A Rear Tire Puzzler For You

[Threepoint]

Aww, I thought it would be a better puzzler than that! Yep, it's condensation. The temperature really plunged overnight a couple of weeks ago, and this is what greeted me at the barn in the morning. The ambient air cooled so quickly that it's moisture precipitated out onto the sidewall backed by the much warmer calcium chloride.

As to how to tell what was happening, the answer I was looking for was: Just walk around to the other side of the tractor. If the opposite tire is doing the same thing, then it's almost certainly just condensation. If it's dry, then it's a leak, unless of course all the fluid has previously leaked out of the opposite tire.

 

[MossRoad]

Condensation.... we had some pumpkins that did that last month when we had a quick frost overnight.

 

[Cpjlube]

This is common. Here is a Satoh with filled tires. Took this one morning in the barn.

 

[oosik]

My tires show the "Rimguard level" every time there is high humidity and cooler temps. Easy method to check for the fill level of fluid in the rear tires.

 

[Gary Fowler]

This is common. Here is a Satoh with filled tires. Took this one morning in the barn.

View attachment 401865

Your fluid level looks a bit low. It should be covering the rim. I would put a bit more in so the level is full to the air valve when setting top dead center.

 

[Cpjlube]

Your fluid level looks a bit low. It should be covering the rim. I would put a bit more in so the level is full to the air valve when setting top dead center.

Yes. You are correct.
Actually this pic was in my camera from several years ago. Thought it was interesting how the condensation formed on the tire.
The tire has washer fluid in it and the level was corrected.

 

[JD50Bigdaddy]

I'm out at the barn the other morning getting ready to muck the stalls. Not only are my hands starting to freeze because it's suddenly gotten cold as the dickens, I look over to the aisle where my little Kubota B2150 is parked and I see this:
View attachment 401747

Great, a puddle under the left rear tire, just my luck. I've had calcium chloride in the rear tires with no problems for 20 years. Is it finally time to pay the piper and order new rims? How do I go about checking this with frozen fingers? What's the first thing I should do?

If you think you know the answer, write it on a twenty-dollar bill and mail it to..., no, wait. That's Click and Clack's line. Heck, just post it here.

I wished I had a pic of my 6 icicles on different spots of sidewall. thanks for posting this learned something new jd 50

 

[Chris from Ontario]

I get that condensation on mine when the tires have been cold for a few days and it suddenly warms up like it did last week. Stored indoors like yours too.
It never forms when it's been warm and rapidly cools down. Think of a cold beer bottle out of the fridge for a while on the table...very wet on the outside. But taking a room temperature beer and putting it in the fridge won't produce any condensation at all when you check it a few minutes later.

 

[JD50Bigdaddy]

I get that condensation on mine when the tires have been cold for a few days and it suddenly warms up like it did last week. Stored indoors like yours too.
It never forms when it's been warm and rapidly cools down. Think of a cold beer bottle out of the fridge for a while on the table...very wet on the outside. But taking a room temperature beer and putting it in the fridge won't produce any condensation at all when you check it a few minutes later.

Chris; my tire has 6 holes leaking rim guard out of sidewall, their are crsytals forming on outside of tire,plus running down and around tire and rim and causing rust issues big time. called tire dealer where fluid was put in yr 2006 and was told that maybe they put calcium in back then, because it could have been cheaper. see dealer thru filling tires in with tractor deal at time of purchase, only one rear tire doing this at this time o-boy. would anybody put a 10 or 14 ply r-4 rear tire on a compact tractor, I cannot get no answer at all about this question!! thanks jd 50