Can i water ballast a tubed tyre?

[Rob Holmes]

Wanting to ballast a tyre with tube but the tube has a standard, moulded valve

Can it be done without changing tube?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Yes, the other type of valve stem is preferable, but that's no reason that you can't.
Just fill to 'nearly the top of the rim' if you have much road/speed work as that water tipping /bounce effect is what will let you down

 

[Rob Holmes]

What fitting do i need for filling that type of valve?

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Various ways of doing it.

Either, borrow the right adaptor from a tyre shop, or you can simply put a garden hose (bare) onto the stem, and remove it every few minutes to release the air and thus speed up the water flow.

The right gadget simply has a small bypass tube which lets the air out as the water flows in, obviously you jack and block the machine so the tyre's just off the ground, too high and the weight of the water will pull the tyre off the bead (unless it's well stuck on!)

They recommend that you put the valve at 10 or 2 o'clock, so that the height of the valve stem is just below the highest point of the rim - too full and the water begins to run over the rim and this is what causes the bounce as speed increases, until centrifugal force evens it out around the whole tyre.

 

[bravheart]

remember the anti freeze!

 

[Ffermer Bach]

We used to put a bag or two of rock salt in barrel, then mix it into the water with a hot water pressure washer, then using a PTO pump, pump it into the tyre (using) a valve as Pete described. Salt is a far cheaper anti freeze and I guess the advantage is, if there is a puncture, there are no worries about contamination of ground water either. Just remembered, Mayes Tyres said that a puncture with ballasted tyres, they always fit a new tube as it is hard to patch a ballasted tyre tube (I have no idea if this is right, but I didn't want to risk it!). Oh and use a pressure gauge designed for ballasted tyres too, the ones an air line attached will be ruined by the water.

 

[Blue.]

If you knew the volume could you pump it in with a pressure washer?

 

[milkloss]

Make a threaded collar for the valve stem which you can attach the hose to or maybe some long nose mole grips or else the stem will be playing hide and seek!!

 

[Skimmer]

We used to put a bag or two of rock salt in barrel, then mix it into the water with a hot water pressure washer, then using a PTO pump, pump it into the tyre (using) a valve as Pete described. Salt is a far cheaper anti freeze and I guess the advantage is, if there is a puncture, there are no worries about contamination of ground water either. Just remembered, Mayes Tyres said that a puncture with ballasted tyres, they always fit a new tube as it is hard to patch a ballasted tyre tube (I have no idea if this is right, but I didn't want to risk it!). Oh and use a pressure gauge designed for ballasted tyres too, the ones an air line attached will be ruined by the water.

I was always under the impression a new tube is needed as they have to slit the old one to let the water out so they can get it out the tyre.

 

[jamesy]

Used to do this with loader tractor, just jacked up a little, wheel with valve at about two o’clock take center of valve out & jubilee clipped garden hose on - realease clip now and then to let air escape

 

[Kiwi Pete]

We used to put a bag or two of rock salt in barrel, then mix it into the water with a hot water pressure washer, then using a PTO pump, pump it into the tyre (using) a valve as Pete described. Salt is a far cheaper anti freeze and I guess the advantage is, if there is a puncture, there are no worries about contamination of ground water either. Just remembered, Mayes Tyres said that a puncture with ballasted tyres, they always fit a new tube as it is hard to patch a ballasted tyre tube (I have no idea if this is right, but I didn't want to risk it!). Oh and use a pressure gauge designed for ballasted tyres too, the ones an air line attached will be ruined by the water.

A patch on a tube that's only had water in is no problem, but additives to the water can change this.
In north America calcium chloride is often used, because it resists freezing and is about 30% heavier than water alone, nasty corrosive stuff though, so bulk antifreeze is often used now instead.
So a puncture involving corrosive CaCl or antifreeze can be quite bad news for the environment, or your cat!

In a tubeless fitting, it's also important to keep the insides of the rims well painted and be careful not to damage the paint with slidehammers/irons etc, as a long period parked is bound to result in corrosion.

My most effective antifreeze solution is to not go to work in a frost

 

[ARW]

I hate to burst every bodies bubbles, but in my experience a tube chafes against the tyre and is a regular problem

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I hate to burst every bodies bubbles, but in my experience a tube chafes against the tyre and is a regular problem

Yes, in an ideal world I'd break the tyre half off the bead and liberally dose it with talcum powder... helps with the rub