I have 4 telehandlers / Lulls with calcium / water filled tires. What is the best way to check the pressure and have the gauge survive? Last time I rinsed it well and submerged it but it was still shot a short time later. Even sprayed some PB Blaster on it.:Banghead:Banghead Any other tips anyone has will be appreciated. Thanks!
i wonder the same thing.
I try to get to some decent pavement and fill the tire till the lug just lifts off the pavement on the edge. On many jobs there is no pavement and just mud or sand. Do big loaders use calcium fill also? What eles uses it? Newer forklifts don't use it with lower CG and locking rear axle.
check the tire when the valve stem is in the 12 o'clock position. Unless the tires are completely full, then I dunno.
I try do do 12 o'clock but sometimes I skip it as it is PITA to move in a rush. I think they are filled full from the factory and no air is in there. Then the rim doesn't rust much with no oxygen. When you get them new tires in the field they never are full like they are supposed to be. Foam I would think slows down the machine as it doesn't spin like water fill. I had a machine once and the idiot didn't put any or enough calcium in and the tires froze. Took two days with heat on the tire to thaw. I thought a bearing went when I drove it with the frozen flat spot. The whole idea of it seems bizarre just rotting out you rims. Any bio friendly antifreeze to put in that doesn't cost a million bucks a tire?
Get the right pressure gauge. They make a tire pressure gauge just for this problem. The body and the guts are stainless so it wont rust and the plunger that has the pressure readings on it is spring loaded so it pushes out the liquid that gets into it when checking the tire pressure. I know milton make one for filled tires and there are others out there.
Tire gauge survival with calcium/water filled tires Goose is correct on the right gauge. The tires are not suppose to be full, they have to have air in them usually 18-25 lbs depending on manufacturers recomendations.This is the reason the equipment bounces at road speeds. mailtrain
I switched to urethane/foam fill in my telehandler wheels and NEVER looked back.
Done this with farm tractor tires for years. Turn tire so valve stem is at 12 o'clock, wait a minute, take your jack knife or screwdriver and bleed off some air, wait a little, do again about 3- 4 times till no calcium comes out, maybe blow in a little air and try it again. If dry then check pressure and air up. Buy several cheap gauges or one good one but they last pretty good.
Some testing results below. I was still searching for one made for calcium ballast with no luck. http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/eng5242 I see the S 928 is for water filled tires but I read it will not be accurate after repeated use with calcium. I guess it's 12 o'clock on the stem. I see they also sell a bucket of gages made from plastic and delrin which may last and they seem like they would be cheap. Thanks guys. https://www.miltonindustries.com/uploads/Pages_50-51.pdf