Uneven trike front tire wear

Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
62
Location
Vancouver, BC, Canada
On my Warrior trike the left tire is showing distinct signs of wear, while the right and rear tires seem fine. I've got maybe 600km on these tires, fairly heavily loaded and at decent speeds (electric assist). I haven't noticed any issues with handling.

I'm wondering if the wear is due to an alignment thing that I can cure with some control rod adjustments, or whether it indicates a structural problem with the centre point/camber/trail on that side.

Any clues?

Cheers,
-Adrian
 
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Joined
May 31, 2013
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3,980
Location
South Benfleet, Essex, England, UK
If you take your hands off the bars while coasting on a flat road with no camber (e.g. a shopping mall car-park) does it steer straight, or veer off to one side?

It does sound like an alignment issue.

I had tremendous wear on one set of tyres and then I realised that although it steered nice and straight it was so "Toed-in" that it was effectively scrubbing the tyres all the time. :(
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
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4,572
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Adrian
Is the wear on the crown ?
or one of the edges ?
Paul
 
Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
62
Location
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Thanks - I'll check the toe-in as suggested.

The wear is on the crown, right in the middle of the tread, at several spots around the tire.

Cheers
Adrian
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2012
Messages
2,384
Location
Wakefield, UK
Even with toe in or out, misalignment would be still show wear mainly on the crown due to using bike tyres on a trike. If the wear is only at certain spots then either the tyre has been locked up under braking or is a defective tyre. One issue does not preclude any other issue though.
 
Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
4,572
Location
Nottinghamshire England
Personally I would swap the tyres over and see if the other one develops the same flat/wear spots ?

I think more likely to be braking than toe in/out ?

Perhaps the brakes locked whilst the pads were bedding in ?

Paul
 
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