Water in tires for ballast ok?

[TurboRoadster]

Hello,
new 67 lo-boy owner, reading a bunch and learning what I can about it. Thanks for the i9nformative site, I am sure I will be spending many hours here
Anyways , thanks for having me and on with my question.

I have found a small front end loader supposed to be made for a small farm-all. I am in the researching stages to see if it can be used or not, but if so, is it ok to use water in the tires for weight or should I be looking for a set of steel weights for the rims?
Thanks again!
Timothy
www.ConroePowderCoating.com

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

It will be ok so long as you do not drive it with the water frozen. That may not be a problem in your area, but if you do, it will cause breaks in the tires at the top of the ice block. I assume Cleveland is far enough south that is not too big a worry.

[randallc]

Timothy, you can usually pick up a set of wheel weights for around 50 to 75 dollars. But then water is free. Many folks have used water and as John says, just don't drive them frozen.

[TurboRoadster]

dang, never thought about freezing em up. I guess I could add a smidge of antifreeze, we dont get to many hard freezes here, but it does freeze.
Thanks so much

[Eugene]

Check with your local ag tire dealers and see what they recommend for fluid and installation cost.

You can install tire fluid yourself, but Ag tire dealers will have the equipment to install or remove tire fluid.

Advertisement for Rim Guard says that it's 30% heavier than water and doesn't freeze down to -35 F.

[Matt Kirsch]

In Texas you shouldn't have to go so far as to use calcium chloride. Only reason to use calcium chloride, or beet juice/rim guard is that it weighs more than plain water. Be aware that antifreeze is lighter than water and will also reduce the amount of weight in the tire by a couple of pounds.

The most effective weight with a loader is placed BEHIND the rear axle. It acts as a counterweight to the loader and helps make the tractor steer easier.

A wooden box on the drawbar and four 80lb bags of sakrete would make a suitable counterweight for less than $40.

[TurboRoadster]

I thought it was better to have the weight on the rims instead of the tractor so their is less stress on bearings etc etc.

[Scrivet]

I thought it was better to have the weight on the rims instead of the tractor so their is less stress on bearings etc etc.

In my opinion that is a theory argument. In practicality I'm sure the tractor was not engineered to carry any extra weight because no one would ever use say, a plow, or a disk, or a platform carrier, or cultivators, or a 1000 loader, or take your pick of any other implement. Think of it like a pickup; haul around 500lbs and no big deal, haul around 5,000lbs and you'll have problems real soon. I don't think the increased stress on the bearings would shorten their usable life. I would be a lot more worried about lack of lubrication and or water, that'll cause ten times the bearing failures that a couple extra pounds will.

[Mike in Louisiana]

Hi, I live in Shreveport just a little north of you. I have had PLAIN water in my tires foe 35 years now with no problem. We even had temps way below 32 for a week or so, I just did not drive the cub.

[Matt Kirsch]

I thought it was better to have the weight on the rims instead of the tractor so their is less stress on bearings etc etc.

There would be less stress on the rear bearings, but MORE stress on the front bearings.

Think of the tractor as a simple lever.

With the rear tires ballasted directly, the fulcrum is the front end of the tractor. The weight of the loader and anything in the bucket lifts up on the rear wheels and places all of the force on the front end of the tractor.

When you put ballast behind the rear wheels, you add a second lever to the system. The rear ballast uses the rear wheels as the fulcrum and lifts up on the front end of the tractor, reducing the overall load on the front end and spreading it to the rear wheels.

You can also use less ballast overall by placing it behind the rear wheels.

[TurboRoadster]

^^ got it, thanks indeed.

[skylor60]

Winter windshield washer fluid is what my local dealer put in my New Holland tires