H: Hubs, Wheels and Tyres Sidecar outfit tyre wear.

john998

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VOC Member
A question for the those of the three wheel persuasion. What is reason that the rear tyre on my machine wears more on the outside of the outfit.
I must have an alignment wrong or are outfits such an mechanical disaster that this is what happens? John.
 

vibrac

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The one item you wont find is a consensus on is how far the sidecar wheel can lead the rear wheel, Toe in Yes, lean inwards yes, but I have seen recommendations of between 2 and 10 inches for lead I was very pleased with my Comet Trials sidecar at eight inches but the rest of the set up way off standard. One thing I took it in out in the snow and did a u turn and within a bike length I was back in the inward wheel tracks!
 

deejay499

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As well as Vibrac’s post, it is well worth checking wheel alignment with a string line, as well as lean out with you sitting on it, as the bike suspension is softer than the sidecar.
 

john998

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Hello, when built about 40 years ago had about 14" of sidecar wheel lead this proved to be dangerous as it would not go round right handers in the wet. I found the reason by reading one of PEIs excellent articles. It has about 10" now, about 1" toe in and around 1" or perhaps a little more lean out. The wheel alignment is fine although the rear wheel has a slight dish to give clearance for the 125 15 tyre. John.
 

Kiwi_Tim

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assuming a LH fitted sidecar, on a left hand corner the rear wheel is loaded up with the sidecar weight, whereas on a rh corner the rear wheel unloads and the sidecar wheel takes on the load.
Is this a road or a track sidecar. certainly track rigs have quite pronounced wear patterns which is different for clockwise and anticlockwise circuits.
presumably your running sidecar tyres?
 

john998

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Hello, using 2CV tyres, 125 15" one tyre is even marked 2 CV club.
Starting to wonder about the wheel alignment/ dish in rear wheel.
John.
 

passenger0_0

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Non-VOC Member
Hi John. Sounds like you've got too much toe-in for your car type tyres. Wider tyres typically need less toe-in compared to thinner motorcycle tyres. Dish or offset in the rim shouldn't make much difference to wear, rather it just increases the track width which is never a bad thing. Pleased to hear you're wearing these tyres out. :)
 
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