Topic: Back tire wobble............

[Badger 5]

The back tire on my 550 has a bit of a wobble to it.  Worst case scenario as I see it would be that the rim is bent but I don't think that's the case.  What steps do I need to take to figure out what is causing the wobble and how the hell do I fix it?  Thanks for the advice.

[seaweb11]

Center stand or jack.
Spin rear wheel while holding a screwdriver just barely touching the side of the rim. It should become fairly obvious if it's bent.

Hope that helps

[merc2dogs]

put bike on belly stand, clamp something to the swingarm or somewhere that is stable in relation to the axle, I like to set a pointer right at the bend above the bead, that way I can check eccentricity and wobble with the same pointer

 first step is to give the tire a tug and see if that changes position in relation to the pointer, if so check the bearings.
 if not check the outermost part of the hub (nearest the spokes) against the swingarm and see if that wobbles, if it doesn't move on to the rim, if it does, check the bearings.

 with the rim gradual changes are normally spoke issues,easily fixed by trueing.
  sharp changes are normally rim issues, (bent or kinked) some can be fixed by trueing, but often needs a new rim.
   
 Ken

[tmht]

The back tire on my 550 has a bit of a wobble to it.  Worst case scenario as I see it would be that the rim is bent but I don't think that's the case.  What steps do I need to take to figure out what is causing the wobble and how the hell do I fix it?  Thanks for the advice.

In this order.

Check tire alignment. i.e. Make sure the marks on the chain tensioner are the same on both sides of the swingarm.
Check your tire pressure!
Make sure the tire is seated correctly all the way around the rim on both sides.
Check the balance of the tire/wheel
Check for loose spokes.
Check to see if wheel is true.
With the chain off the sprocket and the axle nut tight, check for play in the wheel bearings.

[Bodi]

Did this just suddenly start on a good tire/wheel?
If you just installed a new tire, tubeless tires on a tube rim are TIGHT and often don't seat properly. There's usually a line around the bead you can see close to the rim flange, it should be an equal distance all the way around. Generous lubing (soapy water) and overpressure plus hammering will work the bead even usually.
If it just "happened" without hitting a big bump or anything, check all the things already suggested.
A tire can break inside and go all wobbly - usually just before it blows (BOOM blow, not hiss blow) so be careful.

[Badger 5]

It has been wobbly since I bought it in March.  It's an old tire and I'm about to replace it but I wanted to get the issue fixed so the new tire doesn't get messed up.

[tmht]

One other thing to check... Put the bike on the centerstand, remove the rear shocks and check for play in the swingarm. If you can move your swingarm from side to side, check to make sure the swingarm bolt is tightened properly. If it is, then you will likely need new swingarm bushings. Check the above items first as they are much more likely, but to run through the whole list should only take 2 hours or less.