Tires Correct Tire Ballasting

[garytucker]

OK guys...I can't find the link to the ballast chart that is on this website someplace...I have a 1700 2wd...how much washer fluid should I put in each rear tire and how much in each front tire? Am I correct in assuming you are just pulling the tire valve core and filling? I have never loaded a tire before...so help me out!! Thanks, Gary

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Am I to understand that you intend to put windshield washer fluid in your tires? Almost all windshield washer fluid I have ever seen has denatured alcohol (or other derivitive) in it. This is what prevents the liquid from freezing, not polyetheline glycol (anti freeze)... Has anyone ever used washer fluid before for long periods of time? I'd like to know if this fluid is safe for my tires.

Pogo

 

[garytucker]

you are correct in that I want to put washer fluid in the tires...see the post below this one about ballast. I would rather use the washer fluid instead of coolant or calcium.

 

[EM_in_Ohio]

Gary
I just bought 24 gallons of washer fluid for 75 cents a gallon.
Unless somebody can give me a good reason not to use it by Saturday, this is how I'm going to do it. Valve stem up, valve core removed, jack stand under axle to keep the tire round. I have a 12V DC bilge pump in a bucket with hoses adapted to the right size. Pump in the fluid until it slows down or stops flowing. Remove the hose to bleed pressure from the tire. Fill with more fluid. Keep doing this until fluid comes out of the stem. That's about 75% full and that's where I'm stopping.
P.S. The only GOOD reason that I would be worried about, is the alcohol eating the innertube. So, if anyone has proof of this I'm willing to listen because I'm absolutely positive that the calcium destroyed my valve stem and ate away part of my rim in less than 2 years. There is NO WAY that calcium is going back in.

 

[garytucker]

OK..that is exactly what I thought everyone was doing...like I said earlier...I don't know anything about "loading" a tire!! My focus has always to lose weight on a vehicle....not gain it!! Anyone have any other input?

 

[JohnMiller3]

A sure way of getting the correct amount of fluid in:

1) Size up your tire according to the "chart" to find "X" amount of gallons needed...

2) Place "X" amount of gallons into your pumping reservoir and start pumping...

3) Bleed intermittently, and continue pumping until "X" amount of fluid is dispersed for your "75%" fill rate...

That's the only way, you'll be sure you'll have the correct number of gallons... otherwise it's a haphazard method...

 

[garytucker]

ok, where is the "chart" located....I haven't been able to find it. Thanks, Gary

 

[normde2001]

Gary, you need to try to put as much weight as possible close to the ground on a compact tractor both for traction and to overcome the topheaviness, (if that's a word).

 

[gordon]

Here are a couple of links for you to check out.

http://www.goodyearag.com/caretech.html Goodyear ag has some great info all around for tractor tires.

http://www.firestoneag.com/tiredata/info/info_hydro_1.asp

Take your time and do some reading on these pages a ton of good info not only for ballast but for traction in general. There are a bunch more good webpages as well along the same lines.

Hope this helps

Gordon

 

[JohnMiller3]

What size are the tires you're filling?

Gordon posted a number of good references... I believe Goodyear has the most recent updated chart...

The first 50-65% of the fill goes fastest... then it almost slows down logarithmically... /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

 

[MikePA]

Gary, here's the <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.goodyearag.com/img/findtire/farmhandbook94_165.pdf>link</A> to the information on the Goodyear site. It's a PDF file so it might take a while to download. The tire filling information begins on page 49. BTW, at the link Gordon posted about tire care, Goodyear recommends using cast iron weights instead of filling the tires.

According to the chart, the rear tires (15 x 19.5) on my TC25D would each take 29 gallons of water which would add <font color=blue>240</font color=blue> pounds per tire. Total weight added, <font color=blue>480</font color=blue> pounds. CaCl2, depending on the mix, would add 294 or 320 pounds per tire.

By way of comparison, my Woods rear blade, RB60, weighs 232 pounds.

<font color=blue>Corrected the weights by correctly reading the table. /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif</font color=blue>

 

[normde2001]

Mike, there's something wrong with your numbers. 29 gal. @ 8+ # per gal. weighs 242# per tire.

 

[MikePA]

<font color=blue>Mike, there's something wrong with your numbers.</font color=blue>
Norm, there was something wrong with me, too! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I couldn't read the table right. I corrected my post.