What is the salty mixture that is in my rear tires?

[kalebevans]

Originally Posted by three4rd

Yet another somewhat deriding reply. How come?

I apologize for being so flippant; it just seemed like such an obvious bad idea. My grandpa has always tested fluids that way and is likely currently dying from it. They're not 100% that's what the toxicity is from, but they can't figure out what else it would be that is doing this to him.
I also saw a man die once from breathing in something he shouldn't have-turned out to be anhydrous ammonia. I knew you shouldn't inhale that stuff, but I had no idea how fast it'll drop a guy. I worked in the oil industry for a time, and they'd tell stories of guys trying to save one another and just dropping like flies one by one. Needless to say, I'm very concerned about putting things in me I don't understand.

[john hall]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

Just FYI:
You guys who talk about loaded tires not in tubes and how bad it is..... apparently haven't been around farm equipment for over 20 years, or are only familiar with older tires. They have been using CaCl2 in tubeless tires for years. Only time it rots the rim is where it's exposed to outside air, as in a leak at the valve stem. Which is also the place that a tubed tire always rots the rim, because the stem or tube leaks. It's very, very common for tractors to have tubeless tires with fluid, and I've seen no worse effects to the rim than with a tubed tire. I've said this a million times on this topic and I'll say it again: They only rot if there's a leak.

My opinion:
Like YosemiteSam, I like loaded tires and have a whole drum of CaCL2 for loading them. I prefer to use tubes. Why? Personally I'm afraid the rim will leak at the bead. I'm confident that it would be fine, but for $13 for a tube with a metal bolt in stem, it makes me feel better. Besides... if I ever want to replace the tire with a new or different one, it's a lot cleaner when there is a tube. You pump the fluid out, and dismount the tire, pulling the remaining fluid out in the tube. If not tubed, you can't get all the fluid out, and have to deal with the mess when you break it down.

Learned something! Never knew they were putting it in ag tires with no tubes. As for me, I'll stick with tubes in all our stuff, like has been mentioned, somewhat of a convenience, as well as added insurance if there any areas of bad paint inside the rim.

[ol'George]

John, it is a double edged sword.
If you go tubeless there is a small chance it will eat the rims.
if you tube them, the chloride stays in the tube.
Real life dictates otherwise tho'.
Say a tire picks up a puncture,deep enough to get the tube that is loaded.
A lot of times it is a small one and it goes unnoticed and the corrosion begins between the tube and tire, after time the rim is destroyed, but it does take years.
Also the brass cores eat up no matter what, and need replaced periodically.
but they go unnoticed especially if the cap is tight.
Then you go to air up a low tire and you have a mess to contend with.
After you get the core out and replaced it or replace the 2 piece stem/core and air it up, you have gotten Chloride into the rim around the stem hole, and the corrosion has started.
A lot of farmers do not do their own tire work, they call the tire service people and a kid comes out, pumps out the tire, replaces the tube and refills it with Chloride.
The rim remains untouched to continue to corrode.
They mostly do not take the rim off the tractor, just break the beads and remove the outside of the tire, replace the tube and refill.
I have always done my own tires and will continue to do so, till I no longer am physically able.
That way I can address issues properly.
I am not a full time farmer so I can do this,the full time fellows cannot, unless it is the off season.
Hope this helps explain it.

[john hall]

Once I came along, the tractors (tires) were too big for us to change (fortunately). But a neighbor was a Safemark dealer so we just called them whenever we had a flat rear. He used a PTO pump to remove the fluid and then hand broke the tires---the guy that did the work was one of the biggest men I ever knew. Anyway, that's all history now. Fast forward to this fall, noticed a wet streak on a tire on the 4020 once we got through baling one afternoon. I had to call in someone new. Their tire tech had the tire off the rim in well under an hour dad said--including pumping fluid out. Then he had to pull the rim and take it to a weld shop to have the hole repaired--rusted out pretty bad. I think they had it fixed by the next afternoon. Cost me a little over $500, not too bad considering it was 2 trips here, 2 trips to the weld shop, and a new tube and anti-freeze. Besides, what else was I supposed to do, I work full time so I can come home and play farmer. We've been watching that rust spot on the rim for 20 years. I imagine all the rust began 30-40 years ago from leaking tires, flats that weren't completely dried out, etc.

I guess my question now, why use calcium chloride? Around here they use very little anti-freeze in tires, so any cost savings would not be worth the corrosion risk/headache? Only thing I can figure is the northern climates need so much more anti-freeze.

To keep this thread Cadet friendly, I saved some antifreeze I drained from a tractor engine a while back. I plan on putting tubes in my 2072 and diluting the solution with water. Hopefully this will eliminate all the spinning that machine is prone too. My kid got so ticked off at it one day he parked it and went and got the 128. That's my boy, when all else fails go old school!

[ol'George]

Originally Posted by john hall

Once I came along, the tractors (tires) were too big for us to change (fortunately). But a neighbor was a Safemark dealer so we just called them whenever we had a flat rear. He used a PTO pump to remove the fluid and then hand broke the tires---the guy that did the work was one of the biggest men I ever knew. Anyway, that's all history now. Fast forward to this fall, noticed a wet streak on a tire on the 4020 once we got through baling one afternoon. I had to call in someone new. Their tire tech had the tire off the rim in well under an hour dad said--including pumping fluid out. Then he had to pull the rim and take it to a weld shop to have the hole repaired--rusted out pretty bad. I think they had it fixed by the next afternoon. Cost me a little over $500, not too bad considering it was 2 trips here, 2 trips to the weld shop, and a new tube and anti-freeze. Besides, what else was I supposed to do, I work full time so I can come home and play farmer. We've been watching that rust spot on the rim for 20 years. I imagine all the rust began 30-40 years ago from leaking tires, flats that weren't completely dried out, etc.

I guess my question now, why use calcium chloride? Around here they use very little anti-freeze in tires, so any cost savings would not be worth the corrosion risk/headache? Only thing I can figure is the northern climates need so much more anti-freeze.

To keep this thread Cadet friendly, I saved some antifreeze I drained from a tractor engine a while back. I plan on putting tubes in my 2072 and diluting the solution with water. Hopefully this will eliminate all the spinning that machine is prone too. My kid got so ticked off at it one day he parked it and went and got the 128. That's my boy, when all else fails go old school!

The Chloride is heavy and it is needed in the wintertime in the north.
A lot of farmers are going beet juice, it stinks and is pricy a bit, but no corrosion.

I use drained antifreeze from equipment or Windshield fluid in the cubs.
sometimes mix it if I don't have enough of either.
My theory is some antifreeze mixed with WWfluid should help stop the corrosion that WWfluid causes

[drglinski]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

Just FYI:
You guys who talk about loaded tires not in tubes and how bad it is..... apparently haven't been around farm equipment for over 20 years, or are only familiar with older tires. They have been using CaCl2 in tubeless tires for years. Only time it rots the rim is where it's exposed to outside air, as in a leak at the valve stem. Which is also the place that a tubed tire always rots the rim, because the stem or tube leaks. It's very, very common for tractors to have tubeless tires with fluid, and I've seen no worse effects to the rim than with a tubed tire. I've said this a million times on this topic and I'll say it again: They only rot if there's a leak.

My opinion:
Like YosemiteSam, I like loaded tires and have a whole drum of CaCL2 for loading them. I prefer to use tubes. Why? Personally I'm afraid the rim will leak at the bead. I'm confident that it would be fine, but for $13 for a tube with a metal bolt in stem, it makes me feel better. Besides... if I ever want to replace the tire with a new or different one, it's a lot cleaner when there is a tube. You pump the fluid out, and dismount the tire, pulling the remaining fluid out in the tube. If not tubed, you can't get all the fluid out, and have to deal with the mess when you break it down.

Dad has fluid (calcium) filled wheels on his Farmall H for years w/ no problems of corrosion. One time he parked it with the valve stem down and us kids were messing around near it and busted the stem off. I was sprayed with salt water (so not by choice I know what it tastes like haha) It kept coming out so bad that mom called Dad at work and was freaking out cuz she didn't know how to stop it. I stuck a screwdriver in it and fixed that till he got home and put in a new valve stem. I think I was like 12.

[john hall]

Originally Posted by ol'George

The Chloride is heavy and it is needed in the wintertime in the north.
A lot of farmers are going beet juice, it stinks and is pricy a bit, but no corrosion.

I use drained antifreeze from equipment or Windshield fluid in the cubs.
sometimes mix it if I don't have enough of either.
My theory is some antifreeze mixed with WWfluid should help stop the corrosion that WWfluid causes

If you had to guess, how much antifreeze would tire shops use in tractor rears in your area, in something like whats on a 4020. I think it was 3 gallons they put in ours--seems lacking to me but I was assured it was enough.

[ol'George]

Originally Posted by john hall

If you had to guess, how much antifreeze would tire shops use in tractor rears in your area, in something like whats on a 4020. I think it was 3 gallons they put in ours--seems lacking to me but I was assured it was enough.

does this help?

http://www.messicks.com/blog/liquid-tire-ballast-chart

[john hall]

I'm thinking more of a freeze factor than weight.