Rear Tire Wear

[geoffarias]

First off - thanks to anyone on here that has helped in the last year and half of gold cart ownership. Bob & Scotty particularly have helped me get the cart running the way I wanted. Just took a few blown hubs to realize Scotty knows what he is talking about

So Saturday night cruising around and POP! Blew out back driver side tire. Luckily I was a few doors down from a friend so limped it into his driveway. Take a look at the tire and couldn't believe what I was seeing.

The inside edge of the tire was worn away as if it had been rubbing on something. I've never heard or smelled anything that would allude to something rubbing and a thorough visual and hand clearance inspection confirmed there was NO rubbing on the tire on anything.

The only thing I have noted in the last month or so was a loud squeaking noise coming from the rear. I assumed it was bushings or the suspension. So Saturday I had gone below and greased all the suspect areas and somehow never even noticed this tire was being worn away like this. After blowing tire and spending a few hours researching, sounds like it may be a bad wheel bearing. Hindsight being 20/20 I realized that the squeaking noise only occurred while under way usually at higher speeds (19-22MPH)

Something to note, three other tires are all Backslash X with aggressive offroad tread. This lone tire (Trac-gard) was on the back driver. Ive never rotated them.

Fast forward to Sunday and trailering it back to my house. I jack it up and pull the wheel to check things out. I go to put a temporary wheel on so its not sitting on jacks in the garage with kids around and the castle nut won't tighten down. Hoping its just the nut and not the axle. I have new wheel bearing kits and castle nuts on their way. Hoping I can clean up the threads with a die and the new nut will be the answer. If not, guess Im changing out the axle. New tire will be here Friday so looks like a week in the ER for the ole girl. I go to passenger rear to check that out and I can't get that castle nut to come off. It just spins

Questions
1. What does that type of tire wear indicate?
2. How do I get that castle nut off? Dremel tool? Any tricks to ensure I don't eff up the threads on the axle?
3. Is it possible that even though all tires were the same size, the fact extra beefy tread vs turf tire tread could have accounted for some wear?
4. Would a bad wheel hub lead to this? Is this the squeaking I kept hearing but no amount of silicone on bushing or leaf springs would eliminate?
5. I noticed that the passenger side rear tire is also work on the outside edges. I read online this is symptomatic of low tire pressure. Checked it and it was at 10PSI. So that would make sense. No way of knowing what driver side was but we drive around with my 3 young kids on the back so there is about a 115lb load on the back at all times so I think the wear on that passenger back tire is from low pressure, would that make sense to anyone?
6. How often should I rotate tires? What rotation pattern should I follow? X pattern?


What else am I missing that I should check when Im all greased up under there pulling the axle out and doing the wheel bearings?

Thanks in advance and Happy Holidays to all! Ill be on here more often in coming weeks as a limo lengthening project is in the works.

[JPonLKN]

Looks like rub wear to me. Possible that it is bad bearings I guess...but sure looks like something was rubbing. Put a bunch of weight on the back of the cart, similar to what you usually have back there, and see if anything is close. In the picture, just above the wear, there looks to be something there...not sure what it is.

Worn bearings would cause a good bit of unintentional camber and likely toe out underway. When you grab the wheel, is there a bunch of play? Does it move around? If the threads on the end of the axle are stripped, might need a new axle...or a machine shop to add weld and re-cut the threads. Either way, the axle would need to come out. Hopefully, its just a stripped castle nut. If the nut is just spinning, sometimes getting something to push it forward, like a pickle fork or pry bar, while you turn it off can help it grab any remaining threads to work its way out.

Good luck.

[geoffarias]

When I had it jacked up yesterday I placed hands on opposite sides of wheels at various spots and tried to get movement in and out. Nothing.

Ya it looks like there is something there but there isn't. Ill recheck tonight but I had two other mechanically inclined people check it when it blew and they didn't see any areas where it would be rubbing.

[Cobra,1]

The axle problem is a separate issue from tire problem imo.
Axle should be replaced. Can use the pry off while unscrewing with impact method described above. Another option is to cut nut in half with angle grinder and cut off wheel ,damage threads no big deal since axle is going to be replaced anyhow.

As for tire wear. Do all tires measure the same circumference? Just because they are the same size does’nt mean they are same diameter.
Low inflation too was a factor as it will cause tire to wear on outer and inner edges.
Fact that only one of your tires wore to this extreme could be axle bearing that could cause camber problem where top of tire leaned in and bottom of tire leaned out.( would have to measure to know.

Also different brand ,makers of tires have different specs, one meaning the hardness/softness of a tires tread.
Odd ball tire could have been a soft lower wear rating compared to others so it just reviewed the problem before other tires.
(Personally always by tires in 4’s if not at least fromt or rears I’m pairs.)

Maybe check to be sure rear axle is aligned with front. (Square cart by measuring distance between front wheels and rear wheels.)
Front tires show even wear?

Few ideas to check. Let us know what you find 😊

FYI since you did’t specify, assuming this is a straight axle cart ,not irs rear suspension cart correct.

[geoffarias]

Originally Posted by Cobra,1

The axle problem is a separate issue from tire problem imo.
Axle should be replaced. Can use the pry off while unscrewing with impact method described above. Another option is to cut nut in half with angle grinder and cut off wheel ,damage threads no big deal since axle is going to be replaced anyhow.

As for tire wear. Do all tires measure the same circumference? Just because they are the same size does’nt mean they are same diameter.
Low inflation too was a factor as it will cause tire to wear on outer and inner edges.
Fact that only one of your tires wore to this extreme could be axle bearing that could cause camber problem where top of tire leaned in and bottom of tire leaned out.( would have to measure to know.

Also different brand ,makers of tires have different specs, one meaning the hardness/softness of a tires tread.
Odd ball tire could have been a soft lower wear rating compared to others so it just reviewed the problem before other tires.
(Personally always by tires in 4’s if not at least fromt or rears I’m pairs.)

Maybe check to be sure rear axle is aligned with front. (Square cart by measuring distance between front wheels and rear wheels.)
Front tires show even wear?

Few ideas to check. Let us know what you find 😊

FYI since you did’t specify, assuming this is a straight axle cart ,not irs rear suspension cart correct.

Excellent point made thank you. I will measure from axle to axel tonight front to back to ensure square. When I had cart lifted, I did hit the gas to spin the hubs and tires to check for wobble or uneven spinning across the face of the hub. Also did it with tires mounted. Didn't notice ANY type of wobbling or uneven spinning so I don't think anything on the axle is out of plumb. Im beginning to think the points you made about tires makes more and more sense. The more aggressive tread of the backslash would def make the overall size of those tires bigger than this turf tire. Lets say even 1/4" more of tread thats 1/2" overall whichs is alot. Itd be like mounted same tires but one tire at 22.5 instead of 23.

My front tires look brand new. No wear indicated on the edge or middel tread. MY back passenger side tire does have wear on the inside and oustide edge. Upon checking pressure, it was at 10PSI when tires calls for max 20PSI rating. Considering I haven't put air in the tires in probably at least a year, who knows how long I was running around on hot South Florida asphalt on low tires.

Im beginning to feel better about the fact that it may not axle or even bearing related and just bad mismatched tire being worn on hot asphalt at 22 MPH. Cart being used to some extent almost EVERY day between wife and kids and myself and kids after work its def got it miles in. That being said, going to order another tire for passenger side so both backs are brand new.

Still seems nutty that the wear is that intense. It literally looks like the tire was on a lathe with a chisel on it.

Friday when parts come in Im planning on doing the following. Any other things I should check while I have things open and am covered in road dust and grease? I already have the HD hubs on after blowing hubs cart came with AND replacement non HD ones)

1. New wheel bearings and seals
2. New castle nut
3. New tires
4. New axles (ordered new ones just in case castle nut isn't problem, but more I think about it, for the cost of the axle Id rather not have to disassemble to change axle out if it is bad. That and piece of mind knowing everything is tight and solid while wife is out with kids)
5. Check diff oil
6. New brake pads

[Cobra,1]

Sounds like you have it covered.
Be sure to torque axle nuts to factory specs.
Thinking if threads were damaged on rear, axle nut most likely bad as axle threads should be harder then nut threads.
Let us know how you make out👍

[geoffarias]

Originally Posted by Cobra,1

Sounds like you have it covered.
Be sure to torque axle nuts to factory specs.
Thinking if threads were damaged on rear, axle nut most likely bad as axle threads should be harder then nut threads.
Let us know how you make out👍

So Saturday I tried to put the new castle nut on. Wouldn't thread on clean. So rather than risk cross threading anything I jumped the gun when I realized there was a package with an axle sitting in my foyer. I jacked her up, the did hub hack and got the axle out without a puller. The axle threads were all messed up. Either wasn't torqued down right or someone probably used an impact wrench. Put new seals in and thats when I realized, only the passenger axle had been delivered. Driver side comes today. So tonight, I should have new seals, new bearings, on new axle with new castle nuts all torqued down and installed as specified.

As a follow up to OP, I def think the castle nut and underinflation were at fault. When I was jacking golf cart up, I watched the driver side tire shift as the weight came off it and the bottom of the tire shifted in.

Im starting to feel better about where the cart sits now for future use....just in time to order an EZGO L6 Express.

[Cobra,1]

Could you wiggle tire up and down was lifted off the ground?
Knowing that can help identifying what parts were worn.
Sloppy axle to drum fit, axle to bearing fit. Can help decide what parts need to be replaced.

[geoffarias]

UPDATE: New axles, seals, axle bearing, brake shoes, and castle nuts installed. Torqued to 90lb and then past to get cotter pin in. Everything tight as can be and there was def play in the wheels with the old nuts on. Feels good to know everything is solid back there since I also got the HD hubs.

Thanks for all the opinions and thoughts.