calcium chloride in tractor tires

[eub]

Calcium chloride solution is used to fill tractor tires to make them heavier. Yesterday's Tractors discusses the practice.

Comments

[bhudson.livejournal.com]

And as an added benefit, your very own supply of salt when driving on icy roads!

(now, why CaCl2 rather than the far cheaper NaCl?)

[hattifattener]

I dimly remember hearing of using water for this but not more elaborate things like CaCl₂...

According to þe olde CRC handboke, you can depress the freezing point farther with calcium chloride (about 50°) than with sodium chloride (21° or so). The temperature does reach -21C/-7F in some arable (and supposedly habitable) places. Or so I am told by travelers from distant lands.

[bhudson.livejournal.com]

I suppose that doubling the cost of the salt (from about $5 to about $10, if you go to Lowe's and buy a 50lb sack of it, which seems to be about the amount they're talking of) isn't actually a big deal, whereas losing a tire to screwing up just once in your career would set you back more than you'd ever save in salt.