car tire rubbing

[Firefighter]

Been running a Yokohama 205/60/16 at 45psi for a year now with no problem. Last week I gave my 90 pound grandson a ride and when making hard left hand turns in a parking lot we could both hear a buzz sound. After parked I noticed a rub mark on the right side sidewall. I thought I had a bolt problem but now see the swing arm has rub marks. I have the bike on a center stand and it looks like I have an eighth to almost quarter inch clearance between the sidewall and the swing arm. I can feel no play in the swing arm or wheel bearings. Is the tire flexing that much? Running new Progressive 444 shocks second setting. Can't see how shock setting could help.

What do you guys think?

[hilf]

Sounds familiar. I installed a 205/65/60 (or something like that)  Altimax, used for this sidecar setup, and noticed a rubbing against one of the bolt retaining things inside the fender. I was using shortened shocks. I replaced them with an original pair, raising the rear back to original height, and the problem was resolved. The 205 width is a very close fit. I may go to a 195 in the future.

[Bone]

My first CT would sometimes touch the swing arm. Credit card would just fit the gap between the tire and swing arm. I felt it was soft tire sidewalls increasing the air pressure made the tire wider. The next 2 CT were GYTT and they never touched the sidewalls seem stiffer. All tires were 205/60.

[Daniel Meyer]

Unlikely to actually be the swing arm...if you have clearance there at rest, you have clearance there in motion or loaded unless something is very broken (bad bearing).

To test, stick a layer of duct tape on the swing arm at that point and go for a ride. It should not abrade.

More likely, since you added weight...you do have a bolt problem. Rubbing on the rear nut cage (or bolt) and sometimes can even be the front fender bolt. Same test can help you find it. Duct tape over the bolts and go for a ride.

[Firefighter]

Thanks, I can see shinny on the inside right side swing arm, I have the tire on and am bending backwards to see it. I originally thought it saw the shinny on the bolt, but when I took the bolt out it was a chrome bolt (Always Shinny). I think there is no rub with out my 90 pound rider, and this was only in hard left turn.

 Bone says the more tire pressure, the wider tire, I would have thought the taller the tire, but I have thought lots of things and was wrong.

Guess I have more investigation to do.

[Daniel Meyer]

Make sure your bearings are good. That clearance should not vary.

[Bone]

Had to look up what I had it was a Bridgestone Potenza recommended by someone on another site.
Maybe I had that backwards it got wider using less air the rub seldom happened but the clearance was thin.
$88 tire in 2006

[PAVALKER]

Make sure your bearings are good. That clearance should not vary.

If it's doing it just with added weight, it's a pretty good indicator that the sidewall is flexing.  That sidewall and swing arm clearance WILL vary with added weight.  I have found CT have a softer more flexible sidewall than bike tires, hence the CTs are easier to install.

Possibly an increase in air pressure for heavier loads is needed.  The rub on a swing arm is not impacted by the shock.  But, if it rubs the inner fender or fender bolts...an increased shock setting is called for.

[old2soon]

At one time I had a 205-65-16 Car Tire on the rear. Prior to that I did the nut cage mod. Had a passenger a bit north of 200 lbs and that 205-65-16 never rubbed. And the clearance on it was 3 credit cards thick. I'm on a Austone Taxi Tire now and have plenty of room. I'm with Daniel-have a look see at the wheel bearings. RIDE SAFE.

[mustang071965]

been running a ct for 5 years now. had the same thing happen to me. i did the nut cage mod. the only time it rubbed was when my wife was on. i had 5/16 inch between the sidewall and swing arm. kept thinking the tire was hitting the swing arm some way. so i started checking things. during the winter when i was doing rear tire check i looked at the inside of the swing arm for marks from the tire. there was none. so i looked higher. on the nut that big square on that hold the fender minus the cage. low and behold there was rubber on it. after cleaning the rubber of the nut it showed it had been rubbed down. so to make sure this was so i put the tire back on removed the upper shock bolts and raised the tire up like having 2 people on and hitting a heavy bump. the tire hit the nut at the place on the sidewall where the rub was. so in short i removed the square nut and cut it down to half its thickness. put every thing back on got the wife and tested it. no more rub. so lesson learned. just because you do the nut cage mod you need to shorten the nut also or it will rub the tire 2 up.

[Gryphon Rider]

None of this makes sense for the tire to rub the swing arm when unloaded you have 1/8" to 1/4" clearance.  I have 1/16" or less, run it at 35 PSI, have been loaded for camping with a passenger, and NEVER had it rub on the swing arm.  If the sidewall was really flexible, a left hand turn would pull the sidewall towards the LEFT, away from the drive shaft tube.  It's either rubbing somewhere else, or you have bearing issues, like Daniel suggested.  Also, 45 PSI seems awfully high for a car tire on a Valkyrie.

[Firefighter]

I am planning to change swing arm bearings and wheel bearings. I cannot detect any play in the swing arm but will do it to make sure. I will have changed all the bearings at that point.

A couple years ago I ordered a cheap swing arm lock nut wrench to loosen the swing arm but the metal was so soft the tool just bent, so I am going to have to find the Honda tool or figure something out.

Wanted to take a trip next week but maybe I shouldn't in case this is getting worse.

I have run the rear tire from 35 to 45 psi, trying to diagnose different problems and I have read on this site different ones using high pressure. Hope to work out all my little problems and concentrate on riding.

[Punisher]

I am planning to change swing arm bearings and wheel bearings. I cannot detect any play in the swing arm but will do it to make sure. I will have changed all the bearings at that point.

A couple years ago I ordered a cheap swing arm lock nut wrench to loosen the swing arm but the metal was so soft the tool just bent, so I am going to have to find the Honda tool or figure something out.

Wanted to take a trip next week but maybe I shouldn't in case this is getting worse.

I have run the rear tire from 35 to 45 psi, trying to diagnose different problems and I have read on this site different ones using high pressure. Hope to work out all my little problems and concentrate on riding.

I seriously doubt your swing-arm bearings are bad as your handling would be suffering and if your rear wheel bearings were bad enough to let the tire get into the swing-arm I would think there would be no doubt in your mind you had bad bearings as they would be noisy and you'd feel it in the bike as you ride.

Before you haul off and spend a bunch of time and money, pull your rear wheel and use a light to look all inside your fender.   I had a problem like this one time and thought it was the swing-arm because I had bits of rubber piled up on the swing arm right where the tire was next to it.   It turned out to be the right side front rear-fender bolt.   With the tire out I could see where it was rubbing in a hard left with a passenger.   The front rear-fender bolts (the one's that go through the big chrome fender rail) has a cone with threads in it on the inside of the fender.  The last quarter inch of that cone sticks out further than the threads.  I took a grinder and smoothed out that cone to the threads, primed and painted it and no more scrubbing in a hard left while loaded.    It's only needed on the right side, the left side has plenty of clearance.

Worth a look...

[The emperor has no clothes]

I am planning to change swing arm bearings and wheel bearings. I cannot detect any play in the swing arm but will do it to make sure. I will have changed all the bearings at that point.

A couple years ago I ordered a cheap swing arm lock nut wrench to loosen the swing arm but the metal was so soft the tool just bent, so I am going to have to find the Honda tool or figure something out.

Wanted to take a trip next week but maybe I shouldn't in case this is getting worse.

I have run the rear tire from 35 to 45 psi, trying to diagnose different problems and I have read on this site different ones using high pressure. Hope to work out all my little problems and concentrate on riding.

I seriously doubt your swing-arm bearings are bad as your handling would be suffering and if your rear wheel bearings were bad enough to let the tire get into the swing-arm I would think there would be no doubt in your mind you had bad bearings as they would be noisy and you'd feel it in the bike as you ride.

Before you haul off and spend a bunch of time and money, pull your rear wheel and use a light to look all inside your fender.   I had a problem like this one time and thought it was the swing-arm because I had bits of rubber piled up on the swing arm right where the tire was next to it.   It turned out to be the right side front rear-fender bolt.   With the tire out I could see where it was rubbing in a hard left with a passenger.   The front rear-fender bolts (the one's that go through the big chrome fender rail) has a cone with threads in it on the inside of the fender.  The last quarter inch of that cone sticks out further than the threads.  I took a grinder and smoothed out that cone to the threads, primed and painted it and no more scrubbing in a hard left while loaded.    It's only needed on the right side, the left side has plenty of clearance.

Worth a look...

I think in other posts firefighter has reported a severe head shake at speed. I think he's got something going on. Whether its the swing arm bearings or not I have no idea.

[Firefighter]

Wow, I cry so much you guys already know me and my bike!

Its raining like crazy down here and tomorrow is supposed to be the worst yet, so that is one of my excuses for not being able to see good enough to figure where my tire is rubbing. I decided that the swing arm cannot cause the tire to rub on the swing arm unless the rear wheel bearings are out. So I looked harder with a mirror and bright light and think I am wrong about where the rub is. Sorry! I think I can see some possible marks where the removable fender attaches. I have not pulled the wheel but hope I can pull that fender half off and see for sure and grind it some.

My 444's are on the second setting and I may need to increase them, which is difficult on an Interstate.

Thanks for help, it does help me, and yes I still have a wiggle when I shake the handlebars, local shop thinks I should change the swing arm bearings, but I think I would be the first with a bearing failure. Maybe they need reset (tightened). Thanks

[The emperor has no clothes]

Wow, I cry so much you guys already know me and my bike!

Its raining like crazy down here and tomorrow is supposed to be the worst yet, so that is one of my excuses for not being able to see good enough to figure where my tire is rubbing. I decided that the swing arm cannot cause the tire to rub on the swing arm unless the rear wheel bearings are out. So I looked harder with a mirror and bright light and think I am wrong about where the rub is. Sorry! I think I can see some possible marks where the removable fender attaches. I have not pulled the wheel but hope I can pull that fender half off and see for sure and grind it some.

My 444's are on the second setting and I may need to increase them, which is difficult on an Interstate.

Thanks for help, it does help me, and yes I still have a wiggle when I shake the handlebars, local shop thinks I should change the swing arm bearings, but I think I would be the first with a bearing failure. Maybe they need reset (tightened). Thanks

I think Grumpy had swing arm bearing issues, which caused a catastrophic wreck for him. But if I remember his were damaged in a previous accident . And I don't think any of us consider it crying.    We just want to help you resolve the issue. 

[Firefighter]

Thanks, and I try to do the same, and yes, I read about Grumpy, caused him to wreck! I will figure it out, think I will find and fix the rub and then do maintenance and replace all bearings just to make sure.

[fudgie]

My 444's are on the second setting and I may need to increase them, which is difficult on an Interstate.

Im confused. My 444 have no settings and easy to change the settings by taking off the bag lids and a strap wrench.

[Firefighter]

Well, just wish I didn't need tools, and kinda hard to read shock position, for me anyway.