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Post by ricardoguitars on Jan 22, 2015 15:57:51 GMT -5
I noticed yesterday that my scoot was pulling slightly to one side and then to the other randomly, specially at low speed, like when there's a small crack on the asphalt and you drive over it, you feel how it slightly turns your front wheel from one side to the other, it's the same feeling. How can I know if the wheel or rim (both?  ) are bent?  I wouldn't be surprised if one or both are bent, some of the roads over here are terrible  |
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Post by JerryScript on Jan 22, 2015 16:04:55 GMT -5
Put it on the center stand, have someone hold the back end down if necessary, and spin the front wheel. If the rubber is bent, you should be able to see a wobble as it spins. To check the rim, rig up a marker holder that will keep the marker just touching the rim, then spin it. See if the marker line gets thicker or thinner or disappears, indicating it's out of true.
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Post by jerseyboy on Jan 22, 2015 16:15:31 GMT -5
I think it might be your tires,,also could be loose headset bearings,,make sure they are tight.
We have a steel grate bridge here in town,,you really better hold on when going across that sucker,,it flips me all over the place.Your frame wont be bent unless you hit something hard and or have a crack in the welds,,check all that,,also make sure the rear wheel tracks exactly behind the front wheel,,an easy way to find out is to wet the tires then roll it in a straight line,,if its running dog legged you will see the rear tire track off to one side..could be a bushing or frame/headset issue then.
How much pressure you running in those tires?,,I run 22 PSI front and back,,ride is a little hard but thats fine I like to roll.
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Post by ricardoguitars on Jan 22, 2015 16:30:35 GMT -5
I think it might be your tires,,also could be loose headset bearings,,make sure they are tight. We have a steel grate bridge here in town,,you really better hold on when going across that sucker,,it flips me all over the place.Your frame wont be bent unless you hit something hard and or have a crack in the welds,,check all that,,also make sure the rear wheel tracks exactly behind the front wheel,,an easy way to find out is to wet the tires then roll it in a straight line,,if its running dog legged you will see the rear tire track off to one side..could be a bushing or frame/headset issue then. How much pressure you running in those tires?,,I run 22 PSI front and back,,ride is a little hard but thats fine I like to roll. 20 psi on the front tire and 25 psi on the rear tire on rainy season, 30 psi on both when dry, it should be around 28 psi or something right now, last I checked it was 30, like 3 weeks ago, I'll check that later today. I haven't hit anything on this bike yet, I hope the frame is ok, I'll check everything this weekend following your suggestions guys.  |
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Post by ramblinman on Jan 22, 2015 16:45:57 GMT -5
bad bearings would be my guess. i know my bearings are bad on the front and i sorta notice similar symptoms you describe.
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Post by dmartin95 on Jan 22, 2015 16:56:37 GMT -5
How can I know if the wheel or rim (both? ) are bent? The only way I know of for sure is to actually take the tires off and take them to a tire shop. Have them check to see if your wheels and tires are balanced. They can find out if your wheel is bent or the tire is out of round..... |
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Post by JerryScript on Jan 22, 2015 17:27:06 GMT -5
How can I know if the wheel or rim (both? ) are bent? The only way I know of for sure is to actually take the tires off and take them to a tire shop. Have them check to see if your wheels and tires are balanced. They can find out if your wheel is bent or the tire is out of round..... Why spend money on a shop when you can do it with a marker, a piece of wood or metal, and some tape? I can understand spending money on large wheels that require balancing for a decent ride in a cage. But 10-12" wheels do not require balancing, maybe a pack of dynabeads. |
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Post by rcq92130 on Jan 22, 2015 17:46:19 GMT -5
Is that right, Jerry? No balancing on 10 inch wheels?
Have to replace my rear because of course 2,000 miles is all a tire manufacturer expects to give us out of an f'ing tire !!!
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Post by jerseyboy on Jan 22, 2015 17:52:36 GMT -5
He can just put a zip tie(as a gauge) around his fork tube and trim it so it just touches the rim barely,,then spin the wheel and watch to see if the wheel moves away or rubs the tie more,,this is how I trued spoked rims before I got a truing stand,,works very well..and you cant get any cheaper than a zip tie...lol
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Post by lain on Jan 22, 2015 19:44:28 GMT -5
I had that happen once, turned out my tripletree had become bent slightly, so little that it wasn't noticeable but it effected the way the front wheel moved.
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Post by dmartin95 on Jan 22, 2015 20:15:07 GMT -5
The only way I know of for sure is to actually take the tires off and take them to a tire shop. Have them check to see if your wheels and tires are balanced. They can find out if your wheel is bent or the tire is out of round..... Why spend money on a shop when you can do it with a marker, a piece of wood or metal, and some tape? I can understand spending money on large wheels that require balancing for a decent ride in a cage. But 10-12" wheels do not require balancing, maybe a pack of dynabeads. I have no doubt you can figure out if your wheel is balanced by using your method. Jerseyboys Method (zip tie) may work as well and I'm sure there's other methods that have yet to be mentioned... But remember, everybody's skill sets are different and tire safety isn't something to be messed around with IMO... IF the author of this thread doesn't have much experience with these types fixes/inspections, he should IMO have the pro's look at it... I don't think they would charge very much to check his wheels. Me personally, I've got the HF tire changer, wheel-balancer and the whole deal... I wouldn't take my wheel anywhere, but I have a little experience with this stuff now... I take tire safety very seriously and rely on HF Balancer and digital indicator to make sure nothing is bent or out of round. In the event I didn't have my tools, I would go to a pro. |
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Post by geh3333 on Jan 22, 2015 20:41:49 GMT -5
I've had the long engine mount bolt come loose " the nut fell off" and It caused the scoot to kind of sway and shift at times . luckily I noticed it before the bolt pulled out any further. Also if your rear axle nut is loose it will cause the scoot to feel as if its swaying a bit .
Hey jersey , I know what u mean about the steel grate bridges , they pull u all over the place !
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Post by jerseyboy on Jan 22, 2015 21:35:58 GMT -5
Yes they do Geh!!!
Loose mount bolts will cause havock too,,Geh is right,it will make you off track and push/pull in every direction.
Hey Demartin95,,I have the HF tire changer but I dont have the MC adapter,,do you have that and if so how does it work for scooter tires?
Thanks
Tom
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Post by dmartin95 on Jan 22, 2015 21:49:23 GMT -5
Hey Demartin95,,I have the HF tire changer but I dont have the MC adapter,,do you have that and if so how does it work for scooter tires? Thanks Tom Yeah, I have the MC adapter but it's "gimicky" and needs modifications for most scooters. The main problem is the shaft that goes through the center of the rim has too big of a diameter. I solved this by using a coupling and fabricating a ROD that would fit through the center hole. The other issue is the tire clamps... You will need additional C clamps (or something) to hold them in place. Next time I have a flat I will make a video showing how to use this contraption. :)It works with mods, but it certainly wasn't designed with scooter rims in mind.... |
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Post by jerseyboy on Jan 23, 2015 8:05:58 GMT -5
Yeah ten four!!
Guess I will stick to the old put it on the floor and break my back for 15 minutes..lol
BTW-That HF tire changer is definitely worth its weight in gold when it comes to changing car/trailer tires,,I used to do those by hand and this tool is a dream,,I found mine on the side of the road for trash,,it was missing the long red pry bar,,I went to HF and the guy was nice enough to give me the bar off the floor model for free..lol..Win Win!!
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) are bent? 
