Tire ballast other than Calcium or steel

Roger in Iowa · Jun 25, 2019

Any other alternatives to Calcium Chloride, beet juice, or steel for rear wheel ballast? RV antifreeze contains ethanol but is it compatible with inner tubes? Other ideas? Has to not freeze here in Iowa.

Haven't found a source for used antifreeze (automotive or tractor type).

JMOR · Jun 25, 2019

(quoted from post at 16:12:32 06/25/19) Any other alternatives to Calcium Chloride, beet juice, or steel for rear wheel ballast? RV antifreeze contains ethanol but is it compatible with inner tubes? Other ideas? Has to not freeze here in Iowa.

Haven't found a source for used antifreeze (automotive or tractor type).

inter windshield washer fluid.

Roger in Iowa · Jun 25, 2019

Windshield washer fluid contains Methanol, is it okay for tubes in tires, or is Ethanol (RV Antifreeze) better?

RedRamGT · Jun 25, 2019

I have heard of people using windshield washer fluid in tires. From what I've heard though, it's not *quite* as heavy per gallon as calcium chloride. Something else they use is beet juice, but I can't recall the trade name of it off the top of my head.

Trkr · Jun 25, 2019

Used to use lead shot,in construction equipment tires. Serious traction,won't freeze.

Roger in Iowa · Jun 25, 2019

Lead is probably out of the question, $$$$$$?

If RV antifreeze (ethanol) will work it is $2.58 per gallon but can dilute 50% as it is good for -50 degrees. Windshield washer fluid is only good for -20, which would work.

Dean · Jun 25, 2019

How about cast iron.

Don't know of any steel tractor weights.

Alternatively, a good three point mounted counterweight (your choice) is much more effective than any liquid tire ballast.

Dean

old · Jun 25, 2019

I've been using wiper fluid for decades in my tires with no problems. If you catch it on sale and buy say 6 cases some times you can get it for around a buck a gallon

JDEM · Jun 25, 2019

Why not beet juice? Too expensive? That is what is commonly used in farm tractors where I am in northern Michigan. No valve-cores or rims rusting from it. It DOES stink something awful though once it gets old. Seems Michigan has an over-abundance of beets. Tons of them go for deer and bear bait besides wheel ballast.

caterpillar guy · Jun 25, 2019

Counter weight on the 3Pt is only good if you don't need the drawbar or PTO for anything.

Fawteen · Jun 25, 2019

I believe Rim Guard is basically beet juice.

Ellis Kinney · Jun 25, 2019

I live in Northern Ky. near Cincinnati. Minus 10 last winter. I run 60 gallons of windshield washer fluid/tire in 13.6 x 38 tires. Didn't have any problems. I called about beet juice and it was way expensive, I got the washer fluid in 50 gallon drums for 99 cents/gallon. Ellis

jm. · Jun 25, 2019

Almost all dealers in this area use a mixture of 1/3 methanol and 2/3 water. Does not weigh as much as calcium chloride but sure is easier to handle.

Glenn F. · Jun 25, 2019

Yes. 6.6 lbs/gallon. Depending on mixture Ccl is 12 lbs/gallon. Our '51 DC Case has had Ccl in the rear tires all its life & still has one original rim. It would have both but we were clearly negligent in fixing a leak. Ccl will sure make a pulling machine of your tractor.

Glenn F.

RogerinIowa · Jun 25, 2019

Where did you get washer fluid in drums?

jlewis457 · Jun 25, 2019

Just a word of caution from someone that uses 14 gallons of methanol a day in my day job METHANOL is very corrosive to aluminum just be ware of this, and winter formula windshield washer fluid contains methanol.

flying belgian · Jun 25, 2019

Why do you not want to use wheel weights?

MarkB_MI · Jun 26, 2019

My tires are filled with washer fluid. I'm not aware of any problems arising from the methanol in it. My tires were mounted by Miller Tire in Wauseon, OH; apparently they've been using it for many years without any trouble.

Blackhole49 · Jun 26, 2019

X2 That is what has been in this tractor for 7 years.

Four N Farms · Jun 26, 2019

I've got methanol/water in our Ford 16.9-30's (approx. 100 gallons each side) and 2 sets of wheel weights.

Texasmark1 · Jun 26, 2019

Bought a set of new tires and wanted them loaded.....4th generation local have any tire for any application service truck came out and I told him I wanted them loaded which he did with water and cheap, regular antifreeze. Been so long I don't remember just when it happened.....15+ yrs at least.

Mike M · Jun 26, 2019

Here in Ohio most of our tire dealers quit using the beet juice because of it being too hard to pump when cold out. Plus it is way more expensive.

MJMJ · Jun 26, 2019

(quoted from post at 09:02:27 06/26/19) Here in Ohio most of our tire dealers quit using the beet juice because of it being too hard to pump when cold out. Plus it is way more expensive.

Not to mention the horrible mess it makes when you get a leak. I've got that crap everywhere now after my valve stem cracked last week. Like you said, most shops just use washer fluid unless you specifically ask for Rimguard, and some still won't. I won't make the mistake again.

BigPapa53 · Jun 26, 2019

The cheapest I've found Ethylene glycol antifreeze is @ $10/gal which would work out to $5/gal after you cut it. I can get a 270 gallon tote of windshield washer for $1.70/gal, $459, plus tax. I did see someone post up a while back that Lowes or Home Depot had windshield washer on sale for cheap.

-Scott

Leroy · Jun 27, 2019

When I could I had both calcium and wheel weights on, some were cast and some homemade of concrete. The homemade weights I estimated weight at 300+ pounds. I did have to replace rims on one tractor after approximatly 70 years and with slow leaks. 2 other tractors that I had and know where they are still with the calcium same rims from new and 49 and 51 models. Anything other than calcium if buying a tractor could be a deal breaker as it would require taking tractor to tire shop and getting that stuff removed and new tubes put in, only thing that would require new tubes would be pure water and that would not work in my area that gets down to minus 20F.

marcusmerritt · Jun 27, 2019

Ford 2000; 3 cyl. Diesel: 8/2 trans.....I got a 55 gallon drum of -20 degree WW fluid from a local fuel supplier. He had to order it but then delivered it to my driveway. Cost for the drum was $136, I believe, plus I could reuse the blue plastic drum. He is a fuel dealer who provides fuel to construction sites for heavy equipment, maybe you can find one like that in your area. I split the drum with most going into the rears and about 5 gallons in each of the fronts. I think my rears are about 50% filled. Although not as much as I could have gotten in the rears, the extra weight sure helped. All tires have tubes.

buickanddeere · Jun 28, 2019

While liquid ballast is often used . In an ideal world, tubeless radial Tires would be operated dry with only bolt on cast iron weight .
We added windshield washer fluid to my 2WD loader tractor tires . Good thing as three times the kids have ripped a valve stem off and sprayed ballast everywhere. No corrosion from Calcium salt and no sugar sticky everything .

Tire ballast other than Calcium or steel

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