TECHNICAL ADVICES

Mechanical lead

Liquid ballasting

Charts of filling
with liquid

Tyre maintenance

Stockage

Use
and maintenance

Liquid ballasting

Occasionally the machine needs extra weight to increase tractive power but also to lower the centre of gravity for improved stability.
Primary, wheel or chassis mounted weights should be used, but on occasions when this is impossible, the tyres can be liquid filled.

Liquid filling alters tyre characteristics:
- Tyres get more rigid and less flexible.
- Rolling resistance increases.
- Increased risk of damage to tyres, rims and axles.
- Considerably increased forces during road operations

 

Liquid recommendations

In areas without any risk of freezing:
- Tubed tyres - water only.
- Tubeless tyres - water + anti corrosion fluid, usually ethylene glycol.

In areas with a risk of freezing:
- Tubed tyres - Water + Calcium-Chloride (CaCl2) or ethylene glycol or methylated spirit
- Tubeless tyres - water + ethylene glycol

These solutions lower the freezing point and do not damage the tyre, while the calcium chloride also increases the ballasting.

 

Liquid precautions

- use pumps with rust resistant pressure gauges
- ensure the operator uses protective glasses, overalls, boots and rubber gloves
- prepare the solution by pouring the calcium chloride into the water and stirring the mix to help it dissolve.

Never pour the water into the calcium chloride: it is dangerous. Always mix calcium chloride in to water.

- clean all the metal parts of the vehicle carefully when the filling or drainage operations are complete, as
they may have come into contact with the anti-freeze, which is corrosive.
-

check tyre pressure frequently as the quantity of air remaining in the tyre is low.

 

Liquid volume

Maximum permitted filling volume is 75% of the total tyre volume. For forestry machines, operating in heavy terrain, max. 50% filling volume.

 

Mixing of anti-freeze fluid

The following proportions may be used as a general guide:

Calcium-chloride (Ca Cl2)

Temperature
°C 		Ca Cl2
kg		 Water
litre		 Total weight kg
(per litre mixed fluid)
–10
–20
–30
–40 		0,14
0,24
0,36
0,49		 0,95
0,90
0,83
0,76		 1,11
1,16
1,21
1,26

 

 

 

 

Example: Tyre dimension 650/60-38 TWIN 414.
Volume at 75% filling level = 590 litre
Wanted anti-freeze temperature -30 °C.

* Amount of Ca Cl2
* Volume of water
* Total weight
 590 x 0,36 = 212 kg
590 x 0,83 = 490 kg
590 x 1,21 = 714 kg




 

Ethylene glycol

Temperature
°C

Glycol
litre

 Glycol
kg		 Water
litre		 Total weight kg
(per litre mixed fluid)
–10
–20
–30
–40

0,23
0,33
0,43
0,53

 0,26
0,37
0,48
0,59
 0,77
0,67
0,57
0,77		 1,03
1,04
1,05
1,06

 

 

 


Example: Tyre dimension 650/60-38 TWIN 414. Volume at 75% filling level = 590 litre

Wanted to anti-freeze temperature –30 °C

* Amount of glycol
* Volume of water
* Total weight		 590 x 0,43 = 254 litre
590 x 0,57 = 336 litre
590 x 1,05 = 620 kg



 

 

Liquid filling instructions

Liquid filling valves

Agricultural wheels are normally equipped with combined air and liquid-filling valves. For tube tyres the valve number is TR218A (or ETRTO V4.01.1+V4.02.1) and TR618A for tubeless tyres (or ETRTO V5.01.1+V4.02.1).

 

Instructions for liquid filling
  1. Tyres should be mounted as usual with required bead seating pressure.
  2. Equip the tractor with the required tools.
  3. Inflate the tyres to the recommended pressure.
  4. Move the tractor until the valve is pointing to desired filling level (at the highest vertical point for 75%)
  5. Insert a jack under the axle, near the wheel, and raise it until it makes contact with the axle (the jack will sustain the tractor in the original position when the tyre is deflated).
  6. Deflate the tyre. Unscrew the entire air valve housing.
  7. Connect the liquid filling valve (this is a special valve with an air drain pipe).
  8. Introduce the liquid into the tyre through a normal rubber hose fixed to the stem of the valve until it flows out of the drainpipe.
  9. When the liquid filling valve is not available, introduce liquid in to the tyre by fixing a normal rubber hose to the stem of the normal valve. During the filling operation occasionally remove the hose from the valve in order to allow the air in the tyre to escape.
  10. Stop filling when water starts to come out.
  11. Replace the air valve and inflate to the desired pressure (same as point 3).

Note: Only use an inflation pressure gauge that is resistant to anti-freeze liquid. Make sure that the air valve is above liquid level before measuring the air pressure.

 

Instructions for draining water
  1. Jack the wheel up and position the valve at the lowest vertical point.
  2. Unscrew the valve housing and let the water drain out.
  3. Connect a liquid draining valve to allow all the liquid to come out, then screw the washer down over the stem of the valve.
  4. When the liquid draining valve is not available, inflate the tyre with air, remove the internal valve stem, using the special cap key, introduce a small rubber (drainage) hose of suitable length and let the remaining water drain from the tyre.
  5. Remove the rubber tube, replace the internal valve stem and screw the locking washer back down.
  6. Inflate the tyre with air to the recommended pressure.

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