Wheel Tick

[B_Regal Racing]

I know this topic has been covered in excruciating detail and in several threads, but I still want to explore it more. I hear a slight tick in a wheel (rear wheel) when mated to the axle and the wheel is riding on the axle head.

Here is what its not:
No burrs underneath the axle head
No excess wax build up on the outer hub
No visible scratches in the wheel bore (viewed under extreme magnification)
No plastic "filings" or hairs
No known debris on wheel tread (tick also heard when installed in car and on the track)

Excess oil makes the tick go away, but also slows the car. The car was fast with the tick (at least fast in my terms), but I thought it could be faster without it. Normally I do not hear anything, and if I do, its a faint white noise of sorts, but not ticking.

What I have yet to try:
Swap for another fully prepped axle with same wheel
Swap for another fully prepped wheel with same axle

What am I missing? Is it too little oil? The tick was loud enough that I thought I would easily find the problem. Not so.

 

[Skippy Kicky]

I just had this happen with Snapping Monster when I was prepping for the buyer. I changed out the wheels and silence. I'm going to try to work the wheel that was ticking a little more and see if I can salvage it.

 

[GDH Racing]

Good post. I have some similar issues although I do not have a grasp on what is an acceptable pint of noise and what te of noise is acceptable. Of course no noise is the goal and my wheels are pretty silent. I ordered a pre-prepped set of wheels from John to hopefully address my concerns.

I have noticed a burr on the BASX pro wheels I have been getting. It's in the wheel bore right on the edge near the outer hub.

 

[cygnus]

Could it be a mold seam in the bore or on the outer hub area?

 

[Mister B Racing]

I don't think I'm giving away any big secrets here, but I use a tip from the wheel prep videos that Spacewalker has on his web site.

After applying your wax of choice and letting it dry, use a piece of folded paper towel with one corner rolled into a point. Insert the paper towel into the wheel bores both inside and outside and then twist the wheel back and forth until the hubs shine. Also make sure the underside of the axle heads are well polished. My wheels have been nice and quiet lately.

Steve - Mister B

 

[bracketracer]

B_Regal, does it sound like a playing card in the bicycle spokes?

j/k. you know I had to go there!

Seriously, probably not the axle since the axle shouldn't be rotating. Probably as stated before, a mold line in the bore or hub if you're sure there's no stringy bits in there.

Try swapping it to the other end of the car and see if it's happier?

 

[GravityX]

I shouldn't laugh at that, but... /images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif You had to be there.

/images/boards/smilies/nono.gif

 

[B_Regal Racing]

You know, I actually thought of that event myself during my own bit of frustration looking for the tick. I chuckled about it a bit, and then went back to work. I almost sent it in, just because...

 

[HurriCrane Racing]

Carma baby! LOL. I was there!

 

[Quicktimederby]

Well at least you have a name for the car. "Carma"

 

[ngyoung]

Could be a DFW since that one won't ride on the axle head very hard if at all.

 

[LightninBoy]

I use Deep Woods Off to keep the wheel ticks away.

 

[B_Regal Racing]

I use Deep Woods Off to keep the wheel ticks away.

^^^ Outstanding ^^^

But, I believe it was a mold line as Cygnus suggested. I saw it running through the wheel bore, but I have seen this before in other wheels and it never made a noise. So I discounted it.

Well at least you have a name for the car. "Carma"

It was Purple People Eater, but now has been appropriately re-named. /images/boards/smilies/thumb.gif

This stuff just never gets old.

 

[Kinser Racing]

I use Deep Woods Off to keep the wheel ticks away.

Haha, it may really be true guys. You tube it. I tried it last year and it seems to slightly melt the plastic. It's the deet.

 

[Mojo Racing]

Deet...

Sounds like eat... as in plastic...

Yep... it will !

 

[davet]

I had that on the backside where the wheel hits the body. Found it when testing different nail polishes for friction. It turned out the bore was true to the outside diameter of the wheel but the outside of the inner hub was not true. This caused a ticking when the high spot contacted the body.

Maybe in your case the outside face of the wheel hub isn't true and has a high spot. No visible imperfection and may even have been polished smooth but a high spot none the less.