Uneven Wear on Rear Tire

    • 844 posts
    January 27, 2010 4:26 AM PST
    On the last two rear tires on a HD FatBoy, I have noticed that the tire is worn more to the right of center than anywhere else, and I am talking by a good amount.

    Someone told me it could be the swing arms got tweeked and the tire isn't riding straight up and down.  But I have only seen this on the past couple opf sets, and the bike hasn't been in an accident or dropped, or anything like that.

    Anyone else ever seen this???   Suggestions???
    • 1040 posts
    January 27, 2010 4:37 AM PST
    GoFur wrote...
    On the last two rear tires on a HD FatBoy, I have noticed that the tire is worn more to the right of center than anywhere else, and I am talking by a good amount.

    Someone told me it could be the swing arms got tweeked and the tire isn't riding straight up and down.  But I have only seen this on the past couple opf sets, and the bike hasn't been in an accident or dropped, or anything like that.

    Anyone else ever seen this???   Suggestions???

    Im just guessing cause I don't know shit here so don't hold me to it. Maybe your swingarm busings are worn and your rear tire is not aligned because of that? Or your rear wheel needs re adjusting for other reasons. I'm guessing ya don't have a spoked rear wheel do ya?


     

    • 513 posts
    January 27, 2010 4:48 AM PST
    I have only once ever seen this and that with a friend of mine who was a dispatch rider and suffered from piles and used to sit more to one side of the saddle than the other and rode the bike at an angle.

    Otherwise check wheel alignment and bearings.
    • 1 posts
    January 27, 2010 5:44 AM PST
    Since you weren't in any accidents or major falls I would almost definitely rule out the swing arms. Swing arms on a FatBoy are pretty tough.

    My first thought would be the wheel or the wheel bearings (as mentioned above), which could be causing the wheel to tilt slightly.

    You will also want to check the swing arm bushings or bearings, were it mounts to the frame, (also mentioned above) and see if there is any play there.

    I work on a lot of softail models, and to be honest I have never seen this problem.  So I am kind of going with what the most likely causes could be.
  • January 27, 2010 6:07 AM PST
    I would tend to agree with Bailout here. Give the whole rear end a good going over. Bushings and bearings are a good place to start for this type of problem. If your familiar with the work try to figure it out at home, but if not....take it to a mechanic. Definitely a safety first item when you start messing with the suspension and the swing arm.
  • February 12, 2010 5:26 AM PST
    Hey GoFur, I hade the same problem on a Heritage years back and never did figure it out. Let us know what you find.
  • February 12, 2010 5:47 AM PST
    This is far reaching from past auto and bike work.. A lot of travel on secondary 2 lane roads will wear tread to center side of road..US-left side Europe-right side..High road crown will take the high side quicker....You ridding the wrong side of the road.............
    • 601 posts
    February 12, 2010 9:12 AM PST
    I agree with hgsc90..my tyres are the same its from riding back roads with the camber of the road being a wee bit haphazard, if it was bearings or bushings you would either feel or hear the grating of metal on metal..................failing that Dyna could be right on the piles
    • 844 posts
    February 23, 2010 7:31 AM PST
    Well it wound up being the wheel. Apparently it was just made a tiny bit off, or the hub got wacked somehow. Not enough to change the ride, but just enough to sit slightly on an angle. I found it by removing the wheel and axle. I made a 2x4 stand, checked it several times with a level and just the axle, the axle was 100% level. Put the wheel on the axle and the wheel set slightly out of plumb. Talking about 1/4 inch, but I guess that is enough to cause the wear. Since its a solid rim, not much I can do to adjust it. Always wanted custom rims anyways.
  • February 23, 2010 7:35 AM PST
    Are you more confident with the throttle in right hand turns than left?
  • February 23, 2010 10:03 AM PST
    JimandTerri wrote...
    Are you more confident with the throttle in right hand turns than left?


    Sounds like ol' GoFur found the problem.  But I was thinking this same thing since everyone has a side they are more comfortable turning to.

  • February 24, 2010 10:33 AM PST
    GoFur wrote...
    On the last two rear tires on a HD FatBoy, I have noticed that the tire is worn more to the right of center than anywhere else, and I am talking by a good amount.

    Someone told me it could be the swing arms got tweeked and the tire isn't riding straight up and down.  But I have only seen this on the past couple opf sets, and the bike hasn't been in an accident or dropped, or anything like that.

    Anyone else ever seen this???   Suggestions???
     

    Have spoken to a few friends and what they say is any tyre over 200mm usually wears more on one side than the other. It because of the camber of the road. If you look at any road you will see that the centre is slightly higher than the gutter. This is so the water runs of. This also causes the tyre to wear more on one side.
    Hope this helps GoFur.
  • February 24, 2010 11:45 AM PST
    i'm having a brainfart, the fatboy has the exposed rear shocks right? not a soft tail set-up? if it has the twin rears, when you hit a bump does it feel like it is "bucking" to one side? if so, check your shocks, if one is weak, it is letting the swingarm flex to the weak shock side, my bagger was doing that when i first bought it, new shocks, no issue. what GoFur said sounds right also with the camber and crown on the roads for drainage. do you have a bike jack? if so, set it up to lift, have someone slowly lift the bike, watch the rear tire as it comes off the ground and see if it shifts when you lift the weight of the bike off of it. the wear is left of center, the bottom of the tire would shift left as you raise the bike off the ground. if i am wrong, someone correct me so i will know, one other thought though, a tracking issue? misalignment?