I believe they use tubes to stop the rims from rusting out .any tractor supply place will have tubes ...they then fill the tubes with fluid (I'm not sue how that part is done)...Each wheel takes about 3 or 4 gallons if not more if memory serves me right ....If it were me I'd by the correct wheel weights,my 2 cents...Jim

I bought an adopter at Tractor Supply years ago to fill whatever tire you want. Down here I just use straight water and I didn't worry with tubes. Bad part is I've got a nail in one rear tire so I'll have to drain the tire before I can fix it. Filled rear tires make a world of difference in traction and stability. On my ole 1855 MF I've got wheel weights and the ag tires filled. It handles a 4 ft box blade just fine.

So how do you actually get the fluid(whatever it may be) into the tire? I'm assuming you need to unscrew the center of valve stem, but not sure how you actually fill it up. Does tire pressure still apply?

If there are no tubes it's simple.Let all the air out,then break the bead loose closest to the valve stem.Pour the WW fluid in(probably about 5gal in your tires),then air the tires back up.If you have trouble breaking the bead down,just run over the top side with your car/truck whatever and it'll break loose.

The adopter I have screws on to the valve stem and to a garden hose, let all the air out, turn on the water, when the tire starts to swell a little, turn off the water and depress the bleeder on the side of the adopter to bleed out the air. You have to do that several times and I lay the tire down at about a 45 degree angle with the valve stem at the highest point. You have to leave some air in the tire so it still has some give to it.

My vote is to fill with slime. IT will come with everything you need to fill your tire. No need to buy an adapter. Wal-mart sells a cheaper yellow slime clone for 10 bucks a gallon. I am putting 2 Gallons in each tire. I guess it's about 8Lbs a gallon. Gives you weight and puncture protection to boot.

I agree with what locknut posted but he left out a few details.

Jack your tractor up and remove the rear tire/rim assembly from the axle. Remove the valve core from the valve stem to allow all the air to escape. Break the tire bead away from the rim on the same side that the valve stem is on.

Push the tire wall away from the rim and slip a couple of screwdriver handles inbetween the rim and the tire to hold open a spot to pour in the WW fluid. With the tire/rim laying flat on the floor, pour the fluid into the opening until the tire is about 80 percent filled.

Remove the two screwdriver handles, install the valve core back into the stem and try to air up the tire in order to reseat the bead. If you have difficulty in making that happen, go get a piece of strong rope about four feet long. Wrap the rope around the center of the tire tread and tie it together to make a snug band. Then take a piece of wood doweling (such as an old broom handle) that is no longer than the width of your tire and slip it under the rope. While pulling on both sides of that dowel, away from the tire, rotate the dowel a full turn so that the rope twists together. If you keep twisting the dowel, the rope will twist as well, become shorter and put pressure on the center portion of the tire, causing the sidewall of the tire to move toward the rim.

When the tire makes solid contact with the rim, add some air to the tire to make the bead seat and then unwind the dowel to release the rope. Once the bead is seated, put the tire back on the tractor. With the tire valve in the 12 o'clock position, check the pressure. Adjust the pressure to whatever the manual calls for.

Yes, you can fill these tires through the valve stem but breaking the bead and filling them this way is often easier. WW A/F is non-corrosive. If your rims are properly painted inside, then they shouldn't rust. But even if they do form some rust on the odd scratch, it should not develop into anything major over the life of the tractor.

If you are going to use WW fluid, be aware that there is some on the market that freezes at +32 degrees, yes just like water. Check the container first!

castoff:
Yes,I left out a few extra hints.Thanks.
The difficulty getting the tire aired back up will depend on how stiff the sidewalls are.

You left out a hint too.A pair of goggles as there is a good chance you'll get a face full of WW fluid if the beads are hard to get seated...:-)

Thanks for all the great info. A couple follow-up questions...

- if the tire holds about 5 gallons, how much weight would that add?

- castoff mentioned WW A/F...what does the A/F mean? is this a certain type of washer fluid or will any sub-zero fluid work?

The kind they sell around here is -20.Blue in color.Little over a dollar a gallon.I think its around 7lbs/gallon.

A/F is simply an acronym for anti-freeze. You can use windshield washer a/f or RV (recreational vehicle) anti-freeze formulated to prevent plumbing in motor homes and trailers from freezing up. Either will work just fine.

Seven pounds per US gallon sounds about right since it is a mix of alcohol and water. Water only would be a bit heavier but not advisable in climates that get sub-freezing temps.

And yep, locknut is correct. Wearing some sort of safety goggles/shield is a good idea while airing those filled tires up again because the mixture does spray out a bit.

I used regular automotive motor antifreeze at 50/50 ratio. Break the bead and do it just like castoff says.

I've never done much 'tire work'. Any tips on how to attempt to break the bead? I know locknut suggested possibly running over it with the car, but I hope that's the extreme.

Well.........I have broken beads loose by using a large C-clamp (12"). I positioned the contact pads of the clamp on the beads right at the edge of the rim where the beads seat. I had to run a piece of rope through the center of the wheel and tie it off very tight to the clamp so that the clamp would stay there and not slide away when you start turning the clamp. After one bead breaks loose you would loosen the clamp and position the pad of the clamp onto the edge of the rim on the side that had broke loose so you could get the opposite bead to break loose. Since you only want to break loose the bead on the side of wheel that has the valve stem, you can place the clamp pad on the edge of rim opposite the valve stem side right from the start. Of course this depends on you having a C-clamp big enough to reach around the tire. Harbor Freight Tool Co. has some wide jaw clamp kits that you can make your own large clamps from by attaching the clamp ends in their kit to a length of 3/4" pipe. These usually sell for around $10.00 each. Just a thought you might want to consider

No, it isn't extreme at all. Using the front wheel of your car or truck to run over the tire as close to the rim as you can get is a time-honoured method of bead breaking by those of us who don't have access to a tire machine.

Just drop the tire/rim unit on the ground and slowly run your vehicle wheel onto it. Having the vehicle door open so you can get a better view of what you are doing is a good move. It's not a big deal to do it. Your tractor tire won't be harmed.

Another cheap easy way to fill tires is to lay tire down remove valve core. Don't break the bead. Slip a tranny funnel over stem,step on tire,fill funnel,lift foot from tire and repeat this will suck the fluid in. Install core,inflate and enjoy.

another trick is to remove valve core and fill using a weed sprayer.

I was talking to a friend after my posting yesterday. He had this trick to offer for breaking the bead loose. He said when he was young, tubeless tires on cars were just beginning to be used. He says "Everybody knew how to fix a tube and quite a few people had to fix their own flats." "All the cars came with bumper jacks them days." "We carried patches, glue, sandpaper, tire irons and a bicycle air pump in the trunk." "If we had a flat, we'd have to fix it ourselves." "After we took the flat tire off the car, we would let the car down off the bumper jack, take the metal base plate off the jack, put the flat tire under the bumper and set the bottom end of the jack (minus the base plate) on the tire next to the rim and hook the jack back in place on the bumper and operate the jack to lift the car." "Instead of raising the car, it would break the bead loose." "After that you pried one bead of the tire off the rim and pulled the tube out to fix it." After hearing this story of tribulation and woe, I just had to pass it on.

Mownie, I remember helping my dad use that method of breaking a bead. It works fine. Thanks for the memory.

You're welcome, gravy. I tell you, I hardly read a thread or talk to someone that it doesn't bring back some of mine, or someone else's memories of "how we used to have to do it".

Okay...so I was able to break the bead and put in 5 gallons of WW fluid. But now I can't get the bead to reseat. There's about a visible gap between the tire and the rim so adding air didn't do anything. I tried a ratchet strap around the center of the tire, but that didn't really do much either.

Any other suggestions?

If you have some short pieces of 2x4 or 4x4 around, lay them on the floor first. Pick up one side of the tire and slide the wood under it so that it just catches the edge of the tire by an inch or so. Do the same to the other side.

The idea here is to get the rim off the floor by supporting the edges of the tire so that you can press down on the center of the rim and bring it closer to the tire bead. Your ratchet strap may be too wide which is why I told you to use a rope. Usually compressing the very centre part of the tire tread causes the sidewalls to flare out enough. However, try the wood blocking trick and see if that does it for you.

Usually the strap around the middle of the tire and castoff's wood block trick will do it. Take the valve core out while you're trying to seat the bead otherwize you don't get enough volume of air going in. That little trick alone gets a lot of them to seat. Still like my little $7 adopter better, no need to break the bead.

I finally got it. After the ratchet strap didn't work in the center of the tire, I slid it out to the edge of the tire and ratcheted it tight to at least get the rubber to contact the rim. Then I shot some air in the valve and it seated. Did the same with the second tire.

Thanks everyone for all your help. Learned something new today! I'm anxious to mow again to see how much difference it makes in my traction.

Oh, by the way I used sort of a combination of your tips to break the bead. We have concrete steps down to our basement so I stood the tire on one side of the stairway and put a tire jack on the other. I used a 2x4 to make up the difference, and then drove the 2x4 into the side of the tire. Worked like a charm.

Thanks again everyone.

Excellent!

What about using Calcium Chloride instead of AntiFreeze? Sorry if this is off topic...

Calcium chloride is nice and heavy, and it will not freeze, but ideally it requires the use of a tube to contain the liquid. Using it in a tubeless configuration will result in total destruction of the steel wheel. Even if a tube is used, a small puncture through the tire and into the tube can result in damage to the wheel before the leak is noticed and repaired. That's the only objection I have to Calcium chloride.

I followed this thread with some interest, as I had loaded my tires with 7 1/2g WWF each last fall. An adapter valve for filling tires was obtained from Gempler's for about $8. A short hose, bucket, and gravity feed accomplished the task without taking anything apart (other than removing the valve stem). There must be at least 49 different ways to fill tires, and just as many opinions about the "best" method - read the thread ;~). I admire keeferb's follow-through in bead-breaking and re-mounting! (I get tired thinking about it!) The best aspect of the valve-filling method (IMHO) is the amazement and puzzlement, on the part of the uninformed, over how one can possibly liquid fill a tire through a valve stem!

Good traction to all-

t

Theo,
I checked out that valve at Gempler's to see what it was you were talking about and I now have some questions.

Apparently, you use a short length of garden hose to deliver the fluid from the bucket to the tire. Did you set the bucket up so that the fluid siphoned its way out or did you have a bucket with a bottom drain in it connected to the hose?

How did you monitor the fluid level in the tire? Did you just turn the valve to say....2 o'clock and wait for fluid to spit out instead of air?

About how long did it take you to fill each tire using this method? Seven and a half gallons is a fair bit of fluid to pour through such a small hole.

Castoff, as I recall, I spent about 2hrs on the project. I attached a hose to the bottom of an empty (clean) 1 gal. drywall mud bucket. Hung the bucket about 7ft.+ above the floor, yielding about 5 ft. of head pressure. All air must be released from the tire (valve stem removed). As fluid drains into the tire, pressure builds and fill slows. Use the push button valve on the side of the fill valve to release tire air pressure and resume gravity fill. Repeat air bleed as needed. As tire fills, air volume becomes smaller, and more frequent air bleeding is necessary. To monitor fill, I kept count of empty WWF jugs and had tire valves in the 2 (or 10) o'clock position to avoid over-fill. I had to futz with the valve a little, and a quart of WWF ended up on the garage floor. A pump would have sped up the process considerably, and reduced frequency of air bleed procedure. (Gravity is a slow, low pressure pump) And that's exactly what dealers use to fill tractor tires...a fill valve w/air bleed button, and a pump. BTW, the Gempler valve comes with various adapters for different valve stems, including farm tractor tires. As someone suggested earlier, eye protection is a good idea.

t

FWIW, the warning below is from the JD X304 manual. All JD tractor manuals in the 100 and 300 series have the same warning.

IMPORTANT: Avoid damage! Never use liquid in tires or wheel weights as ballast. Transmission damage can occur. When rear ballast is needed, use only the approved rear weight bracket and attaching weights.color>

BTW, the 100 and 300 series tractors do not have holes for wheel weights.

-Deerslayer

how many gallons do you think a 25x10.50x12" tire would need to add 50 lbs per tire ?
Also anyone ever make any comparison in traction between a wheel weighted tire and a liquid filled? just wondering if one is better than the other, or if there is any difference traction wise, i know liquid is suposed to be easier on the tranny since the tire spins around the liquid, lol that sounds strange...

WWF weighs about 7 lbs. per gallon, so you'll need a tad over 7 gal. per tire. That size will easily accomodate 7 gal. each.

I have used fixed wheel weight and now used filled tires. Additional weight was right at about 50 lbs. per wheel in each instance. Weight in or on the wheel is just weight, when it comes to traction performance. On a gear drive tractor, you definitely feel the mechanical connection of fixed wheel weights. On a hydro unit, liquid filled tires change nothing in the way it drives.

As deerslayer aptly warned, one should consult their manual for weight limitations on a particular model before adding weight. "A man's got to know his limitations." - Clint Eastwood

t

Absolutely right. Using fixed wheel weights "CAN POTENTIALLY" contribute to damage of trans and differential components much more readily than using liquid fill in the tires. As johninmd points out, the liquid is free to move inside the tire and because of that it does not increase the torsional load that the drivetrain must deal with when starting and stopping. In contrast, fixed wheel weights can easily increase the torsional loading of the drive train by 4 or more times (as compared to an unweighted tire, wheel, and axle shaft assembly). Once you get the machine into motion (or get it stopped on the flip side of the coin) the torsional resistance is not a factor. And to be completely fair about the situation, ANYTHING you do to increase the tractability of a tire (whether it's weight boxes, tire chains, wheel weights or liquid fill in the tires) CAN INCREASE the torsional load imposed on the drivetrain during take off and during braking. Any time you increase traction (which is just a different way of saying "reduce slipping") you have to be more cautious and conservative about how you get the machine into motion and get it stopped. That means no "catapult shot" take offs and no tire sliding stops. (you shouldn't be doing that on purpose anyway, regardless of weighting). Of course if you have a machine that has the brakes mounted "outboard" (at the wheels per se) the stopping imposes no torsional loading on the drivetrain.

Here in E. TX, we use 1 gal of concentrated a/f per ag tire, with no problems. All our new tractors come tubeless. We rarely see 0*F. We only fill tires to approx 3/4 full. I think that the JD A/F has enough inhibitors in it to prevent rust on the painted wheels. I don't recall any complaints. I have seen them do it this way since 94'.

Use Rim Guard Tire Ballast. Works very well, wil not freeze or corode the wheels. Each gallon weighs 11 pounds. If you email then they will send you info on the nearest dealer. Just added to mine with wheel weights and no longer need chains. http://www.rimguard.biz/

You can also seat the bead by shooting a can of ether starting fluid in the tire and throwing a match at it. The expansion of the gases will cause the tire to seat the bead.

deerslayer

if you tractor has a hydostatic drive thats why.
hydos arent made for pulling
if you got gear drive it should be able to handle it

I have a Wheel Horse GT with an 8 speed manual tranny so it's not an issue for me.

The original poster has a JD 155C. JD doesn't recommend wheel weights OR fluid in tires if the rear wheels don't have holes for wheel weights. See my earlier post.

-Deerslayer

"You can also seat the bead by shooting a can of ether starting fluid in the tire and throwing a match at it. The expansion of the gases will cause the tire to seat the bead." HAHAHAHAHA A whole can of ether? I'm sure it would seat the tire bead to the rim. Probably unseat everybody in the neighborhood, but heck, it's fun to watch the paramedics load the injured into the ambulance while the fire department puts out the fire.

mownie I've done that to semi-truck tires hundreds of times and seen it done as many. never saw one blow. Is it safe? absolutely NOT