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Antifreeze ballast

Not as heavy as cast iron and concrete, nor as corrosion prone as calcium chloride. However, like all liquid ballast, you are always fighting gravety by internal friction pulling up on fluid as gravety pulls it downward in the back of the tire as you move forward. Remember, that fluid is always moving inside the tire. I am not a fan of liquid ballast, worked in the Nebraska's Sandhills. Liquid ballast tractors used more fuel per acre than cast iron ballasted tractors did, same make/model doing same work pulling same equipment. I was one of the "bean counters" that kept track of expenses for a custom farming operation.
 
Im not that big if liquid ballast either but its cheap have you priced cast weights latley ? 15 years ago I should have bought more paid 80$ a set now over 150 a set i still might wait and just get one more set I think that would help quite a bit
 

cvphoto60479.jpg

Liquid did a number on one of my rims.
 
Same here, i bought the front weight bracket for i think $100, each weigh $60, went back 2 years later for more weights, same salvage yard wanted $80 apiece, gave me a bull $hit story about price of steel went up., i cleaned them up and painted them too,, i should go back now and see what they want for them!

cvphoto60483.png
 

Washer fluid which is methanol alcohol and water is usually the cheapest and won't corrode the wheels.
Even though it's lighter a 6.5 lbs per gallon a 18.4-38 tire holds 110 gallon adding 715 lbs to each tire.
Going to take several wheel weights to equal 1400 lbs
 
(reply to post at 02:10:14 10/24/20)
Click to expand...

A big con to ethanol is it is very tasty and very toxic to animals. There are better better and cheaper ballasts today. Beet juice for example.
 
> A big con to ethanol is it is very tasty and very toxic to animals. There are better better and cheaper ballasts today. Beet juice for example.

I think you mean ethylene glycol, aka automotive antifreeze. Windshield washer fluid, which IS methanol, is also toxic but animals aren't likely to drink it and leaked washer fluid tends to evaporate quickly.

Rimguard, aka beet juice, is certainly not cheap.
 
But the advantage is you don't loose your cast iron when you have a flat and have to replace it.Also don't have to pay to have the cast pumped in and out of a tire just to change them.
 
It is crazy the way the price of weights has gone up the past couple years.you can't even buy them at auction because there is always two guys that out bid each other.I am starting to see suitcase weights selling close to $200 PER WEIGHT.it is really nuts,that someone would pay that for a hunk of iron.As for fluid in tires,it's not near as good as a set of wheel weights,but since the are so expensive you are forced to use fluid.I think antifreeze or windshield washer,is the best way to go.you can even get used antifreeze from a shop and test it.

Rock
 
Calcium is heavy, antifreeze is light. If you want weight you are barely getting half with the antifreeze.

Calcium might kill the lawn When it’s spilled all in one place, but it’s non toxic doesn’t hurt critters or the environment.

Typical antifreeze is toxic, and can soak down into the aquifer.

Folk that work on tires pump the liquid out pump it back in, you are contaminating their supply of calcium with your antifreeze.

Paul
 
Come out I will gladly give you 500 gallon of CC if you need it,, only cost would be having it pumped out and i would gladly pay half of that cost at least just to get rid of the stuff,, great for ballast I just hate it,, I must have 6 units with it yet that needs pulled
 
I have been picking up used antifreeze from several shops--no charge from any of them--they are glad to get rid of it
 
I've been using RV antifreeze (the non-toxic stuff) for years. A couple of local places always order too much and around February or March will practically give away cases of it to get rid of it.
 
(quoted from post at 12:30:22 10/24/20)
(quoted from post at 11:25:49 10/24/20)
(quoted from post at 08:19:00 10/24/20) What is the current price for new weights from a dealer?
Click to expand...

New 40 kg suit case weights from NH are $235 each
Click to expand...

$2.67 per lb
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I guess $.75 to $1.00 a lb for used isn't that bad.
My methanol mixed 50/50 with water averaged costing me $.31 per lb, pumped it in myself.
 
So quite a few are using ethanol and methanol based rv antifreeze and washer fluid.

But hate 10% ethanol in gasoline because it causes corrosion.

But your okay with it in your tires vs CC?
 

I don't think ethanol is corrosive to steel but the water molecules it attracts can be hard on bare aluminum carburetor parts, that's the reason I don't like to use it in engines that set for periods at a time, lawn mowers, chain saws, weed eaters, generators.
Calcium chloride is a salt which will cause steel to rust at a accelerated rate verses steel exposed to plain water.
About the only thing I know that will cause steel to rust faster than CC is battery acid.
 
(quoted from post at 23:39:26 10/23/20) Not as heavy as cast iron and concrete, nor as corrosion prone as calcium chloride. However, like all liquid ballast, you are always fighting gravety by internal friction pulling up on fluid as gravety pulls it downward in the back of the tire as you move forward. Remember, that fluid is always moving inside the tire. I am not a fan of liquid ballast, worked in the Nebraska's Sandhills. Liquid ballast tractors used more fuel per acre than cast iron ballasted tractors did, same make/model doing same work pulling same equipment. I was one of the "bean counters" that kept track of expenses for a custom farming operation.
Click to expand...
mmeasurable, except maybe in the imagination. :roll:
 
(quoted from post at 17:40:03 10/24/20)
JMOR
Are you implying you don't believe the theory that liquids inside tubes/tires causes enough friction to measurably raise fuel consumption?
Click to expand...
don't know about "implying"....just don't believe it.
 
I dont know, we have a huge tractor salvage yard near here were i go for stuff like that. I wouldent pay new price for them anyway.
 
Thanks stan but im really not a calcium fan . I was given 250 gallon antifreeze but i read somewhere that it can ruin the tubes but i suppoose it can’t do any more damage than calcium
 
(quoted from post at 06:15:32 10/24/20) > A big con to ethanol is it is very tasty and very toxic to animals. There are better better and cheaper ballasts today. Beet juice for example.

I think you mean ethylene glycol, aka automotive antifreeze. Windshield washer fluid, which IS methanol, is also toxic but animals aren't likely to drink it and leaked washer fluid tends to evaporate quickly.

Rimguard, aka beet juice, is certainly not cheap.
Click to expand...

You are correct. I meant glycol. Beet juice here is a lot cheaper here than antifreeze. FYI, I loaded my 13.6x38 with CaCl. I bought 99% CaCL and mixed my own 31% solution. Total cost was $91 for a 75% load in both tires. The NAA had a double rim failure last year. It has had CaCl in the rears for 67 years before the rims rusted out. Total cost for both rims was $236 plus $72 for new tubes. Total costs was less than loading with any other ballast fluid. Since I am 67, I won't worry too much about the next rim failure.
 
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