KVANDY12 Posted September 16, 2005 Posted September 16, 2005 Been thinking of getting a set of wheel wts for my A.C. 914. But I've herd that wts put a lot of stress on the axles. Same to me that fluid in tire would be better since it add wth to wheels but not the axles, with the tire turning and the fluid just setting there. Opinions please.What would you do? I'm in S.C.
BLT Posted September 16, 2005 Posted September 16, 2005 The weights bolt to the tire which get fastened to the axle hubs. No real big bending stress is forced on the shafts. Fluid in the tires are no different. You would cause more bending stress to the axles by setting a 500 pound man on the tractor seat then switching from fluid to iron weights.
D-17_Dave Posted September 16, 2005 Posted September 16, 2005 I prefer weights instead of fluid but the water is cheap.
Tom Deutsch Posted September 16, 2005 Posted September 16, 2005 I'm definitely not an engineer, but it only makes sense that when you increase the rotational mass of the wheel by bolting a weight to it, there will be increased stress (shock loads?) at acceleration and deceleration on the driveline components. Maybe not "bending stress" on the axles.
Kent Posted September 16, 2005 Posted September 16, 2005 My 2 cents (if it's even worth that much)... 1. Fluid is a bit gentler on the driveline, IMO. It will move inside the tire when starting and stopping, so that all the stress of the added weight isn't transferred immediately to the axle keyways, etc. Instead, it's more gradual as the fluid moves, up to the point that centrifugal force might hold it in place -- which I'm not sure happens frequently in normal use, since the wheels aren't really turning that fast. 2. Fluid is also much cheaper per pound of weight added. Winter mix WW fluid is less than 15 cents a pound -- often just 99 cents a gallon. I recently loaded four 23x10.50x12s for about $25. How many wheel weights would that buy? 3. I'd rather take the wheel and the weight off at one time, if necessary, rather than take them off separately. It's faster and less hassle. A few wheel weights are designed with large open centers so that you can do that, but most are not... The biggest downside of loading tires with WW fluid is the mess if you have a leak. Rather than replacing the tires on my PowerTrac with 6-plies due to frequent leaks, I added Hydro-Seal tire sealant to them when I loaded them with WW fluid. So far, I'm pleased since I haven't had a leak since. It's still a bit too soon to give it my total indorsement, though...
jbird243 Posted September 17, 2005 Posted September 17, 2005 I use a 3314v with a lot of weight and low tire air pressure to groom a sand beach. Tires provide more tread contact area to improve traction with low pressure down to 3.2 PSI. in the back tires. You should install tubes in the back tires to keep the tire sealed properly. Added weight and low tire air pressure increases traction. Liquid filled tires will not provide as much traction surface as low air pressure.
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