rearenginekarts.com

Maybe someone could tell me how to post a picture to the forum- worth a thousand words. Anyway, both the rear tires on my A-Bone have severe crusty wear along the inside 1"± of the tread patch, smooth across the rest of the tread. They're 4.10/3.50 x 5 Chen Shins on standard width Azusa tri-spoke rims. The tread patch bulges in the middle with 28 lbs. pressure. Does this sound like a familiar problem? What about the pressure- could that cause this problem? Appreciate any advice, thx...

Hey Matt-

28 lbs in the back is a little on the high side I think and could contribute to the problem. As a rule I usually run between 20 and 22 lbs rear, and 18-20 lbs in the front. I know some guys run even less, like 12 in the front and 15 in the rear, but I've always liked my karts to drift. Anyway, with Chen Shins being what they are and for all intents and purposes made for the fun kart market, I'm not sure they are meant to hold up to real high pressures, or have a solid contact patch across the width at those kinds of pressures.

Just a thought...
Dean

Thanks, Dean, I'll give lower pressures a try. Maybe that'll cure some of my understeer too. See ya @ Medford....

As it turned out, I didn't know what I was talking about (as usual). I took one of the rears to Tommy Pierson at Bug, and he chuckled "you got more rubber on there than when you bought 'em. They aren't worn, you've picked up rubber from the hot track. YOUR tire is still under all that crud". HA!

ya, for most of these hard tires that we are running, they last a VERY long time. Even on my dual engine karts they keep going and going, the tires on my Chaparral with dual 101s have been on that kart since I put it all together 3 years ago, and must have seen at least a dozen or so trips to the track for racing / practice / fun... and I have never dismounted them, only moved them wheel and all from one side to the other (they are non-directional tires). This is another side benefit of vintage karting, no heavy duty tire maintaince or expense like modern karting.

Jeff