[Carzoni]

So after playing around with the Craftsman GT II: http://www.mytractorforum.com/14-craftsman-sears-forum/891393-craftsman-ii-gt-loader.html

it's been doing very well, I think the only thing it could use in terms of power is more traction. I put chains on the tires which did improve it somewhat, although on inclines, especially in gravel or soft dirt (which is the case nearly everywhere on my property) it does spin a little bit. I was looking around YouTube about filling tires with windshield washer fluid/antifreeze to add weight and traction, wheel weights are available @ about $1/lb (50lbs can be added to each side out of Sears catalog). No more weight can be added to the weight box, it really needs to be in, or on, the rear wheels. How much fluid will a 23x10.5 - 12 hold? What is the easiest method to do this? I would guess it would take a tube to fill the tires with a fluid, I'm not sure the tires have tubes, any advice on adding tubes? could tubeless tires be filled with something solid for traction and weight? thanks for any help that can be offered

 

[4Suburbans]

No more weight can be added to the weight box, it really needs to be in, or on, the rear wheels.

What kind of weight box do you have? Why can't you add more weight to it?

The number of gallons for filling the tires has been posted here before. I've seen the number but off hand don't remember what it was. A search should bring it up or you can wait until someone chimes in with the answer. Personally I would not load any tires without tubes.

 

[badgerland01]

Typically when people recommend loading tires "only if they have tubes" comes from the old days of using calcium. The calcium would rust out the rim if it made contact. Using non-corrosive fluid eliminates the need for the tubes. I have loaded over a dozen tubeless garden tractor tires with windshield washer fluid. None of them have ever had any issues. As far as capacity, the 23" tires I have filled held around 7 gallons each if I remember correctly.

 

[TUDOR]

Personally I would not load any tires without tubes.

Personally, I hate loading tires with tubes. Every time that I have done so has meant another trip to the tire shop within a few weeks or months to fix leaks. I ran my tubeless tires loaded with calcium for 12 years without going back to the tire shop once.

The last time (less than 2 months ago) cost me $117, and now it's leaking and needs to go back. This time it gets a new tire and NO TUBE!

 

[TUDOR]

How much fluid will a 23x10.5 - 12 hold? What is the easiest method to do this? I would guess it would take a tube to fill the tires with a fluid, I'm not sure the tires have tubes, any advice on adding tubes? could tubeless tires be filled with something solid for traction and weight? thanks for any help that can be offered

Solid material inside the tire for ballasting will wear the tire from the inside out.

Seven gallons of Rim Guard will add 70-75 lb per tire. Windshield washer fluid will add about 60 lb.

Break the bead on one side of the tire and pour the fluid in through the bead. That will give about 70% fill.

Liquid ballast is the first thing that should be added for a loader equipped tractor, or for a snow removal tractor. Then add wheel weights, tire chains, and rear end ballast as required.

Liquid ballast and wheel weights are carried by the ground. A weight box on the rear of the tractor is carried by the axle and is limited by the capacity of the axle.

 

[Everlandfarm]

Here's the tire ballast volume chart.

Ballast Volume and Weight

I'd remind a few folks that just adding weight to a rear weight box, etc. is well and good, provided you keep in mind the weight carrying capacity, etc. of the axles and the strain on the trans as you go jolting along. Wheel weights, ballast in the tires causes less problems. If the weight is added into or on the tire, the frame, axles, etc. don't have to carry it, the ground does.

Calcium is very corrosive and will eat the wheel if it's in a tubeless tire, also, be careful when filling a tubed tire as any splashes will begin to eat and rust immediately.

For pushing snow, I loaded the tires in my GT5000 with WWF and added wheel weights, that was about 12 years ago and no problems.

Good luck,

Ev

 

[Whirly]

Solid material inside the tire for ballasting will wear the tire from the inside out.

Seven gallons of Rim Guard will add 70-75 lb per tire. Windshield washer fluid will add about 60 lb.

Break the bead on one side of the tire and pour the fluid in through the bead. That will give about 70% fill.

Liquid ballast is the first thing that should be added for a loader equipped tractor, or for a snow removal tractor. Then add wheel weights, tire chains, and rear end ballast as required.

Liquid ballast and wheel weights are carried by the ground. A weight box on the rear of the tractor is carried by the axle and is limited by the capacity of the axle.

I'm gonna add to ur info.. IF u use Rim Guard or windshield washer fluid in a tubeless tire.. DO NOT use a rubber stem valve core.. install a full metal one instead.. the pop in rubber stems r glued together with a water base glue.. after time these will come unglued..

personally I love Rim Guard for inner weight.. it weighs 11 pounds per gal.... &&&&&& it will not harm man or beast.. that calcium crap has to b disposed of properly accordin to the EPA.. Rim Guard is made from sugar beet juice.. the only thing bad about it is it gives off an odor.. worse than a fart.. lol...

I have come up with a tread where I loaded tires with Rim Guard.. I did this inside my shop.. I have a home made exhaust gas extraction system in it that I used to extract the odor of the Rim Guard.. I used a small pump to pump it into the tires thro the stem.. I got about a 80-85% fill.. (note.. when fillin thro the stem.. the tire needs to have the air burped off..I used a set of valves & hoses to do this)

OOOHHH .. any spilage of rim Guard can b cleaned up with plain water.. then tossed on ur yard.. it makes a fair fertilizer too..

 

[Carzoni]

Here's the tire ballast volume chart.

Ballast Volume and Weight

I'd remind a few folks that just adding weight to a rear weight box, etc. is well and good, provided you keep in mind the weight carrying capacity, etc. of the axles and the strain on the trans as you go jolting along. Wheel weights, ballast in the tires causes less problems. If the weight is added into or on the tire, the frame, axles, etc. don't have to carry it, the ground does.



Ev

This is what I meant by I cant add any more weight to the weight box, I forgot who asked in the thread. I don't think the transaxle would stand for any more behind-center-of-gravity weight. My weight box is meant to balance the loader, which is does adequately. like everland suggested, I need that weight on the ground.

Thanks for all the replies everyone is very helpful here.

 

[mdigby]

If you decide to use WWF or rv antifreeze, there is another way to fill the tire other than breaking the bead. I used the techniques shown in posts 7&8 of this thread.

http://www.mytractorforum.com/78-la...es.html#/forumsite/20477/topics/170120?page=1

Good luck

 

[Tractor-Holic]

Another option,that seems less popular,is to have the tires filled with foam,that weighs much more than liquids..it does tend to make the tires feel too "solid" and ride suffers,also some claim they dont give that great of traction compared to an air filled tire you can bleed down to low PSI and gain more grip..
Another bummer is the foam is quite costly--but you'll never again have a flat tire either..

 

[TheCaffeinatedOne]

If you decide to use WWF or rv antifreeze, there is another way to fill the tire other than breaking the bead. I used the techniques shown in posts 7&8 of this thread.

http://www.mytractorforum.com/78-la...es.html#/forumsite/20477/topics/170120?page=1

Good luck

I'll second this suggestion. The SLIME company - the tire gadget guys - have stuff at TS, department and hardware stores. One of the gadgets is a garden hose -> air valve adapter that actually works. As mdigby suggests, its about seven bucks.

I also sprung for an inexpensive (smallest) water pump at TS to load the tires with. I think its about 1/12 hp, which is just right. Place a 5 gallon bucket higher than or at the same level as the pump and dump in 3 or 4 bottles of windshield washer / antifreeze. You might go through 6 or 7 gallons per tire, depending on the size of the tire.

Jack up the tractor (leave the wheels right on it) so you can slide a pan underneath to catch drips and then remove the valve center from the valve stem. Attach the adapter, fix the tire so the stem is at the top and start pumping the fluid in. You want a pretty slow fill to allow air to escape sensibly. There is a little pressure release on the adapter; keep hitting that and the air will move without fuss.

Ideally, you will end up with the tire about 3/4 full of fluid. That corresponds with the air valve location on the rim when rotated to 12:00. Reinstall the valve core and pump up to pressure. Don't worry about equalizing the amount of fluid in the tires with any precision. That might make a difference at high speeds, but fast ain't part of the picture here.

My tires have chains on year round, so they get very little tread wear. I used this method with tubeless tires for 20 years until the tires began to crack from age and lost pressure. I then put in tubes and did it again. Works fine.

 

[Carzoni]

I cannot seem to locate a dealer of Rim Guard in my area (unless someone in Central Maine could point me in the right direction - Tractor supply doesn't carry it). I would like to try windshield washer fluid at any rate. According to the rimgaurd site a 23x10.5-12 will hold 8.3 gallons and add 72.8lbs (of rimgaurd) so as TUDOR said - about 60lbs per tire with WWF. with 50lb weights on each side that's up to 110 lbs per tire, I think that will add the required traction as I do plan to use the machine for snow removal (just a small driveway, but it isn't level and it's gravel.

When changing out the rubber valve stems for metal, can this be done from the outside? Or could just the core be done from the outside w/o having to break the bead, etc.

Can the WWF be added using air compressor behind the fluid, in order to push it in, bleed some air, etc.?

 

[Carzoni]

Thank you caffeinatedone... I put up my question in post #12 before I saw your post.. the answers come fast here! so much knowledge. thanks guys. i'm looking into the garden hose adapter. Still looking into replacing the valve them though..'

 

[TUDOR]

Valve stems are replaced from the inside of the rim. The tire needs to at least have the beads broken.

Pushing the fluid in using compressed air can be done with low pressure. High pressure can cause damage and if the fluid is above the valve stem when you go to install the valve core, you will get very wet and have a mess to clean up.

 

[Carzoni]

Valve stems are replaced from the inside of the rim. The tire needs to at least have the beads broken.

Pushing the fluid in using compressed air can be done with low pressure. High pressure can cause damage and if the fluid is above the valve stem when you go to install the valve core, you will get very wet and have a mess to clean up.

Well, I'd like to be able to do it w/o removing the wheel from the tractor even, moreover breaking the bead and then getting it seat again. I'm going to try the SLIME adapter Slime Air/Water Adapter Kit with Bleeder Valve - For Life Out Here and some help from gravity and knee to the wheel. the valve stems are rubber, but the cores are metal, of course. it is your standard valve stem that you'd see on a bicycle tire. I can't seem to find a replacement for a .453" valve stem hole (the "standard" size) in metal. I reviewed several videos about filling with WWF and didn't hear any other mention of metal valve stems being required. ?

 

[Carzoni]

I'm gonna add to ur info.. IF u use Rim Guard or windshield washer fluid in a tubeless tire.. DO NOT use a rubber stem valve core.. install a full metal one instead.. the pop in rubber stems r glued together with a water base glue.. after time these will come unglued..

are these sufficient...?
https://www.denniskirk.com/535422.sku?ad=4355691769
I looked at them up close at my local hardware store and they appear to be all metal, maybe a rubber gasket in the center. I guess I will find out what the core in my stem looks like when I pull it out.

 

[Carzoni]

Oh! better yet.. a package deal, lol.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Slime-20088-4-Way-Valve-Cores/dp/B0020T17J2[/ame]

 

[Whirly]

I'm gonna add to ur info.. IF u use Rim Guard or windshield washer fluid in a tubeless tire.. DO NOT use a rubber stem valve core.. install a full metal one instead.. the pop in rubber stems r glued together with a water base glue.. after time these will come unglued..

are these sufficient...?
https://www.denniskirk.com/535422.sku?ad=4355691769
I looked at them up close at my local hardware store and they appear to be all metal, maybe a rubber gasket in the center. I guess I will find out what the core in my stem looks like when I pull it out.

it's not the core part I was speakin about.. but the rubber part that is in the rim.. it's called a valve stem.. not a valve core..

it's my fault tho.. I had the word 'CORE'.. & it should have read valve stem... not stem valve..

 

[Whirly]

Well, I'd like to be able to do it w/o removing the wheel from the tractor even, moreover breaking the bead and then getting it seat again. I'm going to try the SLIME adapter Slime Air/Water Adapter Kit with Bleeder Valve - For Life Out Here and some help from gravity and knee to the wheel. the valve stems are rubber, but the cores are metal, of course. it is your standard valve stem that you'd see on a bicycle tire. I can't seem to find a replacement for a .453" valve stem hole (the "standard" size) in metal. I reviewed several videos about filling with WWF and didn't hear any other mention of metal valve stems being required. ?

the Rim Guard people even advise the all metal stems b used in a tubeless tire..

 

[Carzoni]

it's not the core part I was speakin about.. but the rubber part that is in the rim.. it's called a valve stem.. not a valve core..

it's my fault tho.. I had the word 'CORE'.. & it should have read valve stem... not stem valve..

I guess I was hoping you *just* meant the core.. after some further research it appears virtually every valve stem on any rim is either .453 or .625 (5/8") and replacement metal valve stems are designed to fit both.

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/Slime-20128-Chrome-Performance-Valve/dp/B008FHWZOY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1444600418&sr=8-4&keywords=Metal+Valve+Stems[/ame]

I suppose that would require the breaking and reseating of the bead certainly, although if I found they do sell a valve-stem puller (for rubber ones).

I could see the water-and-alcohol possibly breaking down the rubber valve stem over time, or the glue that holds it together as you said, but I wonder how the rim-guard could damage the stem, perhaps its just a disclaimer because pneumatic tires weren't originally intended to be filled with liquid.