# Tractor Tires Question



## davidj (Nov 2, 2005)

I bought an old 9N in the spring. Sometime between August and October the tires went down just about half way. I went to fill them up with a little portable air tank that had about maybe 50-60 lbs of pressure, but no air was going in. When I pulled the hose off the valve, a clear liquid started leaking out of the valve. I put the cap back on the valve, and it seemed to hold.

I know that tractor tires are often filled with liquid, but it seemed odd that a practically new set of tires would go down that quickly. If they are filled with liquid, do I have to keep liquid in them, how can I tell for sure if they're filled with liquid, can I mix air and liquid, what should I do? I just use the tractor for mowing. Thanks.


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## ovendoctor (Jun 28, 2006)

the liquid in the tire is used as balast for traction instead of draw bar weights
sounds like the valve core's are leaking
to change them move the tractor so the stem is on the top side of the axial
[12:00 position] and jack the tractor up[just take the weight off the tire]
dump the pressure and chang the core and reinflate

if its any more thain that have a tire company come out and fix it
thats a lot of weight to be messing with


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## HermitJohn (May 10, 2002)

Dont put over 15psi in rear tractor tires or you will bounce like those astronauts on the moon walks.


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## jefferson (Nov 11, 2004)

Even small tires like on my Cub get REAL heavy when full of water. Be careful, bones break.


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

davidj said:


> I bought an old 9N in the spring. Sometime between August and October the tires went down just about half way. I went to fill them up with a little portable air tank that had about maybe 50-60 lbs of pressure, but no air was going in. When I pulled the hose off the valve, a clear liquid started leaking out of the valve. I put the cap back on the valve, and it seemed to hold.
> 
> I know that tractor tires are often filled with liquid, but it seemed odd that a practically new set of tires would go down that quickly. If they are filled with liquid, do I have to keep liquid in them, how can I tell for sure if they're filled with liquid, can I mix air and liquid, what should I do? I just use the tractor for mowing. Thanks.


You have allready discovered that tires contain ballast fluid, which is a saline solution to prevent freezing. They are not usually "Full" of fluid, but rather 1/3 to 1/2 full, the rest being air, so yes you can mix the two. Do as OvenDoctor has described, stop when Valve Stem is at or near 12:00 position, then add air. Your owner's manual will give correct inflation for your tractor rear tires, but most are 15-18 PSI on tractor rears. If you see rust or corrosion bubbling paint around valve stems, this is an indication that you have a leak, as the saline Fluid is leaking out causing corrosion.


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## farminghandyman (Mar 4, 2005)

or the solution is calcium chloride, and is very corrosive to metal parts, 

to repair the tire, you will need to have the solution pumped out, and usually it is a special pump, and then temporally stored, the tire dis mounted off the rim, (rim is usually left on the tractor), and the tube is removed and fixed or repaired, replaced and tire seated then the fluid pumped back into the tire, and then aired up to the proper inflation rate, (it is not really a do it your self job) but check on prices before you call some one it can get expensive,Last time I had our Coop come out they charged me $100 extra for having a tire with liquid in it, and the repairman they sent out with the truck did not remember how to run the pump so I pumped the tire out my self (using there equipment) and they still charged me extra.

there are places you can buy an adapter to work with the fluid filled tires, Gemplers has them, I am sure there are other locations,
http://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/product.asp?T1=7K&UID=200610261358069681083443

http://www.gemplers.com/a/shop/product.asp?T1=AQF1&UID=200610261358069681083443

I Have used these adapters and a drill operated pump to move the fluid, and you can empty one fairly easy by airing it up and then moving the stem down and letting the air push it out of the tire, If your going to just replace the tube that will work, 

I empty out the fluid out of one of my tractors, and may soon do the other,

the corrosiveness of the fluid ate up one rim at a cost of $600 to replace it, (rim, tire removal, repair, and fluid removal),

and since there charing extra now to mess with them, with fluid I figured I don't need it.


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## Up North (Nov 29, 2005)

farming handyman - Yes Calcium Chloride is correct term for tractor fluid.
We Too quit putting fluid in tractor rears for reasons you mentioned. Now we either use cast iron wheel weights, or just run tractors that are 2 sizes larger than really needed for the jobs we do.


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## Beeman (Dec 29, 2002)

Calcium chloride is what they used to put in tractor tires and was very corrosive usually eating away the portion of the wheel where the valve stem is. Now they use an alcohol solution and in many cases install enogh that you don't have to pressurize the tire with any air. It sounds like you have bad valve stems which will probably snowball into a larger problem if you want to fix it due to the corrosion of the wheels.
Now before you do anything be sure you have a low pressure tire gauge as they stated if you use air pressure it is only 15-18lbs. You're dealing with wheels that are possibly 57 years old and could be in poor shape, the pressure might not seem like much but if a tire or wheel lets go on a tractor it is usually VERY dangerous.


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

Beeman said:


> Calcium chloride is what they used to put in tractor tires and was very corrosive usually eating away the portion of the wheel where the valve stem is. Now they use an alcohol solution and in many cases install enogh that you don't have to pressurize the tire with any air.



Have to disagree with you on this part.

CC is a salt solution that mixes with water to about 11 lbs per gallon. Water alone is about 8 lbs per gallon, and alcohol is about 6-7 lbs per gallon. If you want weight, the CC is _much_ better. As well as cheaper. As well as _far_ more eco-friendly.

All tires should be filled to about 3/4 full of fluid (whatever you use) not more, not less. That air pocket is _needed_ or you will wreck the tires. Fluids do not give. As well, filling less than 3/4 full of fluid will result in more friction, sloshing, and other less than perfect conditions.


The resat of your message I agree with, good advise.

But, the 1/4 air bubble is needed in any tire. And CC is the best fluid to use. If one doesn't care for your equipment & let the tires leak, there is a product called Rim Guard based on beet pulp that works well instead of CC. It does not rust, with little salt in it.

--->Paul


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Although the tires on my Cub say somthing like 60/70lbs air. Them being light makes me wonder, but then I hear Cub front ends cant stand bouncing. I have a 41 B Farmall thats a real puller, and perhaps sombody put fluid in the rears on it as, I loaned it to my daughtere and her husband to make a big garden with and they didnt do a thing with it, I went out to get it, and sure enough the rim was rusted out as the valve stem sat on the bottom.


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## agmantoo (May 23, 2003)

The rule of thumb for rear tractor tire pressure is 14 PSI for standard tires and 11 PSI for radials. Certain applicatons for the tractors such as carrying heavy filled sprayers or for extremely wet conditions and excessive highway use will require adjustments. Bead seating pressure is usually stated not to exceed 35PSI. I know of a case at the nearby neighbors where the tire repairman was having a problem seating new tires to a JD4630 and he inflated the tire to the point that when the bead did move it came over the rim. The repairman was holding the fill nozzle to the valve stem when this occurred. He died immediately!


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## rickoff (Dec 12, 2014)

[/QUOTE]I have a 1950 Ferguson TO-20 tractor which I purchased two years ago. It had new rear tires, which still appear to be in very good condition, and the rims they are mounted on are also looking very good. A few days ago I saw that one of the rear tires had become quite deflated, so started to put some air to it. The tire took the air and rebounded in shape, but then I noticed liquid gurgling out and leaking onto my garage floor from the rim, around the base of the valve stem. Puzzled as to why this was occurring, I did an Internet search query and stumbled upon this thread. It would appear, from what you say here, that my tire is leaking a calcium chloride/water mixture. I have the service manual for my tractor, but it does not say anything about the tires, and the parts manual only shows the rims. Would it be safe for me to assume that there are tubes used in these tires, and that the affected tire has a ruptured tube? If so, is it possible to jack up the rear axle, spill any remaining air and liquid, and then remove and repair or replace the tube, or would the tire have to be removed from the rim by a tractor repair shop in order to access the tube? Thanks in advance for any advice you folks can offer. - Rick


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