Hydro Inflation

Procedure for fluid ballast

How to hydro fill:

1. After the beads have been fully seated in the mounting procedure, inflate the tyre to 230 kPa. Jack up the wheel and rotate the wheel assembly so that the valve is at the top of the rim. Lower the jack until the tyre is slightly deflected.
2. Connect the assembly to fill the tyre with fluid as illustrated below with a cross section of 75% hydro-filled tyre with air/hydro-inflation equipment parts shown in diagram.
   Attach adapter and unit assembly part (A) to valve stem. Do not use pliers. Also attach supply hose to part "B." Part "C" is used to remove the core housing.
   In warm climates where calcium chloride may not be desired, tyres can be filled with water only. A pump is not necessary when only water fill is used. Tyres may be filled directly by using a valve adapter on a hose.
3. After the connection (in step 2) is made, bleed the air pressure down to about 35 kPa by moving the control handle (C) to the evacuate position. 35 kPa keeps the beads seated on the rim. 
4. When this point is reached, start the pump and move the control handle to fill position. Use a hydro-inflation pump to fill the tyre with calcium chloride or non-damaging anti-freeze solution (consult Bridgestone Firestone for recommendations). Check the pressure in the tyre every few minutes with the pump gauge by placing the pump in neutral or check position. If the pressure exceeds 130 kPa, move the handle to the evacuate position, until the pressure is bled back to not less than 35 kPa. After the pressure is lowered, continue to add fluid. Repeat the above steps as often as necessary. Industry practice is to maintain the fluid level at 75%. (Fluid fill should be maintained at a level sufficient to cover the valve and keep the rim completely submerged.)
5. Replace the core housing in the valve stem by pushing the handle in until the housing is screwed tightly into the valve stem. Then withdraw the handle. Turn the handle to evacuate and pump all liquid from the hose. Shut off the pump and unscrew the assembly from the valve.
6. Inflate the tyre to seat the beads, not exceeding 230 kPa. With the valve stem still at the top, bleed the excess fill down to 5-15 kPa above the recommended inflation pressure.
7. Finally, rotate the tyre and wheel assembly so that the valve is at the bottom of the tyre. Set the final operating pressure with the tyre mounted on the tractor and its full weight on the tyre.

To remove fill:

1. Jack up the tractor until the tyre is slightly deflected. Rotate the tyre and wheel assembly until the valve is at the bottom.
2. Connect the assembly to the valve stem. Unscrew and retract the core housing (C) into the ejector body with the control handle in the check or neutral position. Attach the adapter (B) to the valve. Remove the core housing and connect the supply hose to the adapter (B).
3. Start the pump and turn the control handle to the evacuate position. The fluid is rapidly withdrawn from the tyre. Gravity flow may also be used to remove the fluid. When removing fluid from tubeless tyres, be careful not to unseat the beads until most of the fluid has been pumped from the tyre. Consult your tyre supplier for information on hydro-inflation equipment such as pumps, compressors, air-water conversion hardware parts, etc.