Really stupid front wheel question

[oldbike54]

 Is there a direction of rotation for California front wheels ? Stamping on the left or right ?

 Dusty

[Ncdan]

Not that I’m aware of Dusty, I had tires put on mine a couple times and I never noticed any direction issues.

[Caffeineo]

I do not believe there is. BTDT. Putting a new tire on the Bassa and was going to put it on........but I did not think to mark it L or R. Both sides looked exactly the same. So I asked here and if my memory is somewhat working....I believe it can go either way. But I would also like someone who has a better idea than me to confirm......ya know just in case the memory is not so good. ;)

[oldbike54]

 First dual disc Guizzi 

 Thanks guys , it probably doesn't matter /

 Dusty

[guzzisteve]

Look at the direction of the tire on it now for an indication.

[oldbike54]

Look at the direction of the tire on it now for an indication.

 I already had the old tire off when it dawned how stupid it was to not mark the rim 

 Dusty

[berniebee]

Dammit, now you've got me wondering about the front wheel on my SP1000!

[Markcarovilli]

Round side down   

Mark

[oldbike54]

 

 Dusty

[knockerjoe]

Typically valve stem is on the right side.

[Scud]

I think the dirtier side of the spokes generally lead the rotation. That might help if you didn't clean the wheel yet.

But if it's not marked in any way, then you really have no way of knowing if it was on "correctly" before.

[oldbike54]

Typically valve stem is on the right side.

 Not on a motorbike wheel .

 

I think the dirtier side of the spokes generally lead the rotation. That might help if you didn't clean the wheel yet.

But if it's not marked in any way, then you really have no way of knowing if it was on "correctly" before.

 Well , the fork seals were blowing badly , hopefully that is fixed now , but the wheel was really dirty , so...

 Dusty

[John A]

On those I’ve come to the conclusion that they will go on either way which makes me think about the brake pads. Is it bad to upset the bedding or is it good to even out wear?  I started marking mine with a sharpie unless they’re already marked. Spacers too...

[jrt]

The wheel, no-  but like John, I wondered about the discs.  I had to take them off and replace wheel bearings, so I marked them L/R with a sharpie and put them back on after the tire was mounted. 

[dxhall]

I think it depends on whether the wheel bearings are placed symmetrically in the hub.  You would think they would be, but they are often not (as on the front wheel of a ‘78 Convert).  If the Convert wheel is reversed, it will not be in the center of the forks.

[Tom H]

For your bike it really doesn't matter. I do agree on the valve stem. My EVT front is on the left and rear is on the right.

Now for the nit pick. I asked my respected tire shop guy if it mattered, he said no. BUT... MAYBE the bearings and brake pads and discs are happy going the one way? If you were to change them all due to old age and wear, then it wouldn't matter.

BTW, I leave the front valve stem on the left.

Tom

[JayDee24ca]

I think it depends on whether the wheel bearings are placed symmetrically in the hub.  You would think they would be, but they are often not (as on the front wheel of a ‘78 Convert).  If the Convert wheel is reversed, it will not be in the center of the forks.

Is that something that is true for all years Convert? I had never noticed this before. If it is true for the convert it is likely true for the G5 and others. Are you sure that it is not just on your bike due to the way in which someone installed them?

[Scout63]

On my G5 the rim stampings are on the right which doesn’t matter other than for originality.  The wheel bearing carriers are identical but there is a circlip and spacer on one side only on the right:





If the lower fork legs are staying in the same positions ( ie calipers not migrating to the other side of the forks) I would follow the parts fiche orientation for the wheel bearing carriers. 

[dxhall]

That is what I found when I disassembled the Convert wheel.  The bearings on these wheels are in two identical hubs which are held in the wheel center by the long bolts which hold the rotors.  Each hub has an internal groove for a large retaining ring.  One would think that both bearings are pressed all the way into the hubs, and then held in place by the retaining rings. WRONG.  Only one bearing is pressed all the way in, and only that side (not the other side) uses the retaining ring.  The other bearing floats in the hub, and is held in place because it is between (1) the spacer tube on the axle inside the wheel, and (2) the spacer tube on the axle between the fork leg and the wheel.

On the “floating” side, the bearing ends up covering the internal groove, where on the “non-floating” side, the bearing is inside the groove.  The bearings are thus not symmetrically placed in the hub assembly, and the wheel isn’t reversible.

[guzzisteve]

AND what model ?   Seems like the wheels are all but what you ride.  Jackal?

[travelingbyguzzi]

It really doesn't matter until the tire is mounted. then it matters.

[MGrego]

On my '04 EV soon after I bought it I noticed the front tire was mounted backwards.  I took off the front wheel and turned it around so that the tread direction was correct.  Then I noticed on every revolution of the front wheel the brake rotors made a loud clicking sound.  I never could really figure out what was making the noise, so I turned the wheel around again and the noise stopped.  Maybe it had to do with the way the pads mated to the rotors.  But anyway, the front wheel does seem to have its preferred direction of rotation.

[Dharma Bum]

I mounted the tire on my 96 Cali in the wrong direction and had the,,,same clicking sound.,  cant remember which way it goes. I'll try to,, find it in my old posts, Rodekyll set me straight.

[guzzisteve]

If it has disks on it there will be a small wear pocket behind the hole in it. If you look you can tell which way it has been turning. This is on the anal side of figuring it out.

[Neil]

Given the number of responses, I'd guess it wasn't a stupid question after all.

[dxhall]

Here are photos of the two sides of a cleaned and reassembled wheel.  The bearings are in contact with the spacer tube that would be on the axle inside the wheel.








free file hosting website direct link

[Dharma Bum]

Find an exploded view of the wheel in a repair manual or parts diagram and see which side the circlip is on.

[ejs]

No circlip on my 1999 EV wheel.🚣

[Wayne Orwig]

I learned long ago to etch a little arrow in the hub so I can put it back the way it came off. Probably doesn't matter, but matching the brake pads back to the same rotor sounds like a good thing.

[johnk]

This is the main issue. Your pads are won to match any minor grooving on your rotors. If you're replacing the brake pads it doesn't matter, otherwise they might drag and have poor braking.

I learned long ago to etch a little arrow in the hub so I can put it back the way it came off. Probably doesn't matter, but matching the brake pads back to the same rotor sounds like a good thing.