Tractor wheel repair

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I have a tractor tire that was leaking calcite from the air valve which I have replaced. It caused corrosion on the tractor side of the wheel where I couldn't see. I need to make some welds to repair it. Can I do this with the tire filled with air and calcite or does the tire have to be removed?
Reply:If the tire is pressurized, I think welding could be dangerous.  Once the metal starts to liquify, the compressed air will blow the liquid metal out and your tire will lose all its air anyway.  You probably need to remove the tire from the rim, clean as best as you can, and weld.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:carm, can you educate this city boy by explaining what calcite is and why it is inside your tractor tire?  Why would it corrode the outside of the wheel but not corrode the inside of the wheel?Thanksawright
Reply:I agree with Smith.   Ive never seen repairs done to a wheel with tire still on.  Big PITA I know.  But again these things usually are.  Good luckIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Awright,calcite is calcium carbonate.  I think it's a moderately strong base.  When I have seen it, it's a powdery stuff.  I think mostly it's used to make cement.  Usually when a farmer puts something in tractor tires, its for weight.  A heavy tractor is a tractor with traction, but I have never seen folks put dry powder in their tires for ballast...we always used water and anti-freeze.Maybe carm is filling up his tires with cement. Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I heard of certain cases using small amounts of cem to fill holes.  But weve never done it.  Just something weve heard other good ole boys claim to have done with sucess.  Not sure if it works or not.   Usually when we get tangled with mesquite we end up with a new tire IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:In the older farm/ag world we filled the tires with a liquid calcite solution. Added weight, wouldn't freeze and helped preserve the tires from the inside out. Picture a four or five foot high tire and imagine how many gallons it might take to fill maybe half way to most of the way. That would be a lot of anti-freeze.
Reply:Originally Posted by smithboyAwright,calcite is calcium carbonate.  I think it's a moderately strong base.  When I have seen it, it's a powdery stuff.  I think mostly it's used to make cement.  Usually when a farmer puts something in tractor tires, its for weight.  A heavy tractor is a tractor with traction, but I have never seen folks put dry powder in their tires for ballast...we always used water and anti-freeze.Maybe carm is filling up his tires with cement.
Reply:Hey Carm,We have a lil custom around here its called respect.Jokes are fun as long as they dont hurt folks.  But your last post was rather rude and was uncalled for.  Nobody was tryin to be mean or come out on top at your expense.   Perhaps you could share in this lil custom.  ThanksIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Carm,I didn't mean to offend.  Your original post indicates that you were asking IF you should let the pressure out.  I took that to mean you had not yet decided.  You are right...that Sandy is a smart fella.  He often has the answer.  I really didn't know about calcite used in tires, though.  Maybe in GA freezing tires are not as big a problem and doesn't require as much antifreeze.  We generally put only a couple of gallons per tire along with a bunch of water.  However, the last sentance in my post was just a bit of friendly rib tickling, and that's all it was.  However, back to task, I don't know if liquid calcite is flamable...I have actually never seen it in liquid form, but here is a tidbit that might address your concerns:Calcium Carbonate    CaCO3 This occurs as the mineral Calcite. It is used for Phosphorous Torpedoes, but does not have any dangerous properties in itself. Also as an acid absorber in fireworks.Sounds like it probably isn't flammable even dry.  Sorry for the confusion...and again, my comments were not intended to offend.Last edited by smithboy; 04-01-2006 at 07:12 PM.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Basically you have a tire with a stable brine that isn't susceptible to all the fungusses (sp  ) or other stuff that you might expect if you opened up a tire after ten years. Things like the flesh eating moss from the black lagoon. Whatever you science gurus call all that stuff that forms in stagnant water.Jack it up to take the weight off, spin the valve up and let the air out, grind it out a little and get good clean metal all around, give it a go. If you spin it in the down position you'd have a couple of pounds of liquid pressure on it even jacked up. Some could do it with a stick. Not me.
Reply:Id rather do it with stick...less mess, less clean up...well less mess on your gun.  I also like to burn em hot and fast and minimal grinding IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:oh and sandy,  we call it pond scum...Pond scum is something better than you when you enter boot camp.  Supposedly you go from less than pond scum to a sailor overnight ....   the night 'fore grad IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Originally Posted by TxRedneckId rather do it with stick...less mess, less clean up...well less mess on your gun.  I also like to burn em hot and fast and minimal grinding
Reply:Its just simple Sandy....I do this everyday all day.  I know what will get it and what wont..and Ive got just enough gall to think im that good.  You on the other hand are like,  ok Im gonna do this once and do it right but do it once. May take a little longer but theres no room for very costly, costly in time and sometiomes money, oopses.   We dont like oops.  They are very bad.  I figure if I make an oops Im a bad welder and need to credit myself in such away to repair it.   Like last night at work.  I got me a new helper.  Hes going to one of them fancy welding schools.  Were making roll abouts for the shopp.   Real simple.  Im cutting them, fit up the first one...gave the frame parts to him to build the second.  Dems were 30in X 24in.   Well mine was 30in X 24in bang freakin on.  Square to the 32nd.   Welll when we add the legs that connect the two frames they aint fitting well at all.  Dont understand why.  Finally I look at the measurements.  Well turns out his came out to bein like 23 3/4 X 31, and on the other side 31 1/8!  I was like wtf.  So I had to do a whole lot more work to cut the pieces and get them back to the right dems and square.  Lot more time than if Id just done it myself lol.  Course if Id have paid a lil more attention to what my cub was doin I guess Id have been doin better too...but live and learn.  He learned a good lesson though.  And it reminds me that sometimes its better to take the extra time to do it the way you know will work then to try some experimental or faster method only to find it causes you a lot more time and hassle IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Oh darn Did that sound egocentric?? I guess Ill have to work on that  Sorry Sandy   here ya go hope it makes up     IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Originally Posted by awrightcarm, can you educate this city boy by explaining what calcite is and why it is inside your tractor tire?  Why would it corrode the outside of the wheel but not corrode the inside of the wheel?Thanksawright
Reply:Hmmm now I am confused.... is it calcite (calcium carbonate) http://www.galleries.com/minerals/ca...lcite.htm#prop or calcium chlorate http://www.jtbaker.com/msds/englishhtml/c0357.htm ??? Hopefully not calcium carbide http://www.physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/CA...m_carbide.htmlWe offer correct, cheap and fast. Pick two.Weldanpower G800XMT 304Syncrowave 250Millermatic 135Maxstar 91Heliwelder 4A/DDR 224/HPA/BHFT Plasma
Reply:Originally Posted by rvannattaIt is Calcium Cloride  --- fundamentally salt water.   Farm tractor tires oftenhave salt water added for extra weight.   Salt water is heavier than just water, and being in the tires it provides a low center of gravity and the extra weight for traction.   Calcium Cloride is a very close chemical relative of Sodium cloride---common table salt.  --- and it behaves similarly, -- corrodes things.
Reply:Originally Posted by chopper5yup that is right calcium is all so the same stuff thay spread on dirt roads to keep down dust it draws water like a magnet to steel
Reply:Hmmm.  Good question WTFnoob.  I guess (and this IS just a guess) that the calcite term is actually referring to the mineral maybe NOT to a specific compound (I think when I have heard the term CALCITE used it may have been MISS-used).  These two different other terms (calcuim carbonate and calcium carbide) are specific compounds of calcuim.Calcuim Carbonate: A colorless or white crystalline compound, CaCO3, occurring naturally as chalk, limestone, marble, and other forms and used in a wide variety of manufactured products including commercial chalk, medicines, and dentifrices.Calcium Carbide: A grayish-black crystalline compound, CaC2, obtained by heating pulverized limestone or quicklime with carbon and used to generate acetylene gas, as a dehydrating agent, and in the manufacture of graphite and hydrogen.I know this does not clear up exactly what compound is in tractor tires, but it was fun looking this up.  I bet it's the carbonate form, 'cause it's much easier to make/get since it's pretty much naturally occurring.Last edited by smithboy; 04-02-2006 at 12:13 PM.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:calcium cloride or cloride as its some time called for short is what is used in tiresChuckASME Pressure Vessel welder
Reply:Originally Posted by chopper5calcium cloride or cloride as its some time called for short is what is used in tires
Reply:No need guessing when someone knows the answer...that's what I always say.  Thanks Chopper and Rvannatta, for clearing that up.  Guess I should stay away from gambling, huh?Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Oh, and the reason for no corrosion inside the wheel is an archaic thing called an inner tube.  The main reason for the CaCl2 is as an antifreeze, can you imagine a tire mostly full of ice ... out of balance to the max.GordonMy angle grinder is my best friend!calcium carbonate is used in an ati freeze type filler that is added to tractor tires for weight.Neil
Reply:Originally Posted by smithboyNo need guessing when someone knows the answer...that's what I always say.  Thanks Chopper and Rvannatta, for clearing that up.  Guess I should stay away from gambling, huh?
Reply:Originally Posted by PentawelderOh, and the reason for no corrosion inside the wheel is an archaic thing called an inner tube.  The main reason for the CaCl2 is as an antifreeze, can you imagine a tire mostly full of ice ... out of balance to the max.Gordon
Reply:ok I had a bad experieance with this at one time , the calcite is nasty stuff to try and weld on , best luck I have had is to take tire off clean off metal surace real good and tig weld it ( tig has a lot less metal distortion )or stick weld it but cool it off quick but calcite does eat into metal so worst case senario ( new wheel )