Considering adding rear tire ballast

[Whiskey Papa]

I need to add some rear weight to my B2920. It sounds like the common (safe) choices are beet juice or poly-glycol anti-freeze (pink non-toxic stuff). I was wondering if motor oil or hydraulic fluid would work. It must certainly be heavier than beet juice and would actually help stop rusting. I just wonder if it would work its way through the tire bead since oil likes to penetrate. Any thoughts on used motor oil? That stuff is free.

If oil is a viable option, I suppose one would need a way to get the oil into the tire. That might be a little more tricky than a standard submersible pump...

 

[kevink27]

oil floats on top of water, thus water is heavier than oil

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Beet juice is the way to go if it is available in your area.

Calcium Chloride is heavy – about 11.5 lbs./gallon. Rim Guard™ weights 10.7-11 lbs. per gallon – about the same.
Calcium Chloride is freeze resistant to -30°F or -40°F depending upon how it is mixed. Rim Guard™ is freeze resistant to -35°F and will not solidify until -50°F.

 

[Dan_R_42]

If it were me I would do the beet juice.

There must be some issues with using oil, especially used oil. Can you imagine trying to do a tire repair after oil soaking the tire& rim.

 

[Whiskey Papa]

oil floats on top of water, thus water is heavier than oil

Bazinga...that makes perfect sense...wish I thought of that first.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Motor oil will soften the rubber.
hydraulic fluid might work,but cost of it would be huge, without much gain.
I wouldn't want to ever have to change a tire!
What would you do to fix a flat???

Sung in the Beverly Hillbillies tune!
One day why rolling along harvesting some food a stick come along and look bubbling crude!