Tire ballest question

[John_Mc]

Re: Tire ballast question

<font color=blue>for working on hills, would it be better to fill rear tires to the center line of the rear axle or to the top of the rim?</font color=blue>

If you are going to do a partial fill, then you do NOT want to use Calcium Chloride. It's corrosive, as I'm sure you know. If the rim is completely submerged (75% full), the corrosion is greatly slowed, since air cannot get to the metal rim. A partial fill regularly douses the rim in the corrosive solution, then exposes it to air; the result is serious corrosion in a fairly short time. This is why it is very important to take care of leaks quickly and refill a CaCl-filled tire.

If you want to do a partial fill, look at something non-corrosive, like Rim Guard (it actually inhibits corrosion, and at 11#/gal, weighs about as much as CaCl). I have contact info for the manufacturer of Rim Guard if you want to dig up a dealer in your area.

John Mc

 

[Carl_NH]

Re: Tire ballast question

John,

Good feedback wrt fill level, as air and clcl2 create gas esp when mixed with steel rims. I used to change tractor tires never used anything but tubes - this was back in the days of farmalls and IH 786-986 - late 70s. I forgot most of this in 30 yrs - which I guess typical - probably will be clear as day in another 30 yrs.

Carl

 

[dropbear]

Re: Tire ballast question

This page <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorsmart.com/Farm_Tractor_Liquid_Tire_Ballast.htm>http://www.tractorsmart.com/Farm_Tractor_Liquid_Tire_Ballast.htm</A> lists the quantities of liquid required for different tyre sizes and also the weight of water for that quantity.

might be usefull.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Re: Tire ballast question

<font color=blue>...If you are going to do a partial fill, then you do NOT want to use Calcium Chloride. It's corrosive, as I'm sure you know. If the rim is completely submerged (75% full), the corrosion is greatly slowed, since air cannot get to the metal rim. A partial fill regularly douses the rim in the corrosive solution, then exposes it to air; the result is serious corrosion in a fairly short time...</font color=blue>

Yes, yes, yes... (Sorry George, just saw your question and you already have the correct answer.../w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif) {Sometimes, I feel like this is one of those quiz shows on tv... Uh oh... gave Muhammad another idea for the future TBN TV network... Tractor Quiz Time....../w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Anyhow George, probably the most bang for the buck would be windshield washer fluid for sub-zero temp area's of the US... unless you absolutely need every extra ounce and pound of ballast... then you'd go with Calcium Chloride, Rimguard, or the Super Foam stuff at an added expense...

 

[Quaffer]

Water = 8.364 lbs/gal - hard water weighs more
Milk = 8.6 Lbs/gal
Sea Water - Pending where u are - concentration varies 8.5-10lbs
CaCl2 10.7 Lbs/gal pending concentration mixed

Average operator needs only to put a favorite beverage (or lean) to one side of the tractor or the other to make any difference as you noted.

Do people really use different fluid to make a tractor tip a certain way? Never heard of this?

 

[oosik]

I had Cacl & water in the rear tires on my first tractor. What a PITA. There was a galvanic reaction between the steel and brass on the filler valve. It leaked constantly - I was replacing the guts of the filler valve constantly.

On my 2009 Kubota M6040 I have 755 pounds of RimGuard in each rear tire. Going on 16 years now. No leaks - no corrosion - all smiles.

 

[Hughman]

Wow, 22 year old thread back from the dead.

 

[dstig1]

Yeah this has to be a likely record for oldest living zombie thread on TBN!