Fluid in Tires

Question:

“Why is water leaking out of my rear tires?”

Answer:

This isn’t actually water unless you live in a very warm climate. It’s most likely a calcium chloride mixture that’s heavy and won’t freeze.

It’s also extremely corrosive and will destroy your rims if it’s leaking inside the tire. Tires are filled to add weight for extra traction and as ballast for a loader.

You can drain it out yourself, but getting it back in the tire is best left to a tire shop that has the necessary equipment to pump it in.

When adding air to a filled tire or checking the pressure, always have the valve stem at the top (12 o’clock position). To see if your tires are filled, position the valve stem near the bottom and carefully let a little air out of the valve stem.

If the tires are filled, you will see liquid come out. To find out how much liquid is in the tire, hold a screwdriver by the blade, put your ear to the top side of the tire, and use the screwdriver handle to lightly thump the side of the tire starting at the bottom and working you way up gradually.

You will hear a distinct difference in the sound from the tire when you reach the top of the fluid level and move into the air space.

With a little practice, you will be able to pinpoint the exact level of fluid in the tire. Tires should never be filled more than 2/3 full. More than that can cause instability on hillsides, etc. When removing a filled tire from the tractor be very careful.

They’re very heavy and when tipped can fall over and injure the person trying to handle it. Have a strong helper around when you take these off.