Tire ballast weight

[CobyRupert]

Does anybody have a chart or a link that relates the tire size to the weight (of the liquid ballast) that they will hold?
Example: This size tire holds x gallons, x gallons weighs y pounds.
Is there a standard on how full the tire is filled. 80%?

 

[Tx Jim]

Google is your friend http://www.firestoneag.com/webres/File/Inflation-Tables/TireInfo-LoadInflation-A.pdf

 

[George2615]

Here is a list someone else posted for Titan tires of various sizes

 

[mrmikey]

One size I can comment on because I just filled mine with WWAF last weekend is a 8.5 x 24, it holds 45 liters each, level to the valve stem at the 12:00 position, and adds 90 lbs per tire.....Mike

 

[toomanymachines]

Use steel wheel weights.. they will be easier than fluid for fuel consumption.. plus the tires last longer as they are more flexible, and less likely to impact on rocks etc. you also won't rust your rims when the do leak. and they will leak. if you ever rolled a tire with fluid in it you will understand how it will never act like a flywheel. it will always suck power.

 

[RG1]

Rim Guard - Liquid Tire Ballast

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Use steel wheel weights.. they will be easier than fluid for fuel consumption.. plus the tires last longer as they are more flexible, and less likely to impact on rocks etc. you also won't rust your rims when the do leak. and they will leak. if you ever rolled a tire with fluid in it you will understand how it will never act like a flywheel. it will always suck power.

Thats great if you can get enough weight with them. I was looking through my loader and tractor manual yesterday and there is no way to get enough weight on the machine without running weights and fluid. I needed 1500lbs of weight plus 200lbs of wheel weights for the loader, PLUS a 3pt attachment that weighs 2k lbs. My tractor is only rated to have 2 wheel weights per side at 100lbs per weight.

 

[toomanymachines]

How large are the tires you intend to fill? Most of the guys around here farm 2000 plus acres.. most of the tires are 18.4/38 and larger.. so they have room to add weights to the frame or the wheels. My suggestion is to avoid fluid if you can. I have seen old versatiles with 7000 hours with original tires that were dry. the old tires were resold for dual usage as well. wet ones will last half of that on average. I have seen wet tires last 5000 hours, but they were bald, 3 to 4 k hours is normal.

 

[Gary Fowler]

How large are the tires you intend to fill? Most of the guys around here farm 2000 plus acres.. most of the tires are 18.4/38 and larger.. so they have room to add weights to the frame or the wheels. My suggestion is to avoid fluid if you can. I have seen old versatiles with 7000 hours with original tires that were dry. the old tires were resold for dual usage as well. wet ones will last half of that on average. I have seen wet tires last 5000 hours, but they were bald, 3 to 4 k hours is normal.

Bald tires are not bald because of water in them. Water doesn't wear the outside tread, slipping does. If tires with water were bald it was because they needed more weight in addition to the water weight to prevent excessive slipping. I have no idea how you jumped to the conclusion that water inside a tire causes the tread to wear out faster than using wheel weights just because a tire ran with only water wears faster than one with wheel weights. Put the same amount of weigh on the axle with iron weigh as with water and the wear will be comparable. Tires flex as well with water as with air since they are when properly filled at 70% there is still plenty of air to compress to prevent damage. Most knowledgeable tractor operators will use water ballast primarily and then add iron wheel weights as needed to load the tractor to the maximum weight. Rolling tires with water will cause a bit of friction loss with the water flowing around the tire but it is negilible in the short distance (circumference of the tire)that it travels. The difference in ease of movement by hand is mostly because of the extra weight that you are moving, not because of the friction of the water moving in the tire.

 

[CobyRupert]

I was wondering on the weight of liquid ballast, because another poster here with a 5075 was calculating the weight of his tractor in order to size a trailer and listed tire ballast as (I think) 1000lbs total, for 2 tires. Whereas, I was thinking each tire was around 800lbs. This link Rim Guard - Liquid Tire Ballast says 16.9-28's are 700 lbs + each.