Filled front tires

[elalexander]

I need to add some weight to my front end. I know my rear tires are fluid filled but can you add fluid to the front wheels and get away from suitcase weights? I know weights may still be needed but I'm just looking for a fix that don't cost more then several gallons of beet juice, or windshield washer anti-freeze.

Any ideas?

Thanks, EL

 

[WildWest]

I have been wanting to ad wieight to my satoh beaver my friend at the tire shop says just ad water and a quart of antifreeze but i want to build a weight setup that is removeable so i can use it when i need and and take if off when i dont.

 

[Solo]

I have my front tires filled. They add about 35 lbs. each, the tires are 6x12 ags. I still use my suitcase weights also. So I don't think just filling your tires would be enough.

Solo

 

[MarkV]

Like Solo there are a number of members on the forum that use liquid ballast in their front tires and have not had a problem. In past discussions there are also numbers of members that do not recommend filling the fronts because of the added stress on the front spindles. My manual says not to, so you may want to check what is recommended for your tractor.

MarkV

 

[SPYDERLK]

I have been wanting to ad wieight to my satoh beaver my friend at the tire shop says just ad water and a quart of antifreeze but i want to build a weight setup that is removeable so i can use it when i need and and take if off when i dont.

You can use plain water and drain it on the ground when you dont need it. Texas temperature lows should present no danger. Drive more carfully over big bumps when theyre full.
larry

 

[MACDABS]

I had calcium filled front and rear tires , had to get the front fixed from thorns and junk in dirt piles for leaks. I then got the front foam filled, best thing I ever did . No more thorns ,great ballast and made a world of difference with a heavy bucket in the stability cause no sidewall flex or bounce. I never got the rear foamed cause of the cost and size , plus never had trouble with leaks.
Macdabs

 

[TomOfTarsus]

Like Solo there are a number of members on the forum that use liquid ballast in their front tires and have not had a problem. In past discussions there are also numbers of members that do not recommend filling the fronts because of the added stress on the front spindles. My manual says not to, so you may want to check what is recommended for your tractor. (Emphasis by ToT)

MarkV

That seems odd. Why would 35 lb on the wheel stress the spindle any more than several hundred lb. in the bucket? The spindle still has to transmit the load to the ground.

Unless they are concerned about steering force... Hm, gotta think that one through... by all means, though, go by the manual!

Next, as I am not an owner yet (see my TC-18 thread under NH buying and pricing), just how do you go about getting the liquid in there? And then do you finish it off with air to get the right pressure?

Later,

Tom

 

[Phineas7]

And then do you finish it off with air to get the right pressure?

I lifted the wheel off the ground with valve stem up put water in until it was at the valve stem, then bled off all the pressure. Then it's kind of trial and error. Add water for 30 seconds, then check pressure and so on. I'm using water only, since It doesn't get cold, long enough here to freeze that much water. (A half inch on the dogs bowl, it the most I've seen)

 

[TomOfTarsus]

Yeah, but what do you use? A water pump with an air chuck on it? This wannabe tractor guy is just too curious!

 

[Phineas7]

Oh sorry! You can by a water hose to schraeder valve adapter at the NAPA auto part store to the Tractor Supply store. It's about $10.

 

[TomOfTarsus]

Ve-l-l-ly Interesting! An dthe same for this calcium chloride stuff I hear about? Which I assume is more dense? (Kinda like me... )

 

[Phineas7]

BTW, as you're filling from the hose don't forget to take the hose off and let the pressure blead off. Else the water will stop flowing when the pressure equalizes. If you're on city water, that might be a 120PSI +.

Not sure about the CC. I assume it's heavier and doesn't freeze.
If you have tubless tires, you want the rims completly submerged to help prevent corrosion.

I read all this stuff here. I've only owned a tractor for 3 months, and I just filled my tires about 2 weeks ago, so take advice from me with a grain of salt

 

[GinNB]

Calcium in water is heavier than water alone and doesn't freeze. Use it in tubed tires only or you'll dissolve your rims. I'd also make sure that you don't fill your tires above the level of the top of the rim. You need room for air for one, and you'll also affect your handling. You'll have little/no cushion and it'll feel like you're driving a pogo stick. It'll also be hard to add/remove air because calcium'll squirt out your valve stem into your tire guage and wreck it in short order. If you load your tires with calcium and want to check your tire pressure afterwards, poke the valve with something to blow out the calcium until the air's dry before putting your gauge on.

 

[Solo]

Calcium in water is heavier than water alone and doesn't freeze. Use it in tubed tires only or you'll dissolve your rims. I'd also make sure that you don't fill your tires above the level of the top of the rim. You need room for air for one, and you'll also affect your handling. You'll have little/no cushion and it'll feel like you're driving a pogo stick. It'll also be hard to add/remove air because calcium'll squirt out your valve stem into your tire guage and wreck it in short order. If you load your tires with calcium and want to check your tire pressure afterwards, poke the valve with something to blow out the calcium until the air's dry before putting your gauge on.

You can buy tire guages that are made for calcium filled tires. I bought mine at Tractor Supply.

Solo

 

[TomOfTarsus]

Okay, cool. So I need to see if that New Holland TC-18 has tubes in the tires, get a special tire gauge, and to calc the weight I'd add, use the density of water, volume to the top of the rim. (Just a skosh on the light side). Then get a bunch of water, saturate it with calcium chloride, a special hose fitting (and yes, I DO have 100 psi water pressure), and I'm off to the races.

Caan this also be done with antifreeze? Seems like the corrosion factor wouldn't be as serious, but I'd have to look up the density.

Y'all have been very helpful. Now if I can still get my grubby mitts on that TC-18..

 

[rdbrumfield]

Be sure to leave plenty of airspace when filling those small tires. They will become so ridgid thay rocks will penetrate much easier. Especially when using a loader.
Personally, I would never put anything in them. they make weights for the front, and it is an easy thing to make your own if you have the equipment to do it.
Fact is, I don't put anything in the rears either. Using a loader with something hanging off the 3pt plus balasted tires put quite a strain on the middle of the tractor. They have been known to break in two.
Having 4wheel drive on most cuts, that should be enough. If you feel light in the back, lighten you loads, and listen to the tractor, it will live much longer. As far as the fronts with a loader, when you go to getting a load, when you are lifting and pushing at the same time, you are adding a lot of down pressure to the front end, can't see how 35lbs added to 500 or more would be such a great advantage.

 

[TomOfTarsus]

Second the motion on air space, sir. We cannot emphasize this enough. A fully filled tire would be incompressible and that would be a disaster going someplace to happen. Mostly filled, you still have a pretty rigid tire.

And I appreciate your advice about not filling CUT tires at all. Less complicated! As you can see above, I figured it was the thing to do for those of us who work (or want to work) on hilly terrrain a lot. But that's one reason why I wanted to run a calculation, just to see how much it could add, what it'd do to the CG, roll-over inertia etc., and compare it to add-on weights.

I agree that the filled front tires don't seem to make much sense from a weight standpoint (more trouble than it's worth). But as you and I both point out, it doen't make much sense from a stress standpoint to prohibit filling them. The only thing I can figure is that, by reducing the volume of air to compress, you increase the rigidity of the tire and make it more prone to bouncing, as well as increasing the shock load transmitted to the spindle. That'd make sense to me.

Now I want to check out what it would take to break a tractor in half!

 

[Phineas7]

Tom, you can do a lot of reading here about filled tires. There's definitely 2 opinions on that. I've only filled the rears. I need to bush hog in very hilly places and wanted more stability from a lower center of gravity. From what I've seen it bounces less. Not sure what's harder on the spindles, 700lbs in the tires or 700 on the tractor. If it's just for loader work, I can see the preference for using rear ballast instead.

Concerning anti-freeze, that's what my dealer uses (about 5%). I'm just using water. Don't figure it will freeze here and if I get a leak I won't be poisening anything. Just let the water run out and get the tire fixed.

 

[TomOfTarsus]

Just goes to show you. I plumb forgot about the poisoning risk from antifreeze. At least calcium chloride is more forgiving in that regard (it WILL freeze where I'm from!).

IMHO I don't think there's a stress issue at all, unless, as I noted above, it's due to dynamics. Of course, you could place the 700 lb so that it would be a problem, but from where I sit it seems, if anything, the weight of the tires aren't supported by the spindles, or axles, so as for axle stress one may even be better off with the tires weighted. Note this is for static stress only and does not address the many other perfomance and balance issues involved.

That somewhat contradicts my first post in the thread, which is what happens sometimes when you shoot from the hip. But it is true that the wheel weight is not supported by the axle, whereas hung weights certainly are.