Tire Ballast

[Egon]

Just curious; does anyone use "Metal Shot" for tire ballast?

 

[BearKiller]

Just curious; does anyone use "Metal Shot" for tire ballast?

If you are meaning inside the tire, like fluid, then I haven't yet seen it tried in the over a dozen a day rear tractor repairs that we get.

The only feasible way I see for it to work would be to run the tires TUBELESS, seat the beads, then break loose the bead only on one side; with the tire laying flat, pour the shot into it until as full as practicable, then seat the bead and inflate.

The wheels would be in a constant state of sand-blast and might not fare well.



Having seen the multitude of expensive problems that liquid tire ballast brings on, I would only consider fluid in a tire as a final last-ditch resort.

I would exhaust all other possibles of acheiving traction and balance, before I would add fluid.

I have always said that, if you need fluid in your tires to accomplish the task, then you're money would be better spent in getting a tractor big enough to do the job without the fluid; you are only expecting the little mule to do the big mule's work.

 

[Egon]

Many a year ago some rubber tired construction equipment had lead shot loaded tires. I'm assuming lead would be a no go these days.

 

[bpattie]

I



Having seen the multitude of expensive problems that liquid tire ballast brings on, I would only consider fluid in a tire as a final last-ditch resort.

I would exhaust all other possibles of acheiving traction and balance, before I would add fluid.

Bearkiller.

just curious what problems you are speaking of with liquid filled tires?? I have seen rusted wheels that had leaks and they used a corrosive liquid like Sodium Chloride, but ahd not heard of issues with the non-corrosive liquids.

 

[Soundguy]

It was probably calcium chloride for the tire ballast.

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

That seems like a real hard way to do it for a tubeless tire.

how about instead, use a hole saw and cut a hole inthe rim.. weld in a pipe nipple and use a pipe cap to close it.. sea the bead, then remove cap and add the shot.. apply thread sealant and the cap...

soundguy

If you are meaning inside the tire, like fluid, then I haven't yet seen it tried in the over a dozen a day rear tractor repairs that we get.

The only feasible way I see for it to work would be to run the tires TUBELESS, seat the beads, then break loose the bead only on one side; with the tire laying flat, pour the shot into it until as full as practicable, then seat the bead and inflate.

The wheels would be in a constant state of sand-blast and might not fare well.



Having seen the multitude of expensive problems that liquid tire ballast brings on, I would only consider fluid in a tire as a final last-ditch resort.

I would exhaust all other possibles of acheiving traction and balance, before I would add fluid.

I have always said that, if you need fluid in your tires to accomplish the task, then you're money would be better spent in getting a tractor big enough to do the job without the fluid; you are only expecting the little mule to do the big mule's work.

 

[BearKiller]

Bearkiller.

just curious what problems you are speaking of with liquid filled tires?? I have seen rusted wheels that had leaks and they used a corrosive liquid like Sodium Chloride, but ahd not heard of issues with the non-corrosive liquids.

I guess my perspective is quite different than someone who doesn't have to fight with the stuff on a daily basis.

Probably 90% of liquid-filled tires have a solution of calcium chloride, mainly because it is about one-tenth the cost of the cheapest alternative and is the only one that will not freeze regardless of how cold.

I have seen many anti-freeze filled tires frozen solid; same for methanol, plus both are highly explosive, especially when under pressure.

Due to calcium chloride's nature of clinging and crawling all over, no matter how much floor-washing and hosing down one does, anything steel or aluminum within two hundred yards will eventually just dissolve from the stuff.

Everything in our shop is constantly getting eaten away with rust or corrossion.

Regardless of what type of fluid is in a tire, let a tiny pin-hole start seeping, maybe the tire won't need air added twice a year, but the fluid is constantly seeping between the tube and wheel, seeking it's way toward the valve-stem hole.

Just like a bed-liner in a metal truck bed, when you finally do dismantle the tire, the rim will usually be so rusty and corroded that it is unsafe to hold air under pressure.

I have seen the whole wheel bead split and blow off the wheel, more times than I care to count, always after some penny-pinching farmer has co-erced us to go ahead and try to save him the expense of a rim.

Fluid does something detrimental to the compound (?rubber?) of the tire and tube, such that any patch applied, no matter how carefully, will soon peel off; we had so many comebacks from patches letting loose that we refuse to patch a rear tractor tube anymore and, even for a tiny briar puncture, install a brand new tube; it is just too much work to have to redo over a silly patch.

Full of fluid, tires are dangerously heavy; and, when one falls on someone, it is the end for them.

I can go on and on, but you get the idea.

That seems like a real hard way to do it for a tubeless tire.

how about instead, use a hole saw and cut a hole inthe rim.. weld in a pipe nipple and use a pipe cap to close it.. sea the bead, then remove cap and add the shot.. apply thread sealant and the cap...

soundguy

That is a good approach if someone always does their own tire changing; but, doing work for the public, we are not allowed to service a welded or otherwise repaired wheel.

To the un-initiated, a tire/wheel under a mere fifteen or twenty PSI seems to be fairly safe, with no apparent danger.

In the real world, a welded wheel letting loose with ten PSI will take your head off.

I have seen tubeless truck tires of one truck take the side out of a stainless-steel insulated milk tanker parked thirty feet away, when a slightly flattened rim wasn't noticed before the tire was aired up.

 

[bpattie]

thanks for your insight Bearkiller. I had bad luck with Calcium Chloride also. I got a new tractor this las tSPring and it came with the Methanol mix. I did some research and yes did see some data about it being explosive, makes sense to me, but most articles said that with the dilution factored in it really wasn't all that flammable. if I am still posting in the Spring I guess I survived.

 

[Builder]

I did mine with magnesium chloride. Supposedly much less corrosive. We shall see.

 

[pat32rf]

I'm about 7 yrs into both rears filled with wwaf. No problems but we only get to minus 35C...

 

[BearKiller]

I'm about 7 yrs into both rears filled with wwaf. No problems but we only get to minus 35C...

What is "wwaf" ??

Thanks.

 

[clemsonfor]

i think he meant wwf or windshield washer fluid?

 

[Dave5264]

Hmmmm, my new tractor came with "Calcium filled" tires front and back for ballast....im assuming its Calcium Chloride.

Now Im worried.

being a newbie to Tractors, it seemed to make sense to me that Ballast & Safety were a good thing, Dealer never mentioned anything regarding the down side (and I didnt know enough to ask).

Dealer indicated it was a common thing, so i went for it

 

[Soundguy]

It is common.. because it's about the cheapest ballast you can get.

if you have tubes.. you are fine.. if they leak.. clean them up and keep the rims painted.

if tubeless.. watch them. I personally don't like loaded tubless tires.

soundguy

 

[BearKiller]

Now Im worried.

Just being in the same parking lot with a tire being filled with calcium-chloride is enough to sit up nights about.

If you are at all familiar with the genuine tank bluing process for firearms, then you know about the bluing salts "creeping" over the sides of the tank and corroding everything in their path; plus, when the gun parts are removed from the bluing bath, they have to be put in a neutralizing solution to kill the corrosive salts.

Calcium-chloride is easily ten times more corrosive than the gun bluing salts; once it gets on metal, there is no getting it off.

Calcium-chloride is road salt in it's strongest form and we all know how quick road salt will dissolve a set of frame-rails.

 

[bpattie]

Hmmmm, my new tractor came with "Calcium filled" tires front and back for ballast....im assuming its Calcium Chloride.

Now Im worried.

being a newbie to Tractors, it seemed to make sense to me that Ballast & Safety were a good thing, Dealer never mentioned anything regarding the down side (and I didnt know enough to ask).

Dealer indicated it was a common thing, so i went for it

only time you have to worry is if you have a leak, I doubt they are tubeless. I had a problem because I believe the previous owner let the leaks go so the inside of the rim developed rust. even though the tire guys ground them down I think the surface of the inside of the rim wore out tubes. CC is highly corrosive so just watch for leaks and repair them quickly.

 

[Soundguy]

Calcium-chloride ..... once it gets on metal, there is no getting it off.

Pure bs...

you can wash the metal down and remove the salt.. it does not magically bond with the metal

soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

only time you have to worry is if you have a leak, I doubt they are tubeless. I had a problem because I believe the previous owner let the leaks go so the inside of the rim developed rust. even though the tire guys ground them down I think the surface of the inside of the rim wore out tubes. CC is highly corrosive so just watch for leaks and repair them quickly.

usually once you have pitted metal.. it's good to prime than paint them.. and then if really bad.. boot them. Not unheard of to roll out duct tape on the inside channel of a pitted rim.

soundguy

 

[bpattie]

usually once you have pitted metal.. it's good to prime than paint them.. and then if really bad.. boot them. Not unheard of to roll out duct tape on the inside channel of a pitted rim.

soundguy

I agree, but at least me when you have a tire repair guy out it was tough to do much with them that requires time to dry, etc. If you could take the tire off yourself that would be different.

 

[Builder]

I'm looking at a piece of equipment with CC in the rear tires. Let's say I want to get rid of it.

How would one get rid of it....safely.