Ballast rim guard and proper inflation

[budepps3760]

I was watching a video by Rim Guard showing the addition of their product into a rear tractor tire. Prior to that, I had watched a few videos about proper tire inflation and how virtually all tires should be inflated at the lower end of their recommended inflation for best traction and the least amount of compaction. Funny in the Rim Guard video the representative inflated the tire, at the end of the install of the fluid, to a high level of PSI. I don't know if he did this in order to prevent bead separation or what. If you have ballast added tires at what level of PSI do you have your tires inflated to? I may need to add ballast as I purchased a 7' landplane at auction that is going to be pushing the limits of my tractor considered the hilly nature of the access road and I figured I may need the added weight to properly pull it.

The step where he is checking the psi begins at the 4:15 mark in the video. Unfortunately, with the wheel still not on the ground, I could not see any under inflation the tire may have had after loading.

Rim Guard - How to fill tires with liquid ballast - YouTube

 

[s219]

You should inflate the tire the same whether or not it's loaded (and doesn't matter if its Rimguard or another fluid).

Ideal inflation is based on tire type, usage, soil conditions, implements, etc. No question, you will want a higher pressure if carrying heavy loads on hard surfaces. Since that is my typical scenario, I run my tires at or near their max inflation pressure. That is a completely different scenario than operating on turf, or in mud, or row-crop farming. So the real answer is that it's something you need to determine in realtime based on usage.

You'll find out pretty quick if your pressure is too low for the carried loads and applied forces when you roll a tire off the rim.

 

[Billrog]

I was told when I had my tires filled they required less air pressure I can only assume that would be because you have a lot less area for the air to compress is the reasoning. For the rear tires to sit with nearly the full tread on concrete I have 12 to 15# of air in them. I don't think any tractor with a loader on it should be without loaded back tires.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I was told when I had my tires filled they required less air pressure I can only assume that would be because you have a lot less area for the air to compress is the reasoning. For the rear tires to sit with nearly the full tread on concrete I have 12 to 15# of air in them. I don't think any tractor with a loader on it should be without loaded back tires.

Air pressure is the same whether acting upon a liquid filled tire or and air filled one. To get the same amount of tread contact, you need the same amount of pressure.

 

[boomer1025]

You should inflate the tire the same whether or not it's loaded (and doesn't matter if its Rimguard or another fluid).

Ideal inflation is based on tire type, usage, soil conditions, implements, etc. No question, you will want a higher pressure if carrying heavy loads on hard surfaces. Since that is my typical scenario, I run my tires at or near their max inflation pressure. That is a completely different scenario than operating on turf, or in mud, or row-crop farming. So the real answer is that it's something you need to determine in realtime based on usage.

You'll find out pretty quick if your pressure is too low for the carried loads and applied forces when you roll a tire off the rim.

.
:thumbsup:
I run all my tires at max pressure as stated on the tire. Even my vehicle tires.

 

[Billrog]

Well I went to the rim guard site and watched the video fulling a tire and when it was complete they filled the tire with air to the recommended pressure on the side of the tire. If I were to do that with my tires I'd be riding on only the center 1/3 of my tire. As it is approx. 1" of the out side tread of my tire is still off the ground. I checked and their at 15# so I'm going to stick there.

 

[ovrszd]

I am most concerned about how the tire sits on the ground. PSI is only for comparison.

Now here's where these "air" discussions sometimes take a left turn.

The cubic feet of atmospheric pressure air that's in your tire is what determines how much load it will carry at a particular stance. That's why my 6800lb truck runs 50 psi in it's 305/70/16 tire. And that's why my 10000lb tractor runs 20 psi in it's 18.4x30 filled tire. That's also why a Big A can carry 10000 lbs of load in the bed on three tires running 2-3 psi. Cubic feet of air not pressure carries the load.

 

[adventure bob]

um I'm afraid your conclusion isn't supported by the laws of physics: "Cubic feet of air not pressure carries the load." PV=nRT

 

[s219]

Yeah, I have to agree, ultimately it comes down to pressure and contact area.

 

[dadster4]

I'm with Bob...a "flat" tire with no weight on it contains the same volume of air as the same tire inflated to 100 psi.