Loading tires
 

I've read a lot, both here and elsewhere, about loading tires. My 23x8.50x12 ag tires just arrived. I'm pretty sure I'll be using windshield washer fluid. I've read that it should take around 7 gallons per tire. But I never read about adding air or how much. Is there a preferred psi to put into a loaded tire of this size?

I have always heard to put the valve stem at 12:00. Then fill the tube-tire till it runs out the stem. Then put the valve back in and fill with air to recomended pressure on sidewall.

joe

Use tubes. After you get the fluid in, just run normal air pressure.

Oh, and I'd be really surprised if you got more than 6 gallons in there. My 8.50s are about 90% full and there's only 6 gallons in each. Still helps a ton though.

As Joe said, run them at the pressure rating on the sidewall. But be careful, the PSI will get there really fast since you have very little air volume now that most if it is liquid. You can hit dangerous pressures within seconds if your compressor regulator is at 120. Bump them up slowly...

Be safe,

Jim

Thanks to all. Should be getting the ags mounted Monday.

Here's a chart that was posted in an earlier thread:
http://www.tractorsmart.com/Farm_Tra...re_Ballast.htm
Looks like 6 gal. is the number.

Great chart. Thanks! I'll share this with some others I know.

Matt I'm just curious about the tubes. I know you always say to run them in fluid filled tires, but I would think that if you punctured the tire, then you are going to puncture the tube as well and then what's to keep the fluid from leaking out. I can fully understand running tubes to keep the fluid from eating the rims, but I can't see how they help prevent the fluid from spilling out.

AJ

I have knocked a tire off of a rim before...pictures are floating around in here somewhere. I'm personally not too worried about punctures, as I don't have sharp objects laying around in my driveway and yard. Unless you've got a freshly-painted wheel and new tire (doesn't happen with my stuff...lol), odds are there'll be some bead seating issues. I'm not sure if the air leaked out of the tire that I knocked off, but for whatever reason, it came off the rim, made a gigantic mess, and caused me to have to change a tire 1/3 mile away from home standing in a pile of windshield washer fluid slush.

If you dont have a tube ,what is going to keep the calcium ( fluid ) from coming out of the hole it ate in your rim.

joe

Matt thanks for the reply. I hadn't thought about unseating a bead. That would make sense. I don't have any of my filled tires with tubes in them, but maybe I'll start.

jbollis, none of my tires have Calcium in them. I refuse to use that stuff. Like you said, it eats rims. All of my tires have "Rimguard" in them. It's made from beet juice, biodegradable, freezes at -40 degrees, and weighs 11 pounds per gallon, plus non-corrosive. Also it's approved as animal feed. If I spring a leak and loose my fluid, it won't hurt anything. That's why I haven't been using tubes.

AJ

Sorry. Double post.

AJ

I'm also using rimguard with no tube since it's harmless.

I wouldn't even put CaCl2 in a tube...Dad's Farmall B has one tire with the stuff in it, in a tube, and the rim is junk.

Just wondering....what is the difference in weight between Rimgaurd and Calcium? Which weighs more?

I think Rim Guard. I wanted to try it but I can't find a dealer....

I never even heard of Rim Gaurd before tonight? So you mean to tell me if I go to the feed store and get a bag of beet pulp and add water and mix it up in a big pot I will have my own version of Rim Gaurd??? lol..... I didn't think so!

As far as weights go . calcium chloride is about 11.8 pds per gallon. And rim guard is ( per there web site ) 10.7-11 pds per gallon. The problem with rimguard is finding a dealer close enough. And the calcium will only hurt your rim if it leaks. Problem is tubes tend to stick ( seal ) themselves to the rim, making it hard to tell when they leak. It only takes alittle calcium to do allot of damage to steel.

I added the washer fluid to my 23x10.50-12 tires Saturday. The chart claims that 7 gallons would fit. Maybe this is so based on total volume, but the best I could do was 4.5. the tire was mounted with the stem at 12:00. Tubes were in the tires and they were brand new and hence, a little stiff. Anybody ever get more than that amount in a tire? How did you do it?

Maybe you could drive it a little while like it is and then try to add some more

MFP8055,
Its got to be the tubes just are not stretched out yet. Depending on the type of 23x10.5-12s you have (some are a little bit wider or taller) you should easily get between 7 and 8 gallons in with the valve stem at the 12:00o'clock position. Air them up to between 12 and 15 psi. and use it for a few days and try adding some more. I only have tubes in one of my tractors (jd) and they were in when i got it. So they were already stretched. Just my :TwoCents:

I just put 6.5 gallons into 23x10.50-12 and I'm sure there is room for more but 13 gallons was all I had. I did it with the tires laying flat on the floor. The 1st 3 gallons per tire were quick and easy but after that I had to stop every gallon or to burb the air out, the last gallon took quite a while and I had to burp it several times.

How did you get the fluid in? pump, air pressure or gravity.

I used the "drill pump" previously described with the TSC valve stem-to-garden hose adapter. It worked well when vented every gallon or so. The Deestone tires seem just a bit narrow, and are 6 ply, so the internal volume may be a little lower than a tubeless standard 23X10.50-12. I had the same thoughts about the rubber being stiff. I'll run them this winter and next summer, when it's warm, take another shot at topping them off. I made concrete wheel weights which are in place now, so access to the stem is going to be a PITA. With a total of 75 lbs. per wheel in place already, I'll probably just leave it as is.

MFP8055, we want pictures of those weights, a lot of us are always looking for good ideas...

X2 on the pics. I dont like my cement filled plastic ones, and refuse to pay top dollar for the cast ones.

joe

I documented the process and will post pictures and the procedure in a new thread. Real busy right now, so it will be a few days.

weights
 

I hope to get some pictures posted in a day or two. But here's one so you can see my concrete wheel weights. I used sonna tubes and plywood for the molds, and electrical conduit in the concrete for the mounting bolts. After they were dry, I gave them multiple coats of concrete sealer. It's a little bit of a PITA to get to the valve stems, but not impossible. The weights stick out quite a bit from the rims, but I wanted as much mass as possible. I estimate them to weigh about 30 pounds each.

Attachment 1577

Jeff122,

Not bad, you did a good job.

Would it have been possible to put something in the sonna tube to leave a void, so there would be room to get to the valve stem easier?

Actually, the tip of the valve stem is about in the middle of the weight. I can remove the cap and put air in if I pull the stem out slightly with my finger tips. A longer valve stem or a 90 degree valve stem would eliminate this issue. If anyone is wondering, I used 1/2" threaded rod to mount these to the rims. Also, future pics will show how I added almost 200 pounds to the rear of the tractor.

Jeff, Those weights look pretty nice. I'm in the process of making some concrete weights too. I'm going to fill pieces of 8" i.d. corrugated plastic drainage tile and cover the ends with sheet metal so that it will hide the concrete and so it can be painted. They will be mounted with a 3/4" threaded rod thru the center of a piece of steel tubing set in the concrete. I've got some scrap steel pieces I'm gonna throw into the concrete too since steel is heavier than concrete. Using just concrete they would weigh right around 20 lbs each.

I was told by a buddy who works on Cubs and sells us our new Cub parts to take an old brake drum that will fit into the middle of the wheel and drill it and install 2 pieces of thread rod through it.Then fill with cement. I an not sure of their weight,but probably look ok. I would like to have weights after filling my tires with antifreeze,but they are too much for me.

That's a good idea. I don't know where I'd get the drums to fit but If I find some I have a bunch of wheel weights and lead pipe I could melt down to fill the drum. That oughta made a good heavy set of weights.

That's the same way I did mine, the adapter from TSC and a drill pump. My tires are also 23x10.50-12 Deestone 6 plys. With the 26 lb IH weights and the filled tires each tire/wheels weighs 112 lbs. With that much weight the lug bolts are a PITA so I'm not taking them off unless I absolutely have to. I have a little over 200 lbs in a weight box on the back so hopefully I'll be OK, if not I guess I have to put on the chains.

Has anyone every tried using the washer fluid pump on their car to fill their tires? In theory, if you could find a small plastic hose that will go through the valve core all the way into the tire, then you would not have to burp when filling since there would bbe gasp for air to get out. If a small hose could just be hooked up to the output on a washer fluid pump on a car, then you could use that to fill tires. Although, the pump may need to be given a break, since they are not really made to run continuously. Otherwise, one from a junk yard or old car would work as well too.

good ideas
 

Hey IHinIN,
Your idea on weights sounds good. I must admit, I'm more function than form. The wheel weights only cost me about four bucks for the concrete. All of everyone's ideas on wheel weights and weight boxes are great. Here's a picture of my new ag tires with my primitive weight bucket. I bolted a half inch steel plate through a bucket to the draw bar. Then added supports for both the bucket and the plate. The bucket is full of railroad track and lead bars. I then took log chain and filled in all the air space. It's about 200 pounds that didn't cost me a dime.

Attachment 1589

Thanks Jeff.

I've also got my salt spreader that will be on the back when I'm plowing snow. It should hold about 100 lbs of salt.

dieselsnowmobile,

I like your thinking :biggrin2.gif: I am going to look in to that. Like you said it might be really slow. :bigthink:


Jeff122,
I like your hitch and weight bucket. Tires look good too :ThumbsUp:

Jeff,

Your weight bucket and hitch look great! :beerchug:

loading tires
 

I thinking that I can load my tires with the used antifreeze that I save when changing coolant in the various equipment that I have around the farm.
I collect it to dispose of properly, and it is not difficult to have 10-15 gal. on hand.
That would make just about the amount needed to fill the tires on my cub.
Just a thought instead of giving it away to the recycler, and buying WW fluid.

Are you sure you wanna take a chance on getting a flat and leaking poison where animals could get into it? I also have access to enough antifreeze to do my tires but bought WWF because of the dogs and the possibility of getting a flat and making a big mess.