Front tire rubbing on tie rod end

[kellybell]

Low tire pressure? (grasping at straws now)

[teamroper_60]

Originally Posted by kellybell

Low tire pressure? (grasping at straws now)

Thought of that too....... And nope, tire pressure is right on spec. All of this is why I am leaning toward it being something wrong that is not obvious in the hub, something that has caused it to move inward on the spindle..

[kellybell]

Hmmm Teamroper, I am out of ideas. I could get a beer but I have one already. Are they oversized wheels?

[kellybell]

Can you put a small spacer or washer on the axle on the spindle?

[teamroper_60]

No they aren't oversized wheels. They are aftermarket but not over sized and again, there was clearance when they were put on the cart.

I thought about a spacer of some type but that would be a bandaid fix that likely wouldn't last and might do more damage to the suspension.

[kellybell]

Well, I was thinking that maybe the fault is somehow related to tire wear, so the problem would be less obvious when the tires/wheels are new, and more so now.......

[kellybell]

If the camber/caster is such that the bottom of the tire is outward of the top of the tire, then, as the tires and bearing wore in, the tire at the top of the spindle would come closer to the tie rod end.

[teamroper_60]

Originally Posted by kellybell

If the camber/caster is such that the bottom of the tire is outward of the top of the tire, then, as the tires and bearing wore in, the tire at the top of the spindle would come closer to the tie rod end.

I understand what you are saying but I don't see how that would have been possible, considering how the spindle mounts to the axle. Unless it is a bearing in the hub (and neither of them appear to have any appreciable play in them). I still think that somehow, the hub has moved inward somehow. I'm just not sure how.......

BTW, the tires still have the little vent spews (the little "hairs") all over, so I don't think they have worn enough to cause anything on their own, so I believe we can rule the tire out as a direct cause.

[teamroper_60]

I should also mention the axle shaft on the spindle doesn't appear to show any uneven or unusual wear either.. Which would go against your theory of a worn bearing altering the camber/caster.

[Kudaman]

Try jacking up on the front of the cart. Scribe a line in the middle of each tire. Now measure from the line to a common spot of the frame. That should tell you if there is something bent. What about play in the tie rod end itself? Try squeezing it with pliers. When they start to wear there will be movement in the end. Could the end be rubbing on the wheel because it's worn? I am sure you would have checked this but are the lug nuts tights?