# Diagnose rear tire wobble (wheel is true)



## chickenlegs (Feb 2, 2004)

Got a weird one. My rear tire has a strange wobble (mostly side to side) going on. It is not rubbing anything.

I had the wheel trued after I noticed it, but the wobble is still there. Somebody told me the actual tire is mishaped... could that be right? Any other possibilities (hub or something?).

Thanks!


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## rockyuphill (Nov 28, 2004)

A lot of the Asian made tires are wobbly and hoppy. The tread seems to be poorly bonded to the carcass and sometimes the carcasses are poorly joined so there is a big hop in the tire.


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## chickenlegs (Feb 2, 2004)

rockyuphill said:


> A lot of the Asian made tires are wobbly and hoppy. The tread seems to be poorly bonded to the carcass and sometimes the carcasses are poorly joined so there is a big hop in the tire.


Thanks. Bought the bike used and it came with those red Michelins (Hot S?). Are they asian made?


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## jimmydean012 (Mar 31, 2007)

Is the wheel rocking back and forth laterally? Make sure the quick release skewer is tight, if it is, you may need to get the hub (cups/cones) adjusted.


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## chickenlegs (Feb 2, 2004)

jimmydean012 said:


> Is the wheel rocking back and forth laterally? Make sure the quick release skewer is tight, if it is, you may need to get the hub (cups/cones) adjusted.


Skewers are tight. It's more of a consistent 'hop" in the same exact place, rather than a random back and forth "rocking." I was thinking hub at first as well. But I guess the wobble would have to be random if it was the hub?


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## eatdrinkride (Jun 15, 2005)

Maybe take the tire off the wheel and see if the rim wobbles. If not then it's the tire. If its the wheel then it's either bent or not true, or maybe the hub if it's got cone bearings but if it was the the hub you should be able to pick up the rear end and rock the wheel side to side a bit.


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## fritzlovesmary (Oct 2, 2007)

there is usually a little rubber ring on both sides around the tire, just above the edge of the rim. just follow the ring and check if it has the same distance to the rim all around. if not, remove the tire and put it back on, using soapy water/foam or talcum powder where the tire sits on/in the rim. while you pump it up you should check if the rubber ring fits better then. if it doesn't, release some air and try to squeeze/pull the tire out of the rim where it doesn't fit properly.
this procedure might have to be repeated, but for me in the end it always works.
good luck.
fritz


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## davep (Mar 11, 2005)

fritzlovesmary said:


> there is usually a little rubber ring on both sides around the tire, just above the edge of the rim. just follow the ring and check if it has the same distance to the rim all around. if not, remove the tire and put it back on, using soapy water/foam or talcum powder where the tire sits on/in the rim. while you pump it up you should check if the rubber ring fits better then. if it doesn't, release some air and try to squeeze/pull the tire out of the rim where it doesn't fit properly.
> this procedure might have to be repeated, but for me in the end it always works.
> good luck.
> fritz


Ding!!! we have a winner

Mich tires are made in france. says right on the side.


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## Mountain biker 41 (Oct 13, 2007)

Youre tire might be "stuck" inside the rim. Take your tire pressure down to about 20 psi, and take your hands and pull the tire back and forth on the rim(side to side)you might hear/feel a pop as the tire come out of the groove in the rim, that might be the cause. Your hub could also be loose. Take your wheel out and feel the axle, if theres play you need to tighten your hub


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## chickenlegs (Feb 2, 2004)

Mountain biker 41 said:


> Youre tire might be "stuck" inside the rim. Take your tire pressure down to about 20 psi, and take your hands and pull the tire back and forth on the rim(side to side)you might hear/feel a pop as the tire come out of the groove in the rim, that might be the cause.


Thanks, I already took the tire completely off and put it back on a few weeks ago. Didn't help. What I DIDN"T do at that time was put *just the rim *back on the bike and spin the pedals to see if the rim was wobbly. That would have told me if it was the tire or not.

Someone else suggested that in this thread, and that is my next step. Just a bit lazy at the moment.


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## LWright (Jan 29, 2006)

stop being lazy, take the tire off and do the rim check, then look inside the tire for splits, cracks or bead coming apart, a large patch on the inside wall would be a clue.


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## Ausable (Jan 7, 2006)

I think you will evantually dump the tire 
If fritz's suggestions dont work, the carcass has deformed, and/or the bead has stretched and the tire cannot be repaired
It happened to me on a Conti Exporer and Conti Speed King, so the defect is not limited to low quality asian tires-


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## chickenlegs (Feb 2, 2004)

Ausable said:


> I think you will evantually dump the tire


Perhaps you're right. I've got a spare something or other lying around. It ain't red though. Ever seen someone riding around in the woods running a red Michelin Hot S in the front and a black tire in the rear?


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## chickenlegs (Feb 2, 2004)

Finally got sick enough of the wobble. Took off the tire again and noticed two things:

1. The inside of the tire has a patch (this is not a tubeless)
2. The rim tape was all folded on top of itself in a section

I put just the wheel back on the bike without the tire... didn't seem to wobble. Put some fresh rim tape on. Put on a new rear tire... no more wobble. 

Thanks all for the suggestions.

Cheers


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## Heals120 (Apr 16, 2006)

The patch shouldn't kill it that much. I think your bead just wasn't set.


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## Dadinbrazil (Aug 31, 2014)

Changed a rear flat on the trail and when back on pavement the bike was bouncing bad. Got home and went though everything, finally found this thread and behold! Soapy water made the difference. Tire is smooth as silk now. Recommend this procedure whenever putting a tire on the rim.


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## mack_turtle (Jan 6, 2009)

I have seen a few Continental tires do this. I have a 29" X-King that wobbles. I thought is was my rim but I trued the rim perfectly and the wobble is still there. The tire is mounted correctly, the tread is just slightly off center on the carcass in one spot.


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## Dadinbrazil (Aug 31, 2014)

It is a continental x-king 26" from India. Good for my riding style but lesson learned they're not plug and play like the Schwalbes I had previously. Guess a small bar of soap might be handy to carry on the rides.


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