Treads backward?

[Nitro Nerd]

My neighbor got a new 4.6 (he's new to the hobby), and I noticed when he was driving it...the wheels looked as though they were not in the hex hubs.
Upon further inspection, I noticed that the treads on his front tires were facing a different direction than his rear tires. This, as compared with mine, which are all consistent (matching the rear tires in the pic below).

So you'd think the easy test would be to put my tires on....but we could not get the hex nuts off. I've taken my Savage tires off 50+ times never with an issue (and I tighten the hell out of them). We used probably 6-7 different 8mm drivers, channel locks, heated it up with a micro-torch (just in case they were thread locked...etc). Would not even budge....so we just drilled them out late last night. I think due to all the extreme vibration (it was insane) that somehow the hex nuts got cross-threaded or something. Who knows?

My suspiscion is that the front ones where glued on backward by the factory. I told him to call HPI...demand new tires AND hex nuts.

Anyone else ever heard of this?

 

[Rolex]

If you had gotten them off, you would just have to change the side they were on to get them in the right direction.

 

[BillyC74]

That's a new one for me.

 

[Rolex]

Not sure if they still do it, but I know that Savage used to have left handed threads on certain axles. That might be what you encountered.
The more you try to get them off, the tighter they get.

Was it brand new? Did you check the manual?

 

[Alexander_0_1]

Yup I put reverse threaded axles on one of my savages, only on the left side. Helps keep the nut from backing off on the left side.....strangely enough this only happen to one of my collection.

 

[Rolex]

I think the reverse threads are on the right.

 

[BillyC74]

The savages don't come stock with the reverse thread axles anymore. I'm not sure when they stopped but its been years.

 

[Alexander_0_1]

Yup, I have them on my 25

 

[Nitro Nerd]

If you had gotten them off, you would just have to change the side they were on to get them in the right direction.

I don't believe that is the case. Either that...or MINE are wrong. it's as if the tire was glued on the wrong way. I'll let u know the results....

 

[Snook Man]

I don't believe that is the case. Either that...or MINE are wrong. it's as if the tire was glued on the wrong way. I'll let u know the results....

If both front or rear treads were pointing the wrong direction, you just swap out one side for the other and the tread pattern would be reversed/corrected.

I doubt the wheel nuts were cross threaded but its possible. Often it requires sufficient heat and a strong arm to break the wheel nuts loose if locktite was used. I've seen guys strip the wheel spinning the hex inside trying to break wheel nuts loose. In those situations its best to use a large flathead screwdriver to hold/lock the drive cup to prevent the hex from spinning in the wheel.

 

[Nitro Nerd]

Ahhh....now I see! ;-) Apologies as I'm not used to directional treads. Pretty crazy in all the times I've taken off the tires on my Savage...I guess I lucky putting them back on. At least I think so (as assuming that was the problem I would have noticed). I mean, it was virtually undrivable...on pavement at least. I encouraged him not to break his engine in like that (his temps were spiking due to it)...but he wanted me to anyway...so I just heat cycled. ;-)


The axles were not reverse threaded....at least not the one I looked at. However, that is a good thought in the event one or more of the others ones are...highly doubtful but you can't rule out anything.

 

[bifft it]

front tires on all my trucks face backwards. when the front end drops from a wheelie, they really seem to grab good. on some tires, though, there is no backwards!

 

[Nitro Nerd]

Thanks...I'll keep that in mind (I loves me some wheelies) ;-)

To follow up--I put my tires on his--problem solved. So his wheels must have been extremely unbalanced.

 

[Alexander_0_1]

Or they got wet and the foams are ruined.