Help! Bad bearings or warped tire?

grayj79

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I have been getting an unstable front end when i hit 45 mph. Put new perillis on the bike, the tires that were on it were 15 years old, thought it was probably that. When I put the front tire on the balancing stand (with the new meat installed) I noticed a left to right wobble. The bead is set properly and the wobble is all the way through the rim, so I know its not the tire. The rim otherwise looks fine, no visible dents or anything to explain this. My question is, can the wheel bearings cause this or is the rim toast? Looks like the previous owner must have dumped the bike but not bad, there is a couple scratches on one side of the fork. Oh they are mag wheels by the way
 
What do you mean by "all the way through the rim"?

If you use some sort of indicator (a screwdriver braced against the fork and spaced say a quarter-inch away from the side of the rim works well) and spin the wheel, does the wobble happen once per revolution?

It it always in the same spot or is it random?

A random wobble is quite likely a bad bearing. A consistent wobble is a bent rim.

If the rim runs true based on the above tests, move the screwdriver tip up so it's "indicating" on the tire. If the rim runs basically true but the tire wobbles, then you have a mis-seated tire or warped tire casing.

I recently had a Bridgestone S11 front arrive warped from the supplier. More information on that little saga here.
 
i'm no expert,but many moons ago,my 80sg got"unstable"in the front end when my REAR wheel bearing went bad. spent the night at a reststop in effingham ill. sleeping on a picnic table,in the rain,awoke and discovered i had been attacked by carpenter ants-had bites all over my face.it looked like i had taken a beating for sure...have a look at the rear...
 
I don't think that applies, he has the front wheel off the bike and in a stand.
Downeaster has it this time. Check the wheel run out, both left to right and up and down. It could be the wheel or the tire.
Leo
 
Thanks for the advice guys, really appreciated! I just went ahead and ordered new bearings, if there is a chance its them I would rather do that then trying to find a new rim. If I do find it is the rim and not the tire or the bearing, does the bead of new tire get ruined by me removing it, i guess im asking if I can use it on the replacement rim need be?
 
You can remove a tire and put it on another wheel without hurting it. I have a tire that's been on 3 wheels, still holds air and runs true.
Just use lots of lube. Go to a parts store and get a gallon of tire changing lube. Won't cost much and will last for years.
Leo
 
You can check the rim with the tire and wheel still on the bike. Just get that wheel in the air, rig a pointer of some sort up next to the rim, and slowly spin the tire. You'll easily be able to see if the rim is bent.
 
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