WYOMING, Mich. — Needing a “green” solution to performance and corrosion, Rim Guard, a liquid ballast, was developed and took the agricultural industry by storm as the answer to improving stability, pulling power and efficiency in tractor performance.

Adding liquid ballast to tractor tires is a common practice used in the agricultural industry, and while calcium chloride was typically used it was also extremely corrosive, toxic and required an inner tube for the tire. With this knowledge, Lansing, Mich., native Glen Daly invented and patented the product Rim Guard – a liquid ballast made from de-sugared molasses, an environmentally friendly alternative to calcium chloride and other liquid ballast solutions.

Headquartered in Wyoming, Mich., Rim Guard co-owner Bob Koch said, “It got its start in the late (19)90s and when we bought the business in 2005 we had less than 200 dealers; now we have over 850 dealers across North America and we’ve grown north of 20 percent per year in the last seven years.”

Not only is Rim Guard noncorrosive, nonflammable, nontoxic for livestock, biodegradable and won’t freeze down to minus-35 degrees F, it is economical. Iron weights are expensive ($1-$2 per pound) and often are located where they don’t do the most good. Rim Guard costs about 28 cents per pound retail.

If the tractor has a front-end loader, iron weights can be detrimental to the tractor’s balance and overall weight distribution. The weight is needed in the rear to counter the weight of the loader and to maximize traction. Rim Guard is loaded in the rear tires where it is most needed.

It also can be loaded in the front tires of four-wheel-drive tractors to further enhance traction and in two-wheel-drive models to reduce nose lift when pulling heavy loads. Rim Guard will lower the center of gravity, thereby increasing vehicle stability on hilly or sloping terrain and greatly enhance operational safety.

Tire tractors becoming tubeless in the early 2000s helped the popularity of Rim Guard as well, since tubes are not necessary for its use.

“It’s also a green product, which helps the environment,” said Koch. “As a byproduct of sugar beets, it comes from the farm and goes back to the farm.”

Rim Guard is made with other additives and weighs 10.7–11 pounds per gallon. Besides farm and compact tractors, Rim Guard is used in backhoes, skid steers, sky lifts, all-terrain forklifts, rear wheels on combines and payloaders. Even large eight-wheeled tractors may partially fill their tires with Rim Guard to reduce wheel slippage.

Farm equipment dealership owners and tractor tire dealers enjoy the convenience of Rim Guard because they can service customers at the dealership instead of taking the tires to another place to add liquid ballast.

As the largest branded product for liquid ballast, Rim Guard owners Koch and Phil Globig are proud of what they have accomplished and look forward to continued growth in the years to come. For more information on Rim Guard, call 866-792-3700 or visit their webpage at www.rimguard.biz