Front tire ballast

fruitcakesa

Well-known member

Equipment
M 6040
Oct 26, 2010
852
265
63
Cavendish Vermont
Is there any situations where one would want to fill the front tires with ballast? Is it recommended?
Also does anyone put wheel chains on the front as well as rear wheels when plowing?
 

skeets

Well-known member

Equipment
BX 2360 /B2601
Oct 2, 2009
14,094
2,755
113
SW Pa
If you have a backhoe it would help, however I filled mine with anitfreeze just for plowing snow last year,, a couple of gallons does make a difference,, but them Im cheap and didnt want to spring for the wheel weights,, also if your mowing on hill sides the added weight will help keep the frount end down comming up.. just MHO you understand
 

chip

Member

Equipment
B6000
Oct 28, 2009
47
0
6
Danbury, Ct USA
I filled my B6000 fronts with calcium chloride water solution and pumped it in with an inexpensive fluid transfer pump I purchased at an auto parts store. Raised the front, removed the air valve, turned the tire so the stem was up and pumped it in until it was full to the stem. put the valve back in and pressurized to the recommended air pressure. Make sure you have tubes in the tires or the salty wateer will wreak havoc on your rims. I did this because I mow with a rear mount mower and the steering was very light or not at all going up hill with the deck up. It still gets a little light but not so much.
 

B7100hst-d

New member
Oct 31, 2010
53
0
0
NLR AR
I keep both my fronts loaded about 75% with 50/50 water/antifreeze as well as have a hefty bumper on front. Helps out a lot w/the land clearing bush hogging, as well as ground engagement implements.
 

ETRon

New member

Equipment
M6040
Aug 4, 2010
128
0
0
Tellico Plains, TN
I have to ask if anyone say with an "L" series or larger has done this? Reason I ask is I was told not to by the dealer because of FEL loading of the tires. I do know when I have had full bucket loads of dirt the front tires are rather flat, surprisingly so to me versus how 2wd fronts usually look. I like the idea of having a little more inexpensive weight up front to balance the Bushhog. Perhaps a lower amount of fill, maybe 60-70 percent? Don't mean any of this to be contentious, please don't take it that way, just wanting more inputs. Thanks
 

B7100hst-d

New member
Oct 31, 2010
53
0
0
NLR AR
I have to ask if anyone say with an "L" series or larger has done this? Reason I ask is I was told not to by the dealer because of FEL loading of the tires. I do know when I have had full bucket loads of dirt the front tires are rather flat, surprisingly so to me versus how 2wd fronts usually look. I like the idea of having a little more inexpensive weight up front to balance the Bushhog. Perhaps a lower amount of fill, maybe 60-70 percent? Don't mean any of this to be contentious, please don't take it that way, just wanting more inputs. Thanks
you have your FEL off when you bushog, so just put on a simple box on the nose and you can fill it w/rocks, dirt, or 3-4 5 gallon buckets of water (w/tops etc) you could make a simple enough nose box from plywood and a little angle iron and it'd be easy to put on/take off
 

fruitcakesa

Well-known member

Equipment
M 6040
Oct 26, 2010
852
265
63
Cavendish Vermont
My loader will always be on; either with a snowplow, forks or bucket attached
I am just thinking about traction in off road logging and snowplowing conditions.
 

fruitcakesa

Well-known member

Equipment
M 6040
Oct 26, 2010
852
265
63
Cavendish Vermont
The dealer said he rarely saw a ballasted front tire except when someone was using a heavy rear implement with the loader detached. Then wheel ballast and front weights were used.
As for front wheel chains, other than light duty cartype chains, he would not recommend them as the tierods are very close to the wheel and when turning, the wheels are very close to the frame so there could be problems.
Also front chains really help to keep the wheels from side sliding as opposed to providing traction to push, the rear chains are all you need for that.
 

Davemerq73

New member

Equipment
FEL, Rear Blade, Box scraper
Dec 5, 2010
30
0
0
Becker, MN
I may be new to Kubotas, and Tractors, but I was under the impression that it is never bad to add weight, and the tires are the best location to add the weight... Only issue I heard of was some rim corrosion or freezing from using the wrong stuff. My dealer filled all my tires. It was about $90 and it works great. I added about 800# to a 1500# tractor.
 

GWD

Member

Equipment
M7040, L48 TLB, BX2200
Jan 8, 2010
792
12
18
Northern California
The main problem with loading the fronts is the stress, wear, and tear that are done to the steering components. It takes extra force to turn loaded tires and having them loaded all of the time constantly requires components to work harder.

An example by ETRon points out the force on tires when the bucket is loaded. Power steering makes it seem like nothing but the force is there.
 

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SoCal Kubota

New member

Equipment
BX24, BX2750D
Nov 5, 2009
19
0
1
Running Springs, CA.
For snow I use chains front and rear. I think because the BX24 is not vary heavy and I use a front blower I need the chains. When the blower is going throw snow it tens to take weight of the front. The chains help me do walkways. I what to try adding weight to the front by fill the tires with foam. Has anyone done this on a BX?
 

Attachments

fruitcakesa

Well-known member

Equipment
M 6040
Oct 26, 2010
852
265
63
Cavendish Vermont
The main problem with loading the fronts is the stress, wear, and tear that are done to the steering components. It takes extra force to turn loaded tires and having them loaded all of the time constantly requires components to work harder.

An example by ETRon points out the force on tires when the bucket is loaded. Power steering makes it seem like nothing but the force is there.
Ouch, that is just what I want to avoid; I will take a little slippage and care to keep my machine intact.
 

SGut3

New member

Equipment
Woods Brush Bull, LA 480 Loader, box scrape, Tiller, post hole digger, plow,
Jun 2, 2010
8
0
0
Va.
I was told by the dealer not to put ballast in the front tires on 4wd tractors if equipped with a front end loader because of putting too much weight on the axles.
 

steve l

New member

Equipment
2 m9000,9540 all cabgmd700 kuhn 605m vermeer,r23a vermeer rake,468 jd baler,
Dec 29, 2010
77
0
0
57
bullard,texas 75757
i dont know what size the tires are on this model of tractor,but i dont think you could enough water in them to make that big of a difference.my 9540 has 18.4 30 tires on the rear and they told me at the tire shop they held 90gallons and water weighs 8lbs per gallon so i wouldnt think you get maybe 5gallons at the most so i wouldnt take the risk of tearing up the frontend for that little bit of weight.as far as slippage goes if the back wheels arent slipping the front cant either because there is no differential in the transfer case.have you ever thought about suitcase weights they weigh 100lbs each,i have 10 on my 9540 they hang on the factory weight that comes on the tractors with no fel.they work great.
 

ipz2222

Active member

Equipment
L235, bx2670
May 30, 2009
1,927
31
38
chickamauga ga usa
sgut, your dealer is ignorant. Adding fluid ballast to front tires does not add weight to axles. It puts weight directly on the tire to the ground.
It does add to the load to the steering but, so does haveing an fel on the front of a tractor. " Take that fel off, make your steering last longer". Don't think so , Tim.!!
 

ETRon

New member

Equipment
M6040
Aug 4, 2010
128
0
0
Tellico Plains, TN
Devils advocate here.... Now that I've had the 6040 for a couple seasons here I've noticed 1) Without and even to a point with, the FEL on the machine is light in the front. Bushogging tends to raise a front tire on inclines and steering less effective. Weight in loader helps. 2) Compliment to 1, steering in winter is pathetic on any incline at all. 7ft blade on rear. It wouldn't climb out of my shallow ditch with 2 wheels on the snow covered road. Ashamed to admit though I totally forgot about unlocking the brakes. Probably would have helped immensely. 3) If you put enough weight on the front to help the front tires "appear" to be running low to the ground with the 29psi the manual recommends. It may just be me but I'm beginning to think it's the narrow tires used on the 4wd's. I've never noticed or felt the same about tractors with the standard ribbed 16" fronts (2wd). I guess the bottom line is whether I'm right or not, seems like having lugged tires on the front gives up a noticable amount of directional and load ability for the additional pulling power? Comments?

Ron
 

steve l

New member

Equipment
2 m9000,9540 all cabgmd700 kuhn 605m vermeer,r23a vermeer rake,468 jd baler,
Dec 29, 2010
77
0
0
57
bullard,texas 75757
i dont know what size the tires are on this model of tractor,but i dont think you could enough water in them to make that big of a difference.my 9540 has 18.4 30 tires on the rear and they told me at the tire shop they held 90gallons and water weighs 8lbs per gallon so i wouldnt think you get maybe 5gallons at the most so i wouldnt take the risk of tearing up the frontend for that little bit of weight.as far as slippage goes if the back wheels arent slipping the front cant either because there is no differential in the transfer case.have you ever thought about suitcase weights they weigh 100lbs each,i have 10 on my 9540 they hang on the factory weight that comes on the tractors with no fel.they work great.
i also dont have but maybe 5psi air in the rear tire.makes the tire wider at the ground and the ride is much smoother.