Tire Ballist
- Thread starter lilguy
- Start date
TripleR
Active member
Equipment
BX2200, BX2660, L5740 HSTC, M8540HDC and some other tractors and equipment
Our dealer uses windshield wiper fluid in all tractors sold there. It is not as heavy as Rimguard, but easier to get and cheaper.
I'm actually shocked that anyone uses windshield washer solvent for ballast that won't freeze. You're never supposed to use chemicals that can effect rubber and alcohol will definitely damage rubber.
I think when you say "salt water" you're actually referring to calcium chloride which is a heavy duty version of the same thing. We who live in the rust belt because that type of chloride is used on our roads get to see our vehicles turn to crap long before they should. It won't freeze if mixed heavy enough and the weight is the "heaviest" you can possibly get for additional weight.
Rim Guard is the best and I'm surprised it hasn't caught on in other areas of the country, but am spoiled since it was invented and made right here in Michigan. The cost of shipping is probably the culprit. I'd suggest taking the tires off the rims and have them sand blasted and painted, then add tubes when putting them back together before filling them again. Rim Guard is bio degradable and won't cause the problems of many other chemicals with one draw back: it stinks like pig sh!t bad LOL!
Al
I think when you say "salt water" you're actually referring to calcium chloride which is a heavy duty version of the same thing. We who live in the rust belt because that type of chloride is used on our roads get to see our vehicles turn to crap long before they should. It won't freeze if mixed heavy enough and the weight is the "heaviest" you can possibly get for additional weight.
Rim Guard is the best and I'm surprised it hasn't caught on in other areas of the country, but am spoiled since it was invented and made right here in Michigan. The cost of shipping is probably the culprit. I'd suggest taking the tires off the rims and have them sand blasted and painted, then add tubes when putting them back together before filling them again. Rim Guard is bio degradable and won't cause the problems of many other chemicals with one draw back: it stinks like pig sh!t bad LOL!
Al
TripleR
Active member
Equipment
BX2200, BX2660, L5740 HSTC, M8540HDC and some other tractors and equipment
Using WWF is quite common in this area and others from what I have read on other forums.
The price of Rimguard is a bit too much for a lot of people.
TripleR
Active member
Equipment
BX2200, BX2660, L5740 HSTC, M8540HDC and some other tractors and equipment
Always surprises me how many people assume others just don't know any better, are too cheap to do the right thing etc.
I've been selling tires for a living exclusively since 1976 and have seen some really bizzare things over the years, some good and some terribly bad. I also believe we learn something new every day about something if we have an open mind and pay attention to what's going on.
I've seen a brand new set of very costly 18.4-38 Radial rear tractor tires destroyed completely because someone "cheaped out" and used ballast that wasn't proper ( in this case salt brine from an oil well) and the tires froze solid in the cold of northern Michigan. Windchill effects anything with liquid in it more than people realize and this tractor happened to be parked outside as
usual in a place the wind whipped through steadily. He had no clue they were frozen and called the dealer who installed them complaining he couldn't get around and all his new tires would do is spin. He had installed his own fluid not willing to pay the extra $150.00 the dealer charged for the same type ballast and wouldn't listen to the dealer who told him that he always tested each load received by putting it in his freezer at home so he knew it was good to go. By the time the dealers service man arrived the customer had all but totally destroyed his frozen tires because they weren't flexing and ripped the bar lugs off in several places. It took all day using a salemander heater to thaw them enough to get them drained enough to break the beads so they could pry off a side and cut the tubes and chip the chunks of ice out. So he was out his original $1500.00 plus 10 hours of service truck time and you can bet the farm he thought the additional $150.00 that time was cheap insurance.
Putting something in a tire that will cause it to rot or weather check enough to start leaking etc before it's worn out is a waste of hard earned money for most of us and the risk isn't usually worth the savings. I'd much rather save up until I had the extra money to do the job right than lose what I bought because I didn't. As my uncle Bud always said years ago: " a low price can be a thief in disguise far to often".
I'm very happy for all who can use the windshield washer fluid if it works for you alright and saves you money in the long run too. I'm not a know it all and have learned a lot from others on this forum that have some great advise and am thankful for everyone that shares their knowledge. If we learn from others mistakes we can avoid making them ourselves, right?
Al
I've seen a brand new set of very costly 18.4-38 Radial rear tractor tires destroyed completely because someone "cheaped out" and used ballast that wasn't proper ( in this case salt brine from an oil well) and the tires froze solid in the cold of northern Michigan. Windchill effects anything with liquid in it more than people realize and this tractor happened to be parked outside as
usual in a place the wind whipped through steadily. He had no clue they were frozen and called the dealer who installed them complaining he couldn't get around and all his new tires would do is spin. He had installed his own fluid not willing to pay the extra $150.00 the dealer charged for the same type ballast and wouldn't listen to the dealer who told him that he always tested each load received by putting it in his freezer at home so he knew it was good to go. By the time the dealers service man arrived the customer had all but totally destroyed his frozen tires because they weren't flexing and ripped the bar lugs off in several places. It took all day using a salemander heater to thaw them enough to get them drained enough to break the beads so they could pry off a side and cut the tubes and chip the chunks of ice out. So he was out his original $1500.00 plus 10 hours of service truck time and you can bet the farm he thought the additional $150.00 that time was cheap insurance.
Putting something in a tire that will cause it to rot or weather check enough to start leaking etc before it's worn out is a waste of hard earned money for most of us and the risk isn't usually worth the savings. I'd much rather save up until I had the extra money to do the job right than lose what I bought because I didn't. As my uncle Bud always said years ago: " a low price can be a thief in disguise far to often".
I'm very happy for all who can use the windshield washer fluid if it works for you alright and saves you money in the long run too. I'm not a know it all and have learned a lot from others on this forum that have some great advise and am thankful for everyone that shares their knowledge. If we learn from others mistakes we can avoid making them ourselves, right?
Al
Tiredguy,
I would think that as long as the WWF was used with a tube in the tire the alcohol wouldn't affect the rubber of the tire. Does that make sense?
Tom
I would think that as long as the WWF was used with a tube in the tire the alcohol wouldn't affect the rubber of the tire. Does that make sense?
Tom
Just use water and auto antifreeze. Engines have rubber hoses all over them and the antifreeze doesn't harm it.
Tires and tubes have one thing in common: they're both made out of rubber. So, if it destroys a tire it will destroy the tube equally. Automotive antifreeze scares the hell out of me because it's highly toxic where any spillage could result in a dead pet. Everything that uses antifreeze in it has hoses designed and made out of materials that's required to handle it. NOT TIRES or TUBES!
Alcohol or any forms of it like glycol which is in automotive antifreeze can cause problems. I've seen tires ruined by sitting in a puddle of it just like I have with tires sitting in an oil spill. Tires are really expensive on tractors and proper ballast is cheap in comparison to the tires. I'd much rather see someone scrounge up something to use for weight on the 3pt or front etc and "get by" with that until they can afford the good stuff.
I make my living souley on the sale of tires just like every tire dealer you know, and with very few exceptions the majority of us are there to save you money so you'll keep coming back for more
. Not treating or servicing you in your best interest would cause you to go elsewhere and tell all your friends and relatives to do likewise. No dealer wants that!Tired
I replaced all four of my ag's on my b7100 about 3 months ago. When i did i had them filled with a silicone type product that is flexible but very dense, also you can never get a flat tire. Seems to work really well. I did the silicone as an alternative to the corrosive calcium ballast. When they fill it with the silicone they actually poke a hole in the top of the tire place the valve stem on the very bottom, and fill untill all the air is gone and the silicone oozes out. Then they cure it in an oven for a day or two. Weird process but seems to be very effective. My tires on the rear went from roughly 45lbs calcium filled to exactly 166lbs silicone filled.
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When I worked in the pits of dregravation ( the coal mines) some of our underground rubber tires equipment had filled tires like that, I don't know if its the same stuff,, but I do know that the tires were very heavy and rather unforgiving, but you wont be running that fast anyway, You will find the ride much stiffer ( finding every bump and hole) so be prepaired for that. And Im not sure about the newer stuff but once the tires were worn out you had to replace the whole thing tire and wheel
Spend the money on RimGuard and get it right the first time!! You won't be disappointed by the weight per volume and it is environmentally friendly!!
Got 44 gallons of beet juice a few weeks ago for $160. Weighs more than any other product I think. 10.7 lbs per gallon. I gained 470 lbs total. I don't know anyone that had a corrosion issue with Rim Guard, I do know 3 people whose wheels rotted away around valve stems and leak calcium chloride all over their garage.