I was reading the ad that Side Car Mike has for his "flying tiger" rig.
http://www.socalsidecarclub.com/zadMikesCB750.html .
In the ad he describes the camber he put on his sidecar and mentions that this is common on offroad hacks. Any comments on the mechanics of, benefits and drawbacks of a cambered hack wheel? Street and dirt comments are both of interest to me.
For street use, it seem that the camber force would tend to push the hack to the left (on US style rigs). Is this a useful thing to offset the hacks tendency to pull to the right? Is it any better or worse than using toe-in adjustments? Just curious.
-Dave
I can see where it may offer a bit less side stress in left turns (Rt. hand mount car) easier on spokes.
No specific gains for road use that I see. Perhaps more left side tread wear on the sidecar tire.
Lonnie
DAVE WROTE:
>For street use, it seem that the camber force would tend to push the hack to the left (on US style rigs). Is this a useful thing to offset the hacks tendency to pull to the right? Is it any better or worse than using toe-in adjustments? Just curious.<<
Leaning the top of the sidecar wheel toward th ebike can help to take away a pull toward the sidecar. It IS NOT the preferred way as it also creates weird tire wear and can be hard on the sidecar wheel bearings.
Toe adjustments are not the means to reduce pull to the right. Leaning the bike out is the way to go.
If you increase toe in all you end up with is more tire wear. This is Unless you have toe out or flexing mounts that allow toe out to occur when under motion.
Originally written by claude #3563 on 3/13/2009 8:11 PM
DAVE WROTE:
>For street use, it seem that the camber force would tend to push the hack to the left (on US style rigs). Is this a useful thing to offset the hacks tendency to pull to the right? Is it any better or worse than using toe-in adjustments? Just curious.<<Leaning the top of the sidecar wheel toward th ebike can help to take away a pull toward the sidecar. It IS NOT the preferred way as it also creates weird tire wear and can be hard on the sidecar wheel bearings.
Toe adjustments are not the means to reduce pull to the right. Leaning the bike out is the way to go.
If you increase toe in all you end up with is more tire wear. This is Unless you have toe out or flexing mounts that allow toe out to occur when under motion.
Thanks for the clarification - re: toe-in/out and the bike pulling to one side. Also - thanks for mentioning "bike lean-out". That seems to accomplish the same same thing that sidecar wheel camber would without the downsides.
