Tire ballast 911

[pickeringchris]

So I picked up everything I need to add ballast to my ck27 rear tires. I jacked up the back end so that I could see a tiny bit of daylight under the tires. I bled the air out slowly and hooked up the adapter to the valve stem. Started pumping fluid in one tire and noticed it was coming out around the rim. Turns out both tires unseated from the rim. I tried a ratchet strap to set them but it's not working. FYI I don't know anything about tires but there is nothing between the rubber and the rim. No sealant. Not sure if that is correct or not.

 

[Craig Clayton]

You must then have tubeless tires. What kind of liquid ballast were you putting in?. If it was Calcium Chloride you should have tubes to prevent massive rust. Beet/ cane juice types can go in on plane steel. I have jumped tires but not tractor rears.

Craig Clayton

 

[pickeringchris]

No tubes. You are right. I am using windshield washer fluid. Now how do I get myself out of this mess???

 

[Deere Dude]

If there isn't much fluid in, I would take the tire and lay it down and reseat it that way. Once it is reseated with full air, drain the air out and pop the upper bead and pour the fluid in, then rachet-strap it and reseat the bead. If it is a new tractor you shouldn't need any sealer for the bead.

Fluid should be able to be pumped in while the tire is still on the tractor. On my new JD, I had a similar problem because it didn't seem like the bead seated very strongly like car tires do. It seemed the weight of the fluid in the tire just hanging there broke the bead loose on me.

It will be very heavy to lift and handle when full, but what can a guy do. To lift mine I put a step ladder over the tire with a ratchet strap and lifted it that way and then slowly rolled it to the tractor and reinstalled it.

 

[pickeringchris]

Thanks. Ya. It does not have a very positive connection between tire and rim. I was super carefull with it but as soon as I let the air out I lost the bead.
Taking the tires off is the last thing I want to do. I bet the fluid will just leak out the bottom bead. Now I have a tractor on jack stands and don't know what to do. Lol. Even If I use a head blaster to set the beads the second I let air out to pump ballast I think I will loose the bead. I'm screwed. :-(

 

[Deere Dude]

The seat on the bottom won't come off if it is laid on the side. You will have a better chance for the bead to come off filling it while standing with weight on it. Just make sure the bead is set with full air first and drain the air out. You should be fine.

 

[SSdoxie]

Try taking the valve core out of the stem and airing up the tire again. Stretch the tire some, to about 25 psi. Then let air out and start pumping in the fluid. You can start pumping before all air pressure is out, then stop after some fluid is in and bleed the remaindure of the air.
Let the tire down to just ground or slight pressure to help seat bead at the bottom then push tire side to side to get rest of the bead reseated.

 

[LaVoie Equipment]

Make it easy on yourself. This happens all the time - get some 'bead sealer' dope up rim and mount tire. Pump to 10 psi and hook pump up to valve core. Start pumping fluid. You will need to maintain some air pressure the entire time you pump. Easy as you go as not to pump up to much air psi.

Do NOT lay that tire down to mount and fill with fluid unless you have something to pick it up. At minimum tire will weigh 400 lbs. You will also overfill tire with fluid. You MUST have room for air in the tire.... Move valve stem to top, Fill fluid, fluid will pump and be hitting inside tire when fluid stops hitting tire inside you have enough fluid and enough air cavity.

When in doubt let a tire guy do the job.

 

[pickeringchris]

Make it easy on yourself. This happens all the time - get some 'bead sealer' dope up rim and mount tire. Pump to 10 psi and hook pump up to valve core. Start pumping fluid. You will need to maintain some air pressure the entire time you pump. Easy as you go as not to pump up to much air psi.

Do NOT lay that tire down to mount and fill with fluid unless you have something to pick it up. At minimum tire will weigh 400 lbs. You will also overfill tire with fluid. You MUST have room for air in the tire.... Move valve stem to top, Fill fluid, fluid will pump and be hitting inside tire when fluid stops hitting tire inside you have enough fluid and enough air cavity.

When in doubt let a tire guy do the job.

I am starting to think I should have had a tire guy do it. I didn't get the dealer to do it because I wanted to feel the machine out before deciding.

So a mechanic friend came over and helped me reseat the tires on the rim. We pulled the valve stem out and quickly hooked the pump up. The air pressure in the rim back flowed out the pump until the pump pressure was stronger than the air pressure. Then the tire started to fill. I got 5 gallons in and then the tire started to leak out fluid. Doh!!!!!!!

This tire clearly needs constant pressure to seat. I'm pretty close to throwing in the towel. This bead dope, do I just run a bead around where the tire sits then pressurize and wait till it cures?

C

 

[LaVoie Equipment]

I am starting to think I should have had a tire guy do it. I didn't get the dealer to do it because I wanted to feel the machine out before deciding.

So a mechanic friend came over and helped me reseat the tires on the rim. We pulled the valve stem out and quickly hooked the pump up. The air pressure in the rim back flowed out the pump until the pump pressure was stronger than the air pressure. Then the tire started to fill. I got 5 gallons in and then the tire started to leak out fluid. Doh!!!!!!!

This tire clearly needs constant pressure to seat. I'm pretty close to throwing in the towel. This bead dope, do I just run a bead around where the tire sits then pressurize and wait till it cures?

C

Sounds like you are just letting to much air out.

Are you using a true tire pump. If not a true tire pump actually allows you to releas air back into tank.

One thing I would try first is glass cleaner with Ammonia. It will allow the tire to slide on and after a day or two dry the tire to the rim. May or may not work. Glass cleaner is slick then will dry and tire typically sticks to rim. Seat bead and pressurize to 40 psi. Let sit for two days.

Tire / bead sealer, seals the gap between rim and tire. May not work because it is slick.

Sorry, Out of suggestions after that.