Wheel weights

Carscw said:
If a 300 pound man ( not me ) can use a ztr then I don't think 20 pounds of water will hurt anything.
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Not sure about that... There is this lawn crew that I see sometimes. The biggest man is never on the Z. I think his belly blocks the levers.
 
Micko said:
I think the problem could be that being that its a liquid (water), once the wheel stops the liquid will want to keep moving. Think of it a driving a car. If you crash, the occupants will be sent through the windscreen if not wearing a seatbelt. There is a technical term for it that escapes me.

The Hustler ATZ has wheel weights that are bolted on. Perhaps the OP could bolt some weight to the frame, low, near the drive wheels? Just thinking out loud!

But really, in such small wheels, I cant really see there being a problem. Thing is though, if you need weight in the tires, the machine is probably being driven on slopes that it shouldnt be on!

Ive heard of water rusting rims. Window washer fluid is a better alternative I believe.
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You are comparing a car with lawn mower? Yes if you are not belted in, you can go though the windscreen at higher speeds that a stock lawnmower can go. Lets say you are going as fast as you can go on a lawn mower, you may hit a whole 14 mph on flat ground, I'll give you 16 mph going down hill, those are not road speeds. I think the term you were looking for is called INERTIA, maybe not. As far as bolting weight to the frame, you are putting more stress on the axle then if the weight is in the tires. When the weight is in the tires it is unsprung weight, if the weight is on the frame the axles now have more weight on them that is undo stress on bearings, bushings and tires just to name a few parts. As far as rust on the inside of the rims, your rims are painted, if you don't have any chips or scratches on the inside of your rim you should be OK. Now if you put calcium chloride in your tires, that stuff will eat the paint off the rims and you will get rust. But if you put tubes in your tires then put in calcium chloride in the tube you should be OK. You can put 50/50 water/anti-freeze in your tires and have no trouble with rust, anti-freeze has an anti-rust additive to stop rust just like it works in water cooled engines. The term WATER is used to described the fluid in general instead of saying anti-freeze and water 50/50 mix. When a engine manufacturer gives an in general description of the cooling of an engine, they use the word WATER to describe how the engine is cooled, like (air cooled)(water cooled) engines. Putting weight in tires is good for traction and ballast when you are on hills. Putting weight in your tires is the best way to add ballast and you can't get weight any closer to the ground then in your tires which are on the ground.....
 
gfp55 said:
You are comparing a car with lawn mower? Yes if you are not belted in, you can go though the windscreen at higher speeds that a stock lawnmower can go. Lets say you are going as fast as you can go on a lawn mower, you may hit a whole 14 mph on flat ground, I'll give you 16 mph going down hill, those are not road speeds. I think the term you were looking for is called INERTIA, maybe not. As far as bolting weight to the frame, you are putting more stress on the axle then if the weight is in the tires. When the weight is in the tires it is unsprung weight, if the weight is on the frame the axles now have more weight on them that is undo stress on bearings, bushings and tires just to name a few parts. As far as rust on the inside of the rims, your rims are painted, if you don't have any chips or scratches on the inside of your rim you should be OK. Now if you put calcium chloride in your tires, that stuff will eat the paint off the rims and you will get rust. But if you put tubes in your tires then put in calcium chloride in the tube you should be OK. You can put 50/50 water/anti-freeze in your tires and have no trouble with rust, anti-freeze has an anti-rust additive to stop rust just like it works in water cooled engines. The term WATER is used to described the fluid in general instead of saying anti-freeze and water 50/50 mix. When a engine manufacturer gives an in general description of the cooling of an engine, they use the word WATER to describe how the engine is cooled, like (air cooled)(water cooled) engines. Putting weight in tires is good for traction and ballast when you are on hills. Putting weight in your tires is the best way to add ballast and you can't get weight any closer to the ground then in your tires which are on the ground.....
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Inertia is the word I was looking for, thanks for that!

Maybe the car was a bad way to explain it. Half fill a glass of water. Slide it across a table and stop it suddenly, what happens? The water will want to keep traveling in the same direction, but it cant. It will stop and then flow back in the opposite direction! It will flow back and forth until it settles.

But none of that matters. I doubt that much water will cause any kind of problem. I think I said that already!

When I read "fill the tires with water" I read it as, putting water in the tires. Water and steel react causeing rust, you know that but you are right, rims are painted and any rust would take many years to cause dramas. Because I read it as water, all I meant was there are better alternatives like as you say, antifreeze etc. I only mentioned window washer fluid as that came to mind!

Yeah, weight on the frame probably isnt a great idea, was just a thought. You know, getting more weight down low, lowering centre of gravity!

Anyway, I wasnt saying to not do it, just pointing out a few things that Ive read over the years. Mainly with LT's, GT's and tractors. Hell, I had water in my little JDLT155 back in the day so, what ever!
 
Back to the original question. You really shouldn't have a problem installing wheel weights. The wheel weights that I have installed just bolt on with long cap screws. The most you might have to do is drill the mounting holes in your wheels or wheel weights. The wheel weights I have seen weight 50 lbs. each which would give you more weight then water would.
 
reynoldston said:
Back to the original question. You really shouldn't have a problem installing wheel weights. The wheel weights that I have installed just bolt on with long cap screws. The most you might have to do is drill the mounting holes in your wheels or wheel weights. The wheel weights I have seen weight 50 lbs. each which would give you more weight then water would.
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I'm thinking that if the wheels have holes in them already like other garden tractors then the manufacturer must of put them in the wheel just for that reason, to install wheel weights or to install dual wheels. It costs money to drill holes in the rims and be cheaper to leave them blank. I use RV anti-freeze in my tires 23x10.50-12 takes about 7 gallons per tire at 9 lbs per gallon = about 63 lbs per tire. 9x7=63x2=126 I rounded the weights out. I don't know what size the rear tires are on your mower.
 
I can understand what is being said about filling the tires with antifreeze. If you need a tire repair who repairs them? And will except the mess of the old antifreeze, and will refill them? If someone brought a tire into my shop filled with antifreeze for a tire repair I would turn down the job. What in the world would you do with 9 gallons of antifreeze. Maybe RV antifreeze you could pour in you lawn?? and it wouldn't kill the grass? I don't even like the tire sealant mess but will do them. If you do your own tire repairs it would be fine. Some of the larger shops fill tires if you don't do your own tire work. As I recalled the original question was about wheel weights.
 
I use RV antifreeze because it does not hurt the grass. And I buy it by the case to winterize homes.
You can pour it down a drain if you don't want to empty it on the lawn.

Did not know people buy others to fix a flat mower tire.
 
gfp55 said:
I'm thinking that if the wheels have holes in them already like other garden tractors then the manufacturer must of put them in the wheel just for that reason, to install wheel weights or to install dual wheels. It costs money to drill holes in the rims and be cheaper to leave them blank. I use RV anti-freeze in my tires 23x10.50-12 takes about 7 gallons per tire at 9 lbs per gallon = about 63 lbs per tire. 9x7=63x2=126 I rounded the weights out. I don't know what size the rear tires are on your mower.
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reynoldston said:
I can understand what is being said about filling the tires with antifreeze. If you need a tire repair who repairs them? And will except the mess of the old antifreeze, and will refill them? If someone brought a tire into my shop filled with antifreeze for a tire repair I would turn down the job. What in the world would you do with 9 gallons of antifreeze. Maybe RV antifreeze you could pour in you lawn?? and it wouldn't kill the grass? I don't even like the tire sealant mess but will do them. If you do your own tire repairs it would be fine. Some of the larger shops fill tires if you don't do your own tire work. As I recalled the original question was about wheel weights.
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If you read my post I addressed the wheel weights that you recall was the original question or maybe you didn't understand what I was saying. As far as RV antifreeze not engine antifreeze, being safe, read the label; "All ingredient are listed in the U.S. Federal Register. This product is considered GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by the Food and Drug Administration." I run 6 ply tires so I have never had a flat tire on any of my machines, but I guess if I did and I had to take the tire to a tire shop I would save the fluid and put it back in when the tire was repaired. Just to be sure I called the EPA and they said it is safe also and it can go in the ground and not poison your well. I do not understand why you are so against something you obviously know nothing about. If you don't like it don't use it, but others can post other ways of putting weight on wheels if one can't mount wheel weights or does not want to use wheel weights for aesthetic reasons.....
 
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