Filling tires with ballast at home.

[paulsharvey]

Start with jacking up the tire free from the ground, tyre valve at the highest point and take the inner part of the valve out. Then take a very thin tube, thin enough to pass freely through the valve, and put one end tight-fitting through the cap of a 1.5 litre Coke bottle. Cut the bottom out of the bottle, hang it upside down over the tyre and stick the other hose end into the valve. Fill the bottle with the liquid and go and do something meaningful. Come back after a few hours, refill, again go do and repeat until the valve overflows. Close valve, blow air and let the jack down. In the US, take a one gallon milk container; saves you checking ever so often. Takes quite some time but very cheap and I have a national reputation to keep up, don't I?

Only correction, or clarification, you want the tire partial jacked, but Not off the ground, or the weight can pull the bead down. Basically, jack enough that the airless tire is about half or quarter squished. If that makes sense

 

[DutchInNZ]

Only correction, or clarification, you want the tire partial jacked, but Not off the ground, or the weight can pull the bead down. Basically, jack enough that the airless tire is about half or quarter squished. If that makes sense

It surely does. I guess it went well here because the beads are stuck like glue plus me having the luck of the true amateur. I lifted the tyres just so that they were less than 1/8th off, so their flexibility may have taken most of the strain.

 

[Wagtail]

Following.

 

[George2615]

I filled the rears on my LS with windshield washer fluid. I think I used 37 gallons in each tire.

 

[Crank Shaft]

I also used WW fluid in my B2320 but it never occurred to me that the weight of the fluid might break the bead if the tire is off the ground. Ooops, but no harm done. I filled both of my tires while they were raised off the ground but the bead was not harmed.

I found my notes of the details of the fill that might be useful to anyone with same tires. I filled my rear turf tires that are 33 x 12.5 - 15.

I did not fill to 75% because I don't like to accidentally inject any kind of liquid into my tire pressure gauges when checking air pressure. What I did was fill to where I had to rotate the tire to about the 2 o'clock position before the WW fluid started to come out the valve stem.

To each tire I added exactly 64 litres of WW fluid which equals 142 pounds. With my setup using a cheap drill-driven pump and a burp valve, I was able to fill each tire in 50 minutes and that includes burp time.

Of course the lads and Canadian Tire store thought I was nuts being so much WW fluid.

 

[TMGT]

Washer fluid has gotten to expensive around here, at least if you want freezing protection. Regular washer fluid is about $4gal



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[Crank Shaft]

Washer fluid has gotten to expensive around here, at least if you want freezing protection. Regular washer fluid is about $4gal



Sent from my SM-S921U using TractorByNet mobile app

It sure has gone up. When I did mine, a gallon cost $2 USD, and now it is $3.50 USD. What are the cheaper alternatives... if any?

The way I look at it, I want something non-corrosive and it is really a one-time purchase so not a huge cost. My total cost was $64 but my tires are pretty small compared to the larger tractors many of you guys own.

 

[hayden]

Washer fluid has gotten to expensive around here, at least if you want freezing protection. Regular washer fluid is about $4gal



Sent from my SM-S921U using TractorByNet mobile app

That's what I found too. Really, Washer fluid, RV antifreeze, and Rim Guard are all right around $4/ gal from what I saw. Rim Guard is more weight per gal, but has to be dealer installed which is inconvenient and an added expense. And in my opinion, a bigger mess to clean up when/if it leaks. With any large quantity of fluid, shipping is also a big factor, so anything that can be picked up locally is a big advantage. And of course stuff is occasionally on sale. 55 gal drums on sale at NAPA, and picked up locally with no shipping worked out the best in my case, and a DIY installation was the most convenient and least time consuming. But the formula will work out differently in different situations.

 

[LouNY]

The last i knew Bio-Ballast a competitor to Rim Guard would ship direct to individuals.

 

[Midniteoyl]

It sure has gone up. When I did mine, a gallon cost $2 USD, and now it is $3.50 USD. What are the cheaper alternatives... if any?

The way I look at it, I want something non-corrosive and it is really a one-time purchase so not a huge cost. My total cost was $64 but my tires are pretty small compared to the larger tractors many of you guys own.

Sitting at $2.50 US around here at the moment for the -20F, but towards Spring, that'll go half off and then I get a pallet or 2.

https://www.menards.com/main/tools/automotive/automotive-maintenance/automotive-fluids-chemicals/splash-reg-20-deg-f-windshield-washer-fluid-1-gallon/234526-35/p-1444443335772-c-10098.htm

-35F stuff is $3 https://www.menards.com/main/tools/...id-1-gallon/93506/p-1444443336003-c-10098.htm