Liquid Ballast

[Rockon75]

I'm consideting adding liquid ballast to my rear turf tires and I have a few questions.
If I fill them up to the middle of the rear axle (50%):
Would that be the level that would lower the center of gravity the most?
Would the weight of the liquid only act on the tire, I.e. not add to the axle load?
How many gallons would it take to fill a 41×14-20 half way?
My turf tires don't have a max weight rating, just a max psi of 25, does this liquid add to the loading that the tire can handle or does it act against the load a tire is holding up?
Am I over thinking this?
Thanks ahead of time.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Am I over thinking this?

YES!
Put the valve stem on top and fill them with a non freezable fluid till it reaches the valve steam, it will be about 85% and will work perfectly all around!

 

[skeets]

This should give you a pretty good place to start

http://www.orangetractortalks.com/2009/01/how-to-ballast-your-kubotas-tires/

And don't use plain water, if it freezes you will have a rather uncomfortable ride and the handling will be really,, well lets say it might be really fun.
Lots of guys use RV antifreeze others use beet juice, others use saltwater, and others use the cheapest antifreeze you can find mixed 50/50. Its heavy and DOES not change the center of balance of the tractor, but will make it a lot more stable. Im using wheel weights as well as filled rears, and the difference on the hills is very noticeable for the good

 

[Rockon75]

Roger that! Any idea on gallons needed? And does anyone see any reason why I can't go to the salvage yard a mile from my house and buy the antifreeze they take out of vehicles before crushing them?

 

[85Hokie]

I'm consideting adding liquid ballast to my rear turf tires and I have a few questions.
If I fill them up to the middle of the rear axle (50%):
Would that be the level that would lower the center of gravity the most?
Would the weight of the liquid only act on the tire, I.e. not add to the axle load?
How many gallons would it take to fill a 41×14-20 half way?
My turf tires don't have a max weight rating, just a max psi of 25, does this liquid add to the loading that the tire can handle or does it act against the load a tire is holding up?
Am I over thinking this?
Thanks ahead of time.

Do what Wolfman said ......12 oclock and then stop at the valve stem.....

you are looking about 32-35 gallons PER tire !!!

There is little axle load, since nothing is resting on the axle, all the weight is pressing on the ground, now if you load the rear (ballast box) you are loading the axle......

you over thinking it a bit, NOW the real thinking IS WHAT to put in the tires..... Cal Chl is fine, and HEAVEY and cheap, but you best have tubes, beet juice is the best but $$$$.......

doing it yourself is a slow process but worth it if you have time, they even make a tool to do it , less than 20 bucks.

 

[skeets]

Look through here and you can find just how much you need and how much its going to weigh about

http://www.messicks.com/blog/post/Liquid-Tire-Ballast-Chart.aspx

And yes you and fill it with used anti freeze a bud bought a 55 gal drum to fill his tires, I don't remember what he paid for it

 

[OldeEnglish]

Has anyone ever tried using a glycerin/water solution for ballast? A 70% glycerin to 30% water will protect against freezing to -40F. It's non toxic, weighs 26% more than water, and won't corrode anything. I've used it in fire sprinkler systems that are piped with CPVC where propylene glycol will corrode the plastic. The brand we use is FireFighter GL but it is expensive stuff! I'm guessing vegetable glycerin could be used which is easily obtained. Beet juice has to be some form of glycerin, they are both basically a sugar compound that resists freezing, but I don't know for sure. Definitely something to think about!

I went with the calcium, cheap and effective. I don't see why everyone says its so toxic or a hazmat substance, they spread it all over the roads around here. I'm sure it is to a point but they sure use too much of it in my opinion. I know it has showed up in people's water wells that live downhill from a major mountain road where they practically paint the roads with it....

 

[Rockon75]

Thanks everyone. As a do it yourself guy and hearing what the prices are from a tire shop, I'm going to look at buying a 55 gallon drum of used antifreeze and see how high up the side that gets me. That is going to be around 210 lb per side....I think - the messicks chart doesn't have my size listed, so I'll have to go with Hokie's estimate.

 

[OldeEnglish]

Thanks everyone. As a do it yourself guy and hearing what the prices are from a tire shop, I'm going to look at buying a 55 gallon drum of used antifreeze and see how high up the side that gets me. That is going to be around 210 lb per side....I think - the messicks chart doesn't have my size listed, so I'll have to go with Hokie's estimate.

You could mix up your own calcium chloride and pump it in yourself. You can get it in big bags of ice melt, mix it up, and pump it in. Like everyone said before tubes are recommend. 5lbs of calcium to one gal of water protects to -52F and would add a lot more weight than anti freeze. Here is another chart I found, maybe it has your tire size. I don't know what size you have but I just paid $250 for my 12-10-15 tires to be switched out, new tubes, and filled. My buddie picked them up for me, he couldn't lift it on his truck and he's a strong guy haha.

http://www.andystireservice.com/ballast.htm

 

[85Hokie]

Thanks everyone. As a do it yourself guy and hearing what the prices are from a tire shop, I'm going to look at buying a 55 gallon drum of used antifreeze and see how high up the side that gets me. That is going to be around 210 lb per side....I think - the messicks chart doesn't have my size listed, so I'll have to go with Hokie's estimate.

i "found" this on the net :

"but smaller 41-14-20 tires takes 32 gallons for 267 lbs at 75%"

 

[skeets]

Some place I remember reading about using dawn dish soap and water, or maybe it was something from an alcohol induced stupor ,, I dunno

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I'm not an advocate of Antifreeze in tires, unless it's the Safer RV type.
If you have a leaking tire, and they always do, and they leave a puddle they can kill Cat and Dogs!
I also don't like the Idea that in the event of a catastrophic loss it could kill everything it floods.
I would opt for calcium chloride and a tube!

 

[OldeEnglish]

Wolfman is right, that's about as toxic as you can get with really no extra benefit of weight.

Sheets, I've read somewhere that Dish soap was used as well but I don't remember where.... It must have been done in Florida because soapy water freezes. We use a heavy soap/water solution for leak testing pipes filled with air. In the dead of winter, forget about it because it freezes as soon as it hits the cold metal. I mix in some windex with it for the cold months but it reduces the bubble effect.