Flat Spot, Bad Bead or Out of Round?

[Truckmaniac]

I'm getting lots of bump-bump-bump in my new-to-me Club Car Precedent.

The cart came with brand new MadJax wheels & Viper Low-profile tires.

The driver's side front wheel & tire both spin true.

The passenger side front wheel spins true, but the tire is either out-of-round, has a flat spot or there is possibly a problem with the bead. See the links below for videos showing the problem. The variation is 1/4" for approximately 1/3 of the tire.

I haven't checked the rear tires & wheels yet.

I'm running the air pressure shown on the sidewall (12 psi) and the cart has been sitting for a few weeks.

Any help is appreciated.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9OP...ature=youtu.be

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye49...ature=youtu.be

[Olman]

None of the gurus chimed in so I will give this a shot. I noticed in the second video that the bead of the tire is away from the rim in the same spot the diameter of the tire grows larger. I think if you deflate the tire, spin it on the rim a little and put a little tire mounting lube or plain dish soap on the inside of the tire bead, inflate it and get the bead seated properly, you might be OK

[Truckmaniac]

Originally Posted by Olman

in the second video that the bead of the tire is away from the rim in the same spot the diameter of the tire grows larger

Thanks for the observation!

The bead on this tire/wheel combination is definitely unusual - very wide and deep, at least compared to hundreds of motorcycle tires that I mounted back in my days as a Motorcycle Dealer.

I'll definitely follow your advice and try to re-set the bead.

[Olman]

Hope it works. I hate that bump, bump, bump. I went with radial street tires this time and that seems to have smoothed things out for me.

[Truckmaniac]

I broke the bead on both sides of the tire, rotated the tire 180 degrees, then reset the bead (it was a BEAR on the low-profile / wide tires) and adjusted the air pressure.

The problem is still there. I'm leaning towards the tire being out-of-round.

[cbrown.tx]

No expert by any means but I recently bought a Madjax set and have same issue. I sent pics and video to madjax they were willing to send four new tires w/out hesitation. I asked them to hold off. I tried reseating but didn't feel like it seated right so took it to tire dealership thinking it was out of round. They reseated it and it fixed that tire and now I've noticed it in another. I'm gonna try same with this one and HOPE my problem is solved. Might just pull all three for good measure.

This is second issue I've had with Madjax and IMHO, it's a quality control issue. I got a king pin that hadn't been threaded correctly for spindle nut. They've always been spot on with customer service but I'm gun shy of their products after back to back issues with parts received.

Let me know how it turns out. I'll be curious if your and mine are same issue

[Truckmaniac]

Update:

I found 3 of the 4 tires that came on my cart to be out-of-round by 1/4" (either a hump or a flat spot).

I contacted Madjax and they had 3 new tires sitting on my front porch in 4 days. Now that's Great Service!

When I opened the shipping boxes, I found the tires to be twisted and warped. In talking to the manager at Discount Tire, he said that most new golf cart tires that customers bring in look like a Giant wadded them up. Apparently the warehouses stack them on top of each other which deforms them, but they usually "POP" back into shape when mounted.

Unfortunately, after Discount Tire removed & remounted the 3 problem tires, I still have 2 that go Bump-Bump-Bump. This means that 5 of 7 tires have some type of manufacturing defect. I contacted Madjax and they suggested airing the tires up to 35 psi, driving the cart for an extended period, then dropping the air pressure to 15 psi. I followed their instructions and the rough ride is still there and you can definitely see the tires bumping & jumping.

I emailed Madjax with my findings and am waiting for their answer. The dealer where I purchased my cart (350 miles away) told me that they have basically had ZERO problems with the Madjax tires and of the few problems that they've had, it's been the Vipers.

I know that low-profile automotive tires typically ride rough because of the stiff sidewall. Depending on how much Madjax is willing to do to help me out, I'm considering going with a high-profile tire/wheel combination and a lift kit.

I'll let you know what happens.

[ltmoeller]

Mad-Jax has had quite an issue with there 10 inch tires(viper).Ask them to check them before shipment.I think the issue has been fixed now as I continue to buy and sell their tire/wheel and no more issues.There customer service is spot on.
Tom

[Truckmaniac]

Mine are the 12". I'm not sure how they could check them without mounting them on a wheel and checking the run-out.

[ltmoeller]

I don't know about the 12's.All the 10" replacements they have sent me were very true.Said they were checked before shipment.
Tom