Why not sugar water in tires instead of beet juice?

[rScotty]

Every once in a while we need to remind ourselves that filling tires isn't a given. There are just as many reasons for not doing it as doing it. So before putting liquid in the tires figure out if it's an advantage for your use.

 

[M59]

I have seen the ads for beet juice for tires. I have not been able to find pricing. In order to get pricing I must fill out a form with all my info and then I will get a quote. But after speaking to a few folks they spent over 300 bucks per 11.2 x 24 tires. I assume beet juice is used because of all the sugar dissolved into the beet juice. Looking at my Yanmar YM2310 manual it says the tires can be loaded with 235 pounds of a calcium chloride and water solution. Water will dissolve, by weight, pretty much the same amount of sucrose, which is table sugar. Since water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon if I was to make a saturated solution of sugar and water I would need to buy 235 pounds of sugar. Really though, because of the way sugar is packaged in bulk I would need to buy 250 pounds. A quick look online resulted in me finding sugar for 80 cents per pound delivered. So 200 bucks for 250 pounds of sugar. But sugar dissolves 2.4 times, as much, by weight, as calcium chloride into water. So I would need to use more water and less sugar to get to the 235 pound weight shown in the manual. It looks like I can just add sugar water to my innertubes instead of beet juice. Is there a good reason(s) to not use sugar water instead of beet juice? Will it eat up my tubes? I don't get it. Since the sugar water is way less corrosive than calcium chloride I wonder why I have never seen a sugar water solution being mentioned for adding weight. Anybody here have any info on this?
Thanks,
Eric

etpm,

My used 2008 M59 came with beet juice loaded tires, which dealer didn't tell me about, and I only learned when I went to put air into a rear tire and purple juice ran out. I have never had any issues with tires, rims, or valves and would re-use the beet juice again if I have to replace the tires due to age or damage. Loaded tires are a huge improvement when carrying a full loader bucket ( pic below ) or when traveling over incline with full loader. Ballasted tires significantly lower the center of gravity of working machine. I have attached several data sheets for tire loading and tire volumes. I won't use the following :Salt because it enables galvanic corrosion and results in short rim life along as well as poisons ground when leaked. Methanol is a contact poison and doesn't really add weight since its sole purpose is to prevent water from freezing. Antifreeze ( ethylene glycol ) is sweet tasting and lethal to pets and local animals when it leaks onto ground.
Beet juice is thick, like syrup, so it is heavy per unit volume and must be put in with a gear pump. Most installers won't add beat juice when temps are cold because it gets thicker and hard to pump.

The left two pics are rock in a 84 inch wide bucket. Even with loaded rear tires ( 589 lbs beet juice per tire ) and a backhoe, the rear end got pretty light and would bounce. Not a pleasant sensation.

Hope this helps.

 

[rScotty]

etpm,
SNIP
Loaded tires are a huge improvement when carrying a full loader bucket ( pic below ) or when traveling over incline with full loader. Ballasted tires significantly lower the center of gravity of working machine. I have attached several data sheets for tire loading and tire volumes. I won't use the following :Salt because it enables galvanic corrosion and results in short rim life along as well as poisons ground when leaked. Methanol is a contact poison and doesn't really add weight since its sole purpose is to prevent water from freezing. Antifreeze ( ethylene glycol ) is sweet tasting and lethal to pets and local animals when it leaks onto ground.
Beet juice is thick, like syrup, so it is heavy per unit volume and must be put in with a gear pump. Most installers won't add beat juice when temps are cold because it gets thicker and hard to pump.

The left two pics are rock in a 84 inch wide bucket. Even with loaded rear tires ( 589 lbs beet juice per tire ) and a backhoe, the rear end got pretty light and would bounce. Not a pleasant sensation.

Hope this helps.

All good reasons & I doubt there are many people who use calcium chloride or methanol or antifreeze in their tires anymore. Way to corrosive and/or poisonous. One leak in a tire filled with any of the above will make a person into a believer for life.

I prefer to stay with just air in the tires. Nicer ride, and doesn't overstress the loader & front end. Adding weight to the tires will lower the center of gravity - but not by much. Whether loading the tires is an advantage or not on slopes is debateable. Loaded tires may offer CG stability, but are less flexible and tend to slide sideways.

Best thing on slopes is stay away.

When the M59 first came out, one of the options on the "build it" page was OEM cast iron wheel weights. There are probably still some of those around.
rScotty

 

[KennJ]

Actually, I sell liquid process equipment for my day job. If you want to see a picture of stickiness and rusty metal, just visit a sugar processing plant! Sugar is highly corrosive and I would never recommend putting it into your tires, so I did a little research on "beet juice."

The reason for beet juice is the high specific gravity and viscosity and absence of sugar.; it isn't really just juice from a beet.

When they process sugar beets they first end up with a molasses, and then they de-sugar the molasses. They are left with an un-sweet molasses by-product that has a weight of 10 lbs per gallon (vs 8.35 pounds for water). You get more weight for your tires than you would if you added water. The beet juice will actually prevent corrosion of your wheels, where water can enhance corrosion.

I also had my dealer fill the tires. Cost me $400 and added 600 lb.

Just an interesting factoid: Ketchup is so corrosive because of the combination of vinegar (acid) salt and sugar that one plant manager told me that if they don't flush the stainless steel process tubing well enough on a Friday, it will have pin-holes on Monday!

 

[Raul-02]

s OEM cast iron wheel weights. There are probably still some of those around.

those home case weights are a real problem at speeds over 80 mph

 

[Raul-02]

one plant manager told me that if they don't flush the stainless steel process tubing well enough on a Friday, it will have pin-holes on Monday!

First question I'd have asked is "What the heck grade of stainless are they made from?" Second would be "They did fire the idiot engineer who specced them yes?"

 

[KennJ]

First question I'd have asked is "What the heck grade of stainless are they made from?" Second would be "They did fire the idiot engineer who specced them yes?"

Good question! It's just what the guy said, no reason for him to lie. In food plants they use food grade tubing with triclover ferrules rather than pipe and flanges, so it is usually a much thinner wall than pipe. There are lots of things that eat stainless steel, and it isn't always cost effective to use other metals like titanium.

 

[KennJ]

I do not use loaded tires. They are fine untill you have tire issues then the cost and aggravations start to add up.
If I need ballast I buy wheel weights it does cost more initially but I find it much nicer.
I don't see why you are spinning tires while turning with a mower unless your mower is in the dirt.

Very true about the tire issues; that is one of my concerns.

Has anyone have any experience with a product called Multi Seal? I've been seriously considering it. They have a formulation for addition into filled tires (10% of the liquid in the tire).

It's a leak stopper for tires but it's not like slime. It uses kevlar fibers, isn't sticky, stays liquid and lasts for the life of the tire and is not corrosive. The videos are impressive! I definitely intend to add it to my front tires... I just had to fix a flat last week.

Commercial and Industrial Tire Sealant | MULTISEAL® The formula for filled tires is the "Hydro 1500." They sell their basic formulation under the name "FlatOut" and you can get it through Tractor Supply, Home Depot and Amazon. They have a YouTube channel too.

 

[rScotty]

those home case weights are a real problem at speeds over 80 mph

I'm not sure what a home case weight is?

And check your goggles and helmet... gotta make sure the strap is tight. Good fitting goggles are a necessity for tractor speeds over 80 mph.

 

[M59]

Good question! It's just what the guy said, no reason for him to lie. In food plants they use food grade tubing with triclover ferrules rather than pipe and flanges, so it is usually a much thinner wall than pipe. There are lots of things that eat stainless steel, and it isn't always cost effective to use other metals like titanium.

KennJ,

You are absolutely correct on "many things eat stainless". Stainless is corrosion resistant it is NOT corrosion proof because stainless steels ( all grades ) quickly form an oxide coating that prevents further oxidation/ corrosion. Any fluid carry solids which includes liquids saturated to point they can no "dissolve" any more of the material ( ie sugar ) then the solution becomes abrasive and removes the oxide coating coating as quickly as it forms. Quick pinholes. Most acids , even mild ones like citric acid, will have the same effect on the oxide coating and then pipe/ tubing failure.