Tires Water in tires

[AllanS]

I've got a BX24.

My block is steep in places and I'd like to fill the rear tires with water to lower the center of gravity. However, the manual tells me to empty water from the tires when lugging the hoe or other implements. This would be a right-regular pain in the neck.

Any ideas why they want you to do this? That amount of water wouldn't put much extra strain on the rear bearings, nor would it effect the rolling resistance.

Some related questions. Does anyone know the tipping angle for these tractors? Any advice from other owners with steepish blocks?

Cheers.

 

[JJZ 109]

I think you'll find that the consensus here is to use Rim Guard if you're going to use a liquid to weight the rear tires. Non corrosive and likely won't rust your wheels and it's supposed to be 30% heavier than water.
Of course most people who load the tires keep them that way, they don't generally drain after a specific use and then reload them later. Too expensive to do that.

 

[forester2]

Maybe on the subcompacts a backhoe or implement is all the stress they can take. Never seen such a recomendation on a larger tractor. It's in the manual for some reason.

 

[Ace3]

Do a search on this topic. I remember a prior discussion on this subject. Welcome to TBN!

 

[radioman]

I noticed the same thing in the manual, but kubota does not offer a reason for that. All I can think of is they are covering their butts with the warranty issues. I personally never seen a failure from loaded tires and using the backhoe at the same time. Let me put it this way - when using the backhoe, it exerts more stress on the axles then it does driving around with loaded tires with BH on. yes the stabilizers is supposed to take some of stress off axles , but with tires on ground and stabilizers in place, stress is still there.

Messicks had a thread on this and he has attended a class from new Holland regarding to this issue. (i know you have a kubota but its a good reading. check out that thread. http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/132563-weight-bad.html

As for a tipping point, you really don't want to push the pucker factor envelope. The BX is a tippy machine. I personally have loaded my tires with rimguard since its heavier then water and wont freeze like water and its better for rims and no tubes needed. I don't notice any rolling resistance at all since there's so much power from tractor. If you don't use the BH more then 50% of the time then why not take it off as much you can ? It helps to lower the center of gravity. loading tires or adding wheel spacers are good add ons for a tippy BX on a steep hill if you regularly use your BX on. hopefully you have good judgment to use on those step hills and avoid it when you can.

 

[AllanS]

Thanks for your replies, folks. radioman's link made for interesting reading.

On the topic of tippiness, wheel spacers would lever more stress onto the bearings, I imagine. Has anyone had any experience with this?

For any inventors out there, what's really needed are spring-loaded stabilizers that shoot out if the tractor tips to some critical angle.