Fluid in front tires?

[bilrus61]

My incomming Kubota L5040 has 9.5-16 tires. The Rimguard website shows that it would add about 125 pounds per tire if filled with Rimguard. Thats considerable. 250 pounds total way out front would certainly keep my front end solid on the ground even with a heavy mower on the back. What is the bad side of filling the small front tires? A rougher ride I would guess. Anything else??

 

[brain55]

I don't have any experience with Rimgaurd. But, I can share my experience with foam filled front tires. I was a mechanic for a landscape contractor for 8 years. We foam filled all of our front tires including our Kubota M6040 that we used as a grading tractor, plus half a dozen B2710's. We also had a few New Holland TC55's and TC33's, and 2 case 570LXT's. I would consider solid foam filling to be much harsher on parts than liquid ballast could be. And I never noticed any acceleration in parts attrition except on the Cases. After having the fronts recapped a few times the centers would bust out of the wheels.

Brian

 

[dieselscout80]

I don't have any experience with Rimgaurd. But, I can share my experience with foam filled front tires. I was a mechanic for a landscape contractor for 8 years. We foam filled all of our front tires including our Kubota M6040 that we used as a grading tractor, plus half a dozen B2710's. We also had a few New Holland TC55's and TC33's, and 2 case 570LXT's. I would consider solid foam filling to be much harsher on parts than liquid ballast could be. And I never noticed any acceleration in parts attrition except on the Cases. After having the fronts recapped a few times the centers would bust out of the wheels.

Brian

What kind of foam did you use?

 

[gwdixon]

Maybe if you didn't have a FEL then loaded fronts would be OK. It sounds like that is your situation.

Turning weighted tires has to be more difficult on the steering components.

If you do have, or will get, a FEL the weight of a loaded bucket will already put tremendous downward force on the front tires/axle.

Also, if you have a FEL you can scoop up some dirt or gravel and have a very effective front weight for balancing a heavy implement on the rear.

 

[brain55]

What kind of foam did you use?

It was a poly-ethelene foam which made the tires solid and it was quite heavy. There are different compositions for different applications. I left that to my tire guy.

Brian

 

[bp fick]

Turning weighted tires has to be more difficult on the steering components.

If you do have, or will get, a FEL the weight of a loaded bucket will already put tremendous downward force on the front tires/axle.

+1 :thumbsup:

 

[TripleR]

I will have to check my manuals, but I seem to remember one says not to load the front tires.

 

[3BPercherons]

Why not just hang some suitcase weights on the nose? Less wear and tear on the steering components, and you can adjust weight as necessary.

 

[rjkobbeman]

Why not just hang some suitcase weights on the nose? Less wear and tear on the steering components, and you can adjust weight as necessary.

I have no dog in this fight, but does transferring the weight from the tires to the front of the frame really change the stress on the steering components? Seems to me the weight on the frame is actually adding stress to more components, not less.

Of course, depending on the weight, this may be irrelevant.

 

[brain55]

Think about this guys. Weight is weight, whether it is on the frame as front weights, or in the loader bucket, that weight gets transfered to the front tires and axles. Wheel weight is probably the most efficent because half or more (if liquid ballast) of the weight is underneath the axle. Solid tires create issues, not because of the weight but because air filled tires act like shock absorbers, when you take the air out you get a much more rigid ride so every shock loading situation gets amplified. With liquid ballast you retain a good portion of air space in the tire, so things aren't as harsh. Like I said, even with solid foam filled tires on our Kubota and New Holland machines I did not notice any accelerated wear and we put thousands of hours on these machines.

Brian

 

[3BPercherons]

I have no dog in this fight, but does transferring the weight from the tires to the front of the frame really change the stress on the steering components? Seems to me the weight on the frame is actually adding stress to more components, not less.

Of course, depending on the weight, this may be irrelevant.

Fair enough. Absent an engineering analysis I'll concede that point.

I'll stick with my weight adjustment point, though

 

[TripleR]

My preference would be removable front suitcase weights. I really doubt that either way is going to cause problems.

A lot of guys load the rear tires with backhoes in spite manual instructions not to.

 

[DanD78]

I filled the front and rear tires on my 3320 deere right after I got it. I think it keeps the front end down when using 3 point attacments with the loader off. I keep the tires blown up to the top of what the book says. Your loader does add weight if the bucket is off the ground. If you use it in float or raise the front end while back draging it gives a little more weight. When I was active in the antique tractor pulling I would fill the front tires with calcium cloride for hidden weight.
Dan

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I have all four of my tires filled on both my 7520 and my 3215 and have had no known ill effects. There are definitely pluses to having them filled besides just the extra weight. :thumbsup:

 

[3RRL]

I too have had my fronts and rears loaded on 2 tractors.
Over 5 years on one and 2 on the other...no ill effects. What I did experience was a LOT more traction when in 4wd vs unloaded tires. This observation came out of using my tractors. I grade my 1/2 mile long driveway with my boxblade almost every week just to keep it smooth and good looking. (Yes, a dirt road can be beautiful too) It has some 15 percent grades up and down and I use 4wd because pulling the 1000lb boxblade uphill, it would slip in 2wd.

When I replaced my fronts due to a slice on the side wall, I put them on first without filling them.
The difference in pulling the 1000lb boxblade uphill was very noticeable, especially when the box starts to fill up. The fronts wold start slipping under heavier pulling load. So I filled them adding about 300lbs (about 150lbs each), and the tractor had immediate better traction. I also have a front loader on the tractor(s). But still, in my experience, filling those fronts made a significant difference in traction performance. Adding suit case weights on the front will do the same for traction and actually is better for ballast. But I agree with brain55 and Brian that those weights add more load to the spindles than filling does.

 

[Soundguy]

as with any filled tire.. repair is made more complicated. wheter tube or not.

In some cases you can get lucky and plug a non tube tire even if it is filled.. but usually they still leak unless it's a real small hole and a good meaty soft plug with lots of rubber cement on a tire that still has some soft rubber...

soundguy

My incomming Kubota L5040 has 9.5-16 tires. The Rimguard website shows that it would add about 125 pounds per tire if filled with Rimguard. Thats considerable. 250 pounds total way out front would certainly keep my front end solid on the ground even with a heavy mower on the back. What is the bad side of filling the small front tires? A rougher ride I would guess. Anything else??

 

[SPYDERLK]

I too have had my fronts and rears loaded on 2 tractors.
Over 5 years on one and 2 on the other...no ill effects. What I did experience was a LOT more traction when in 4wd vs unloaded tires. This observation came out of using my tractors. I grade my 1/2 mile long driveway with my boxblade almost every week just to keep it smooth and good looking. (Yes, a dirt road can be beautiful too) It has some 15 percent grades up and down and I use 4wd because pulling the 1000lb boxblade uphill, it would slip in 2wd.

When I replaced my fronts due to a slice on the side wall, I put them on first without filling them.
The difference in pulling the 1000lb boxblade uphill was very noticeable, especially when the box starts to fill up. The fronts wold start slipping under heavier pulling load. So I filled them adding about 300lbs (about 150lbs each), and the tractor had immediate better traction. I also have a front loader on the tractor(s). But still, in my experience, filling those fronts made a significant difference in traction performance. Adding suit case weights on the front will do the same for traction and actually is better for ballast. But I agree with brain55 and Brian that those weights add more load to the spindles than filling does.

Good, cohesive post.:thumbsup:
larry

 

[dex3361]

According to Kubota on the L4400 owners manual it recommends not to fill the front tires with liquid. Though it says that you can fill with foam. The reason the liquid does not allow enough shock absorbing as with air or foam. Liquid doesn't compress well. If you have a warranty issue they may give you some grief if you have filled the front.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

According to Kubota on the L4400 owners manual it recommends not to fill the front tires with liquid. Though it says that you can fill with foam. The reason the liquid does not allow enough shock absorbing as with air or foam. Liquid doesn't compress well. If you have a warranty issue they may give you some grief if you have filled the front.

When the tires are 75% filled (just over the rim) as they normally would be when tires are liquid filled, there is plenty of air to take up any impact that might happen. I have found that with both my Mahindra 3215 an 7520 that the tractors ride smoother, have waaaaay less bounce to them and handle and perform by far better than when they only had air in the tires. Now I do zero lawn work, pretty much all dirt and field work, so for me the heavier the better.

 

[ModMech]

I asked about filling the fronts of our B2410 when I bought the tiller for it and my dealer didn't say NO, he said H#LL NO! For whatever reason, Kubota does not approve filling the front tires on my tractor, but yes I cannot imagine a problem with a 75% fill.