When you’re selecting tires for your tractor, one important consideration is how the tires are built on the outside. The shape, grooves, material, and overall construction are all essential to a tire’s performance and durability. But sometimes, it’s what’s on the inside of the tire that counts: liquid ballast.

Liquid ballast enhances a tire’s performance by maximizing traction and stability while decreasing slippage, tire pressure loss, and fuel consumption. Not all tires can be ballasted, but there is no hard and fast rule for determining whether a given tire is designed with ballast in mind. For example, tires with and without tubes can be ballasted. Some tire manufacturers don’t recommend liquid ballast at all, but recommend using cast-iron weights instead.

If you’ve confirmed that liquid ballast is compatible with your tires, the first thing to do is select which type to use. For a breakdown of options, watch this quick video.

As you can see, the right type of ballast for your tires will depend on the climate where you plan on using them, as well as how much money you want to spend. Once you’ve decided which liquid you’ll be using, here’s what you’ll need to do next:

  1. Insert the ballast through the air/liquid adaptor, which is located under the valve core. Rotate the tire to give yourself access to the valve core and unscrew it to deflate the tire.
  2. Attach one end of a tire hose to your liquid supply and screw the other end of the tire hose onto the air/liquid adaptor.

How much of the tire should be filled?

When you find out whether the manufacturer recommends liquid ballast for your particular tire, they will also usually tell you how much of the tire’s volume should be filled. For many tires, 75% of the total volume is the suggested quantity. Others may suggest smaller amounts, such as 40%, but a tire should never be more than 90% filled.

Once you’ve filled the tire, unscrew the tire hose and replace the valve core. Be sure to fill tires on the same axle with equal amounts of ballast for a balanced ride. This would typically be the front axle, as ballast is usually only used for front tractor tires, like the ones for sale from Gallagher Tire.

Before you can fill a tire with liquid ballast, you will need tires. In that case, look no further than Gallagher Tire, where you can buy Gladiator X Comp tires online and much, much more!

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