So, you want to ballast your tires? Here are your options and some things to consider:
Water
8.3 pounds per gallon. Cheap and readily available. Freezes.
We all know about water. If you aren’t drinking it you’re dead. But it isn’t a great tire ballast option for anyone living in the northern parts of the US. No one wants frozen tires. At 8.3 pounds per gallon, it certainly isn’t the heaviest option.
Calcium Chloride
11 pounds per gallon. Highly corrosive. Cheap.
Many tractor types are getting away from this salt solution as it is highly corrosive. No one wants rusty rims. Calcium Chloride can also damage plants if you spring a leak. Tubes are required for this ballast, otherwise steel wheels will quickly corrode.
Beet Juice
11 pounds/gallon. Non-corrosive. Heavy.
Beet juice is nontoxic and non-corrosive to wheels, and it is also safe for animals. It is freeze resistant to -35°F. Beet Juice gives you the weight of calcium chloride without the corrosive side effect.
Windshield Washer Fluid
Cheap. Light at 7.6 pounds/gallon.
One of the less expensive liquid ballast choices on the market is windshield washer fluid. It is non-corrosive and freeze-resistant down to at least -25°F. The biggest down side to windshield washer fluid is that it weighs only 7.6 pounds per gallon.
Antifreeze
Toxic. Expensive.
Antifreeze (ethylene glycol) in a 50/50 mix with water is freeze resistant to -34°F and weighs 9.4 pounds per gallon. Antifreeze is very attractive to animals but is also very toxic, which could cause issues if your tire ruptures. It is also one of the costliest liquid ballast selections.
