mobile equipment cannot furnish both fluids from the same pump apparatus. Some want low cost / others want the better stuff.....so its a challenge for the tire guys.

I live in heavy ag country.....but you need to travel over 70 miles to get the Rim Guard.....and if I have field problems with Rim Guard......I've got work on my hands to get the tire repaired.

I wish I had a mobile unit available with Rim Guard if I have trouble.....but I don't think I want to pay that bill for a field call. So....sometimes the possibility of replacing those rusty wheels in 30 years may be the best (lower cost) solution?

 

[USNative]

Well now, now that I have had all these great suggestions and some time to think about the alternatives for ballasting the rear of my tractor, I have decided the best way for me to go for the long haul is to go with a combination of hardware wheel weights and a ballast box or heavy implement on my 3PH.

The reason for my decision is that I was thinking that even with Rim Guard in the tires you always have the chance of a puncture or a stem getting damaged and everytime that happens it leads to the expense of replacing the lost ballast. Even running tubeless with Rim Guard I would still have to replace the lost ballast on any tire problem that would cause a leak.

Leaking tires may not be a common problem but some may have more problems with it than others depending on circumstances such as working environment, the way the tractor is used and maybe even plain bad luck.

I figure in the long run weights would be a more troublefree solution as I could run tubeless and not have to worry about any leaking fluid and repairs would be way less costly if needed.Yes the initial cost would be a bit expensive but less costly in the long run as jenkinsph stated in his earlier post.

I plan to keep this tractor for a long time so I think it makes sense for me to go ahead with the hardware rear wheel weights for this machine. I am later planning to add a John Deere 4720 with cab for my bigger jobs and winter snow removal but my 3038e will stay with me for the long haul as well. When I do get my other machine I am going to do the same thing as far as ballast is concerned. Overall way less of a headache than dealing with liquid ballast IMO.

I think that it was pretty cheap on my dealership's part to not support me at all on this and refill the bad tire and I will do no more buisness with that particular dealership. I am still not done at this point and I am still going through with contacting John Deere Corprate over this, not expecting anything from them but maybe they will have a little talk with that dealership over respecting & treating their customers better. I could care less now about getting the ballast topped off anyway as I plan to get rid of it altogether but what ticks me off is that no offer of support was given at all in my situation from the dealership whatsoever. Makes me wonder what they will do for me if a major issue arises.

Thanks to all who have been so helpful to me on this thread and I hope this thread can help others here who have or may later have ballast issues. The suggestions here have been very good and I know others here will benefit from this thread in the future. :thumbsup:

 

[JDgreen227]

So glad the replies helped, and I don't envy your experience and I think the dealership s------d you over. When I purchased my 4210 the salesman offered to load the rear tires for free but I didn't want the possible headache of leaking tires and I'd only need the additional ballast on the rears for maybe 5% of my tractor usage if that much. Wheel weights and rear ballasting are more time consuming and expensive but much easier to remove than liquid tire weight and a lot less troublesome. When I need to ballast an implement I use barbell weights I got at a thrift store, they sell for maybe 25 cents a pound and are easy to install and stack, just use quality grade half inch bolts to install them.