Modern Vespa

I have a problem with the inside of my right front tire wearing. It is up the side of the tire so is happening in left hand turns. I believe it is an alignment problem and with OAD's help found CT's instructions in the WIKI for adjusting toe in. Problem is there is no dealer within several hundred miles with the alignment jig. Scooter Superstore had one but I don't know where it went in the bankruptcy.

I am considering just moving a washer to see if it improves but want to make sure I am moving in the right direction to improve the problem. My thinking (possibly out to lunch) is that since the wear happens in a left turn, the wheel aimed too far to the right and thus not rolling properly around the turn.

I would appreciate any thoughts on the subject and especially appreciate experience that this is the right or wrong approach to correcting the problem.

Cheeky help is needed.

Lok at OAD's avtar. The portion of the right front wheel in contact with the road is where I have excessive wear.

(For the directionally challenged the right front wheel is to the left in the picture.)

you don't need a alignment jig

just 2 straight 2 by 4's or 2 large levelingbeams (don't know the correct translation)

and messure you can adjust the alignment with the washers places behind and in front of the bolt there should be any differents in both wheels 0mm when im correct 42cm outside rims or 37 inside both sides ( front and back)


did it this way a few times

But oneven wear of a tyre could also be worn wheelbearings

Check your wheel bearings and your toe in first.
Toe in can be checked with a tape measure. It's suppose to be 0°, so just measure the tires front and back and make sure they are the same distance apart. You can use a piece of chalk to make a center line on the tire to measure from. Just hold the chalk up to the tire where you can support your hand so it doesn't move, and have someone spin the tire.

Toein or out is the only thing you can adjust if the legs are off then you need to order new legs and tubes

I am going to have to look to see what "washers" you all are talking about. It's not like on a car where you just turn an adjustable section of the tie rod i guess.

Above the fender you see a teardrop cover behind it is a bolt with washers

when you move a washer from the front to the back you adjust the alligment

cover - bolt - washer(s) - bracket/rod - washer(s) - nut

You can see the procedure here: http://manuals.wotmeworry.org.uk/useful%20info/Steering%20Alignment%20&%20Shimming%

Bearings usually make for uneven wear around the tire don't they. This is just heavy wear to one side of center, but the same wear around the circumfrence.

Here is a pic of the tire with about 5,000 miles on it.

Note tread completely gone on right and good on left. Roll the tire around and the wear is even. Looking from the front so right is left.

I see how they do it now, with a weird design.

Fuzzy that depents how bad the bearing is iff its realy gone it could set one wheel with toe in or out but you must feel it when cornering


when the wheelbearins going to go bad then you get 1 or 2 mm play then you get a cupped tyre

and the tyre in the pic has to much toe in

To be clear I understand "toe-in" to be the adjustment of moving the washers on the universal joint. Do I want to move the front of the tire closer to the centerline of the MP3 or further from the center line? (The wear is on the side closer to the centerline.)

the front further from the centreline

its the right wheel so if you place something aginst the front wheels and messure the distance in the front and back the reading should be now for exemple 418 in the front and 422mm in the back

and it should be 420mm

I measured the distance between the front wheels. The measurement was wide at the front so moved a washer on right front wheel (one with excessive wear) to turn it to the left, closer in front to left front wheel. I have ridden couple thousand miles and can see and measure no difference in tread wear side to side to appears problem fixed. Tire in picture was shot in only 5000 miles with problem obvious much sooner.

bad link Fuzzy

I won't post the full link or all and sundry will download it - just look for the "Steering Alignment & Shimming Procedure" pdf at:

http://manuals.wotmeworry.org.uk/useful%20info/

This is on the offchance Fuzzy is still around and on MP3.

I have the same problem with my MP3. Do you have photos of the procedure or links to how you did it?

Thanks

Link to this thread just popped up on my email. I sold my MP3 400 about 10 years ago. The washer move is simple. Sorry I don't have pictures. I do recall doing on a couple M03s in a Georgia parking lot during an MP3 gathering. Sorry but Fuzzy's memory is a bit fuzzy on exact detail on this one after so many years. It did solve problem on multiple MP3s.

I miss the fun of MP3 on twistiest after 25,000 miles on 250 and 65,000 on 400. Moved onto rides that were better suited to longer distance travel. I've ridden to 49 states, 8 provinces and Yukon on my Honda Nc700 and Versys 300. The group gatherings have continued but only 1 or 2 still come on an MP3.