Anyone filled the rear tires with water??

Safari Ary · May 25, 2004

Well after reading this post on Pirate: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=253344

and knowing how our XJ's like to have stiff rear-ends, I was wondering if filling the rear tires with water would add any benefits? It wouldn't weigh down the rear springs 'causing sag and tire rubbage, it shouldn't really affect lean around corners on the way too and from the trail, but I think it would significantly help in keeping the rear of the XJ planted. Beez and Oneton have relatively small/lightweight rear-ends, have either of you tried it? Just thinking out loud.

Ary

2offroad · May 25, 2004

at speed the balance would be "well i am at a loss for words" different.

jjvande · May 25, 2004

never tried it, but from an analytical point of view...this would be adding to the un-sprung mass. A rougher ride would result, but the weight of the water would make the tire droop more during flexing.

Safari Ary · May 25, 2004

2offroad said:
at speed the balance would be "well i am at a loss for words" different.

Never intended to run it at speed. In all honesty I don't know that I'd ever do it unless I was gonna be running trails for like a week straight and I had some means of removing the water when I was done.

Kejtar · May 25, 2004

Safari Ary said:
Never intended to run it at speed. In all honesty I don't know that I'd ever do it unless I was gonna be running trails for like a week straight and I had some means of removing the water when I was done.

IIRC one of the colorado guys ran water in his front tires to prevent bounce and add front end weight and prevent rollovers or something like that..... Hopefully he'll see this post and comment on it.

lapaul · May 25, 2004

I think the friction of the rotating tires would overhead the water turning it to steam and split the tire.

Kejtar · May 25, 2004

lapaul said:
I think the friction of the rotating tires would overhead the water turning it to steam and split the tire.

If you got the tire to the point that it'd boil the water, I think you might have other problems.

ZmOz · May 25, 2004

For low speed off road use, it probably would help. You absolutely could not go more than about 10mph though, and the only way to get all the water out would be to take the tire off the wheel. Not to mention...how would you get the water in there to begin with?

yellowxj · May 25, 2004

takes a little more time to go flat !!! Our tractor has water in the tires, big threaded insert in the rim, jack it up and fill to desired level, cap it and add air. Funny watching water hose out after you tear a chunk out of the sidewall, leaves a neat pattern and surprises passersbye..

Kejtar · May 25, 2004

ZmOz said:
how would you get the water in there to begin with?

Hmm, remove valve, make sure the tire axle is supported so that it holds shape, pour the water in, install the valve, add air.

Ramsey · May 25, 2004

yellowxj said:
funny watching water hose out after you tear a chunk out of the sidewall, did it to the farm tractor.

could someone explain this to me in english

xj_punk · May 25, 2004

i thought about this, but was told to not even think about it with my d44 rear. my xj buggy is too light and could use some unsprung weight. in frontends, you better have a 60 or not do it... seems to cause major breakage!!

Kejtar · May 25, 2004

Ramsey said:
could someone explain this to me in english

you got a tire which gets a chunk torn out and water is leaking out of the hole.

rj454 · May 25, 2004

I think this is bad idea. You are adding weight and mass; And it's a fluid mass; ever drive a tanker or a truck with a tank in it? Unless you drive train is bombproof, breakage is very likely.
Just my $.02

SouthernXJ · May 25, 2004

So if your dogging it, your wheel is spinning freely, you jab the brakes, the tire weighs about 50 lbs more than it should,,,,,,, what would happen?

OT · May 25, 2004

SouthernXJ said:
So if your dogging it, your wheel is spinning freely, you jab the brakes, the tire weighs about 50 lbs more than it should,,,,,,, what would happen?

I see no reason why the water would want to do anything inside the tire other than stay on the low side of it. The only drawback I see is the added weight.

SouthernXJ · May 25, 2004

Well, if the tire were spinning fast, the water should equalize by spreading itself evenly inside the tire, which I would suspect would add to the centrifical force, making the tire harder to stop. Similar to the way water will raise up the edges of your washing machine when it's spinning like hell. So, if you had, say 6 gallons of water, about 48lbs in a large bucket, spin the living hell out of the bucket, then grab the bucket with your bare hands, would it snap your wrists?

Just thinking out loud.

ChiXJeff · May 25, 2004

SouthernXJ said:
Well, if the tire were spinning fast, the water should equalize by spreading itself evenly inside the tire, which I would suspect would add to the centrifical force, making the tire harder to stop. Similar to the way water will raise up the edges of your washing machine when it's spinning like hell. So, if you had, say 6 gallons of water, about 48lbs in a large bucket, spin the living hell out of the bucket, then grab the bucket with your bare hands, would it snap your wrists?

Just thinking out loud.

And for the same reason, while you could stop the bucket, the water inside would continue to spin. High inertia, very low friction.

My Dad and brother have a forklift (converted tractor) and a couple of loader tractors with water in the tires. Personally, I hate the stuff. Dad & I both figure that a thousand lbs. of axle weight will do more good and is safer than two thousand lbs. of water in the tires. The weights won't slosh like water does. 18-20 mph with water filled tires can get a little exciting going downhill.

On automotive axles, I wouldn't even consider running water.

jjvande · May 25, 2004

attach lead bricks on top of leaf spring plates.:yelclap:

Redcbr007 · May 25, 2004

if the water idea is important, cant you get 2 big coolers, fill them w/ water, and strap them to the cargo area?

Anyone filled the rear tires with water??

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