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Tire Weight

treegump

Romans 3:22-24
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Location
Martinsville, IN
What do you recommend on putting into tractor tires for weight (in colder climates)?

Anti-freeze, Windshield Wiper Fluid, Metal BB's, Other?
 
Heavy equipment here gets it a lot for traction in mud. Most use water with a little antifreeze mixed to protect down to -10. The amount of antifreeze added lowers the temp by volume.

But one thing we learned is some antifreeze made it where putting in a tire plug wouldn’t hold- something in the chemical make up of antifreeze didn’t mix with the vulcanizing glue.
We had to break the tire down and wash it out with brake cleaner to eliminate the antifreeze then repair the tire. We called a tire guy and he said use brand X instead of Y and no more issues. Sorry I don’t remember what the good brand was.
 
All my tractors have wet tires front & rear, I use water & small amount of the green stuff...

Depending on your budget "beet juice" is what the big farms use, it's heavier than water and won't freeze... but youd be fine with water, will need tubes in the tires and Tractor supply has the fittings to do it with a water hose...

Then theirs Polyurethane foam, twice as heavy as water, no flat tires ever again.....

 
All my tractors have wet tires front & rear, I use water & small amount of the green stuff...

Depending on your budget "beet juice" is what the big farms use, it's heavier than water and won't freeze... but youd be fine with water, will need tubes in the tires and Tractor supply has the fittings to do it with a water hose...

Then theirs Polyurethane foam, twice as heavy as water, no flat tires ever again.....


ok wait, beet juice?! Seriously? Where is Dwight Shrute?
 
I think it’s awesome someone figured out that it works. Idk how much you guys add to tractor tires but yellow iron here gets 20-75% depending on use. I would think the beet juice would spoil, ferment, etc. but then again maybe that is part of the plan also. Ah, Beet wine with a hint of goodyear...

I dont have a hatred for beets, but I cant remember ever buying one since I went grocery shopping for myself either. But all organic material has to decompose, right?
Do you sometimes do it for a couple months of the year?
Here once the water goes in the tire, it is usually there forever.
 
I was at the local auto parts store, which is a Mahindra Tractor Dealer also. I saw a guy buying cases of windshield washer fluid. The parts counter guy told me they were loading tractor tires with it.

Not sure whats in the tires on our little Massey Ferguson tractor, they were loaded when we bought it.
 
Soooo . . . If beet juice does ferment, won't that help with a punctures? Maybe even mix in some flour or corn meal as a sealant to react when exposed to air. If this works, perhaps we should patent it as an new variety of run-flat :D
 
@JayTheCPA I know you're probably joking, but...could a stiffener be used in conjunction with the ballast to help with small punctures?

Also - unless there's a downside to Beet Juice, it sounds like that's the best way to go.

Wouldn't WW fluid or Anti-freeze have some sort of "expiration" date? I mean - even in vehicles there's a "flush after "x" miles".
- But, if they don't, than maybe the RV Anti-freeze would be better?
 
Mine are loaded with calcium chloride mix from the tire service truck. If you're talking a lawn tractor, a heavy counterweight bolted to the rear frame and/or wheel weights is a better plan because lawn and garden tractor tires aren't as tough as AG tires. They'll always be prone to puncture from thorns and such.
 
RV antifreeze?! That is just relabeled brandX antifreeze as a marketing ploy.

RVs use engines from regular pickups, med and heavy duty trucks. Some had 6.5, cummins, duramax, cat, etc. Others are gasoline engines- ford, chevy, toyota, etc.
The antifreeze needs are based on the engine. Doesn’t matter if it is an RV, semi, pickup, generator, etc.

The windshield washer fluid is being used same reason it gets used in wmi systems- alcohol mixes with water and lowers the freezing point. I suppose you could just cut in some alcohol - have to see how much water you need to know amount of alcohol to mix.

Definitely would NOT want anything like cornstarch to thicken up the liquid. The liquid should run free as possible to not throw the tire out of balance when spinning.
In offroad trucks with oversized tires we would add water or antifreeze to use for the purpose of balancing the tire. It doesn’t do anything first couple mph, but then by 10 mph you could already feel the difference helping- It Is spun around with centrifugal force and will pool up slightly more in the lighter weight spot balancing out the tire.

Guys that ran say a quart of straight water in say a 38” tire knew when it froze the night before. Ya get up to 35mph or above and that big icecube would rattle your teeth loose! Making the fluid thick would have the same problem.
 
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