# Novice Question on Rear Wheel Weights



## CenTex (Oct 22, 2015)

I have several 70 to 120 HP utility tractors in which I have always used liquid ballast in the rear tires. I have no experience with rear wheel weights. One of the tractors, a MF 383, is due for new rear tires. I think I want to skip the liquid ballast and use wheel weights on it this time.

A search turned up a couple sources for the wheel weights.

My question is what is the technique for mounting the multiple layers of weights? Any special considerations for the bolts used for mounting?

Thanks for any suggestions.

Les


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Back when I was employed at a JD dealer I either installed or supervised installing many weights on JD tractors. IIRC the bolts were 5/8'' grade 8(6 radial dashes on head) bolts.One needs to install bolts in 1st weight before installing weight so as to install 2nd weight. If more than 2 weights are to be installed then each previous weight needs bolt installed except the last weight to be installed needs no bolts installed. I have installed as many as 5 weights per rear wheel


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## Growing pains (Nov 7, 2015)

Why are you looking to go away from liquid ballast? It is about the cheapest weight you can buy and doesn't stick out past the tires like weights can. I'm not making a case against weights, just curious is all.


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## gearhartfarms82 (May 10, 2015)

Depends on size but if you get same brand weights just bolt them up. Each layer is bolted to the previous or can bolt all together. Can bolt inside or out. We run weights on all of ours and skip the pain in the butt liquid.

Growing pains u must not do your own tire work?


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Just make sure you assume that whatever chemical you put in your tires that it won't damage the environment when the tires blows. It can happen. Trust me.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> Just make sure you assume that whatever chemical you put in your tires that it won't damage the environment when the tires blows. It can happen. Trust me.


??

Do you mean assume that it will?


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

I have gotten away from using liquid ballast in my tractors since we don't really need the extra weight just for haying. I have enough bolt in weights for the JD tractors that I don't need to use liquid and the IH gets along just fine without any weights or liquid at all. Our Ford still has both bolt in weights and liquid ballast (it used to have a loader on it and needed the weight for stability), but I haven't messed with it since the tires are in good shape and haven't leaked.

All the liquid I'm dealing with is calcium solution, not RimGuard (beat juice), so it will rust things badly if it leaks and doesn't get cleaned up well.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

deadmoose said:


> ??
> Do you mean assume that it will?


Yes, assume that you can handle cleaning up the calcium chloride, mag chloride, ww fluid, etc if a tire blows out. I had a tire give out and lost a lot of rim guard on a field. Luckily, it's not toxic to the enviroment.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

In Central Texas, he might not be running anything but water... that's all we run in ours...

Course you still have to be careful... years ago we got a severe cold snap with temps in the teens to low 20's for a couple days and the neighbor pulled his tractor out of the barn to feed cows... picked up a round bale on the forks and took off, made about four revolutions of the frozen rear tires before they blew out... NOT good...

Glad we don't have to mess with chloride or beet juice... not sure where you'd even buy that stuff down here...

Tire manufacturers will say that the tires will last longer and work better with no liquid in them... IOW, they recommend using wheel weights rather than fluid... Certainly from a perspective of corrosion, the rims will last longer running air only versus fluid...

I guess it really depends on what a guy wants to do and the costs involved...

Later! OL J R 

PS... had a "Rekord" (Yugoslav, before the fall of Wall) tire give out one time while I had the planter hanging off the back of the tractor 3 point... looked like a fire hose shooting out the sidewall of the tire out 15 feet into the field... what a mess... glad it was only H20...


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## CenTex (Oct 22, 2015)

Thanks for all the comments.

Growing Pains asked why I was considering going away from liquid ballast. I have probably read over fifty postings on various forums about the merit of each. The only clear consensus is that filled tire ballast is the cheapest. In my climate I can run either water/antifreeze or windshield washer fluid in the tires. For me personally, It seems to be slightly less of a hassle to deal with weights rather than draining and refilling tires when you have to repair or replace a tire. The tractor in question only sees light duty now and the weights I am considering will also fit two of my other tractors if I ever trade it.


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## Growing pains (Nov 7, 2015)

We do our own tire work and usually use washer fluid because it's cheap. Luckily we don't have too many problems since we only farm our own ground and there aren't many obstructions that ruin tires. If you were in rugged areas or unfamiliar areas with a big risk of ruining tires I agree that weights would be far easier to deal with that draining and refilling tires all the time. Like I said I wasn't making a case for the liquid I was just curious.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

One rule of thumb for weight is bias tires use liquid. Radial tires use weights. But bias tires still work with weights. Radial tires do not work at top efficiency with liquid.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

hog987 said:


> One rule of thumb for weight is bias tires use liquid. Radial tires use weights. But bias tires still work with weights. Radial tires do not work at top efficiency with liquid.


I agree for heavy tillage work but how many members perform heavy tillage? IMHO liquid ballast in radial tires is fine for added stability for FEL operation.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Tx Jim said:


> I agree for heavy tillage work but how many members perform heavy tillage? IMHO liquid ballast in radial tires is fine for added stability for FEL operation.


I fully agree, I have steep hillsides in places and my safety is more of a concern than radial tire optimization.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Prefer weights to ballast, even if your not doing tillage liquid in tires tend to increase compaction.

Also doesn't matter what you use for liquid, its a nasty mess when you do get a leak.

We have one tractor with rear ballasted tires, it also has two wheel weights each side and a 6" cast iron spacer between the rear axle flange and tire. It's a JD 401C and I've still picked the back tires off the ground with the loader, usually always have a round bale on back especially in rolling terrain. Same loader our JD400 backhoe has so all the ballast and weights don't come close to what the backhoe puts on for weight.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

For my operation, I use weights and avoid ballast.

I use the Kubota 5040 with FEL for nearly everything.

I have to adjust the tread width when I cultivate corn and adjust it back for haying. The tire and rim (not the center flange to which the rims are bolted) are the part which I have to move. It would be a real chore if there ballast was installed.
I cut firewood, "bush-hog" around the fields, etc... and there are black locust (thorn) trees about my farm. I seem to average one tire repair per year on the tractor. It has always (except once) been a slow leak that only needed a patch to remedy the situation. I can take my cordless impact and jack to the tractor. Struggling, I can lift the rear tire (with rim only) into the bed of the truck and be on may way for repairs. No way I could do that with ballast.

If it were not for the probabilities of flat tires and the seemingly-frequent adjustment of tread width, I would consider beet juice.

73, Mark


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

Anyone found a place to but aftermarket weights for 20 or 30 series Deere tractors?


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

My dad and I have collected some from various tractors that we either bought or were being sold by people we knew and they sold us the weights separately. I think Wengers in PA might have some, but I'm not sure what kind of price they would be asking and there may be salvage yards a lot closer to you. I sometimes see them at auctions too.

http://www.wengers.com/


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## Farmineer95 (Aug 11, 2014)

All states tractor parts for used. Think going rate is a dollar per pound. Equipment jockeys around here have a stash of weights too. Mounting rears are stacked one at a time from what I've seen. 
In our area weight goes on in fall and comes off in spring for tillage on the bigger row crop tractors. Switching from max traction to minimum compaction.


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## FCF (Apr 23, 2010)

Here is one place I have looked at for weights but have never dealt with them.

http://lonestarweights.com


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## Redbaler (Jun 10, 2011)

Kinda nice not to have fluid in there if you get a flat.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

I'd say comfortably 95% of actual tractors (not compact overgrown lawn rigs) around here have loaded rears. The only guys who don't are pullers and they have plenty of iron to hang off them. Some have wheel weights too. But lb for lb calcium is cheaper than iron.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Anyone ever been around when a calcium filled tire has to be changed out? 
Looks like a toxic waste dump, what a mess. Inside of rim don't look real pretty, either. 
It is the cheapest, though.


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

JD3430 said:


> Anyone ever been around when a calcium filled tire has to be changed out?
> Looks like a toxic waste dump, what a mess. Inside of rim don't look real pretty, either.
> It is the cheapest, though.


BIL has a mini-bulk tank about full of calcium chloride he pulled out of some tires last time he got a set... willing to sell it from what I gathered...

Nasty stuff-- but cheaper than the beet juice.

Later! OL J R


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

luke strawwalker said:


> BIL has a mini-bulk tank about full of calcium chloride he pulled out of some tires last time he got a set... willing to sell it from what I gathered...
> 
> Nasty stuff-- but cheaper than the beet juice.
> 
> Later! OL J R


I'm sure he's willing to sell it. Local salvage yard advertises the stuff for free.

I bought a few sets of weights a few weeks ago for my old Oliver (not that there are new ones) because I didn't feel like dealing with potential tire/rim issues. And because the price was right. Put a 'wanted' ad in the Lancaster Farming and got a local call. Couldn't ask for a better deal.


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