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CrestonM 
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 Topic: Windshield Washer Fluid as Tire Ballast
Posted: 23 Oct 2017 at 6:54pm |
Does it work well? I see my local Napa has it for $1.99 a gallon, so I thought I may buy a bunch of it and use it as tire ballast in my B, if it's non-corrosive. There are no tubes in the rear tires, oddly enough. I wouldn't think it would harm anything, being windshield washer fluid, but I figured I'd better ask first. I've thought about Rim Guard, but that costs more. I realize it has greater mass, but I'd rather save some money and give up a few pounds. Just need to add some more weight so I'm not burning so much rubber when plowing. I've already got 90# weights in each rear, plus the belly sickle mower. Thanks!
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TimNearFortWorth
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Posted: 23 Oct 2017 at 7:27pm |
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RV anti-freeze may work for you. Not the cheapest and you still need to check how low it will go ambient temp wise. Any RV center should have it in stock this time of year.
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cnafarms
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Posted: 23 Oct 2017 at 8:45pm |
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I have windshield fluid in 2 of my tractors. you should be fine espically if u have the rear cast iron weights as well. Don't know bout not having no tubes. Both mine have tubes in them. I'd ask napa if they sell it by the 50 gallon drum winter blend. I got it like that before from them. Much easier. My 2 cents worth
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CrestonM
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Posted: 23 Oct 2017 at 9:20pm |
 cnafarms wrote:
I have windshield fluid in 2 of my tractors. you should be fine espically if u have the rear cast iron weights as well. Don't know bout not having no tubes. Both mine have tubes in them. I'd ask napa if they sell it by the 50 gallon drum winter blend. I got it like that before from them. Much easier. My 2 cents worth |
Thanks. I'll ask them about that. Maybe it'll be cheaper buying in bulk.
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marion
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 5:33am |
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I put windshield washer fluid in one of mine, afterwards was at tire shop and ask about ballast. they use methyl alcohol. ended up cheaper to have them do it. I think methyl alcohol is an ingredient in washer fluid
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Stan IL&TN
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 7:18am |
I have it in the front tires of my riding mower if that counts. 
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1957 WD45 dad's first AC
1968 one-seventy
1956 F40 Ferguson
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Tbone95
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 7:22am |
Windshield washer fluid is pretty much methyl alcohol, yes. Sure it will work OK. Like you said, you give up a few pounds. I don't know if it would be totally non corrosive? With no tubes?
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steelwheelAcjim
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 8:25am |
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Had M.E. Miller Tire in Wauseon, Oh (a forum member) fill 18.4 X 30 tires on a tractor I have. No issues at all. Was told only about a pound less than calcium chloride in weight difference.
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Pre-WW2 A-C tractors on steel wheels...because I'm too cheap to buy tires!
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SteveM C/IL
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 8:37am |
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pound per gallon
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Tbone95
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 8:40am |
That one pound per gallon didn't seem right to me, just googled windshield washer fluid, only about 6.84 pounds per gallon. Rim Guard was 10.7-11.0 pounds per gallon. Isn't CaCl about 10 something? Depending on concentration?
*edit* at 30%, CaCl =~10.8 pounds per gal.
Edited by Tbone95 - 24 Oct 2017 at 8:44am
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HoughMade
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 9:32am |
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An alcohol/water mixture in direct contact with steel rims? Count me out. In tubes, I could see it.
Edited by HoughMade - 24 Oct 2017 at 10:20am
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1951 B
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Tbone95
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 10:19am |
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Come to think of it, I don't think I paid a whole lot more than $2 per gallon of the new "corn juice" they're selling for ballast.
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DougS
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 11:07am |
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Water is about 8.5 pounds per gallon. I would think that alcohol is slightly less than water.
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CrestonM
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 1:30pm |
HoughMade wrote:
An alcohol/water mixture in direct contact with steel rims? Count me out. In tubes, I could see it. |
If that's the case, me too. Don't want to rust my rims out.
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CTuckerNWIL
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 2:05pm |
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Unless you have a good dryer on your air supply, there is bound to be some water inside a tire. Adding a bit of alcohol ain't gonna hurt the rim. Probably the worst hing could happen is it could start to rust if you leave air space in it and leave it set in one spot for a LONG time.
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Tbone95
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 2:09pm |
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But CTucker, you have to leave some airspace in it.
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CTuckerNWIL
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 2:17pm |
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Not enough to let the rim get air to it!
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Tbone95
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 2:25pm |
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OK, I guess I'm not sure what you mean then, my bad. When my tires get filled with anything, they are about 75% full....there about. I can park the tire valve stem at 12:00 and check pressure without a sealed gauge and without losing fluid.
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CrestonM
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 2:37pm |
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I guess I'm a little confused as well.
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Brian Jasper co. Ia
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Posted: 24 Oct 2017 at 10:31pm |
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The alcohol might not hurt the rim, but the water will. Windshield washer fluid is not straight alcohol, but a water and alcohol mix.
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"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford
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Tbone95
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Posted: 25 Oct 2017 at 7:00am |
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Right brian. That isn't the part I was confused about...IDK about Creston. Oh well.
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Brian Jasper co. Ia
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Posted: 26 Oct 2017 at 12:36pm |
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When they say 75% full, just picture the tire on the tractor as a water tank filled 3/4 of the way to the top. From there you inflate the tire with air to how ever much air pressure you need. Was that what you guys were wondering?
Edited by Brian Jasper co. Ia - 26 Oct 2017 at 12:38pm
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"Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian." Henry Ford
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CrestonM
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Posted: 26 Oct 2017 at 1:10pm |
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I'm confused about what Charlie said...about getting all the air out of the tire. How would you fill it past the valve stem without it all running back out when you went to put the core in?
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Tbone95
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Posted: 26 Oct 2017 at 1:22pm |
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The part about the air not getting to the rim, when only 75% full....for me. If fluid doesn't come out of my valve stem at 12:00, then there's air to steel in that area. It may be such that it would take years to corrode, if at all, but still....(IMO)
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CrestonM
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Posted: 26 Oct 2017 at 1:32pm |
Maybe I'll just look for more iron to bolt on. Seems that would be easiest. Or fork out the extra $$$ for Rim Guard. Then I know they wouldn't rust.
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Tbone95
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Posted: 26 Oct 2017 at 1:42pm |
Or fork out the extra money for a tube. I just had to replace a rim on my 7045. I've had to have 2 other rims repaired on tractors over the years for rusting out. So I will be staying away from anything possibly corrosive, because it not only is expensive to fix all that, it likely puts you "down" when you need it the most. Anyway, not knowing any better, I asked for rim guard. The guy told me, well, they went to beet juice (rim guard) because the CaCl rusts out rims. Then they found out the beet juice is taking out valve cores. (Which ain't nearly as bad, but still a pain). Now we have "corn juice". That's all the receipt said, corn juice, so I don't know if it's still made by rim guard or something else, about $2.00 per gallon. Just fyi.
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Allis dave
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Posted: 26 Oct 2017 at 3:11pm |
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Locally here, the RimGuard dealer sells rim guard for $3 a gallon
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