[villagetinker]

They do

[Velvet]

I continue to be puzzled by the toe-out justification, I looked at various ATVs which would be set up for similar terrain stability and I saw none that was toe-out.

[lawgolfer]

I believe you are confused about what "camber" is and what "toe-in" is. When viewed from the front, as in the original posting, camber is when the tires are not vertical. The original posting photo shows "negative" camber with the tops of the tires being closer together than the bottoms. Think of negative camber as being a large "A". If there is positive camber, the tops of the tires are further apart than the bottoms. Think of positive camber as being a large "V".

To understand "toe-in" you would need to be above the cart and looking down. From that position the tires are "toe-in" when the fronts of the tires are closer together than the backs of the tires. Think of someone who is "pigeon-toed".

In every alignment setup I have seen the front tires with be "toe-in". This is an absolute requirement for the vehicle, be it an auto, truck, or golf cart, to run in a straight line. In this thread, one respondent said he adjusted the alignment of his cart to eliminate "toe-in" and to have the front tires being perfectly parallel. As that person noted, the cart then "darted" all over the road and would not run in a straight line. Even worse is if the front tires are "toe-out". That is very dangerous and it would be extremely hard to keep the cart within a lane.

If the wheels are "toe-out", the tires will be ground to the cord in short order, assuming it was even drivable. If the wheels are excessively "toed-in, the cart would probably be drivable, but, again, the tires would quickly be ground to the cords.

Assuming that neither a tie-rod or steering arm (knuckle) is not bent, and the bushings are not worn, aligning the front wheels is fairly simple. First, camber on Yamaha carts is not adjustable unless you buy after-market coil-over shocks and replace the originals. The after-market ones I've seen have three mounting holes at the top instead of the one on the factory unit. You choose the mounting hole which gives the amount of camber you want, positive, neutral, or negative. Given the price of the after-market units you can buy several sets of front tires for your cart, assuming that changing the camber even does some good and reduces the wear on the tires. If you are going to "jack" your cart up, that alone will change the camber and you may have to spend the money for after-market coil-over shocks and springs.

Assuming you haven't changed the camber, the only thing you can do is to change the "toe-in". This requires either two or three open-end wrenches, a marking pencil, and a tape measure. You make a mark at the center of both the front and back of each tire and measure distances. The proper setting is for the distance between the front tires should be 1/8-1/4" less than the distance at the back. If not, you use the wrenches to adjust the distances using the wrenches on the jam nuts and tie rods. There are numerous videos on YouTube which will take you through this step-by-step.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by lawgolfer

Yamaha designs the suspension for use on golf courses and not level paved surfaces. Their carts have negative camber with the tires being closer together at the top than the bottom. This adds to the cart's stability when traversing a hillside where one side of the cart is uphill and the other downhill. Yamaha is so confident with this set-up that it makes no provision to adjust the camber.

Also, the photo of your cart was taken when it was empty. Add a driver and passenger whose combined weight might range from 300 to 400+ lbs and you will find the negative camber is significantly reduced.

In short, don't worry about the negative camber of your cart's front wheels. If you experience unusual tire wear, it is likely due to one or both being under-inflated or the toe-in being incorrect. Toe-in is easily adjustable on all golf carts provided the bushings are not shot or a tie-rod or steering knuckle is not bent.

I join the other respondents with their concerns about the enormous LED light bar on your cart. I appreciate that you have taken steps to minimize the problems these lights cause for approaching drivers; however, I doubt those steps are as effective as you believe them to be. Even so, I wish other owners would try to follow your lead. The truth is that these light bars cannot be effectively adjusted to avoid blinding oncoming drivers as they are unfocused and have no "cut-off" as do modern automobile headlights. Even when you think you have them pointed downward, if your cart hits a bump or is coming uphill in relation to an oncoming cart, you will blind the other driver. Many Village residents have cataracts or have had cataract replacement surgery. Most suffer "glare and flare" when confronted by these light bars. More times than I like to count, I have had to dramatically slow my cart or even pull to the side of the cart path when blinded by these lights. With the standard LED headlights on your new Yamaha as well as other brands of carts, there is no need for these light bars.

A SUPER excellent post! It agrees with my simplistic earlier answer to .........just TRUST YAMAHA because they have EARNED that trust.

[MorTech]

These shocks solve it....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI1tFnTEraQ

[kkingston57]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

Got a new 2022 Yamaha Quiet Tech and absolutely love it. Between the four way independent suspension, rack in pinion steering, super quiet ride, ample room for a tall guy, and 250 - 300 mile range on a tank of gas, it’s a perfect ride for the Villages. One thing about the cart that bothers me is that the front tires are noticeably bowed out (wider at the base than the top). Is anyone else aware of this and know the reason for the design? Is this for better handling? I am concerned this design will lead to premature tire wear and necessitate frequent tire rotations? Has anyone tried to fix this with either an alignment or other front end modifications? Curious minds want to know? Please, I don’t want to hear that I should have purchased an electric cart!

Have a 2020 and do believe that mine has the same suspension as yours and after driving it 100 hours tires started to wear heavily. Bought mine from Country Village Carts and they told me that Yamaha is aware of the problem but does not acknowledge the problem. They modified the suspension and this problem did not re occur.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by lawgolfer

I believe you are confused about what "camber" is and what "toe-in" is. When viewed from the front, as in the original posting, camber is when the tires are not vertical. The original posting photo shows "negative" camber with the tops of the tires being closer together than the bottoms. Think of negative camber as being a large "A". If there is positive camber, the tops of the tires are further apart than the bottoms. Think of positive camber as being a large "V".

To understand "toe-in" you would need to be above the cart and looking down. From that position the tires are "toe-in" when the fronts of the tires are closer together than the backs of the tires. Think of someone who is "pigeon-toed".

In every alignment setup I have seen the front tires with be "toe-in". This is an absolute requirement for the vehicle, be it an auto, truck, or golf cart, to run in a straight line. In this thread, one respondent said he adjusted the alignment of his cart to eliminate "toe-in" and to have the front tires being perfectly parallel. As that person noted, the cart then "darted" all over the road and would not run in a straight line. Even worse is if the front tires are "toe-out". That is very dangerous and it would be extremely hard to keep the cart within a lane.

If the wheels are "toe-out", the tires will be ground to the cord in short order, assuming it was even drivable. If the wheels are excessively "toed-in, the cart would probably be drivable, but, again, the tires would quickly be ground to the cords.

Assuming that neither a tie-rod or steering arm (knuckle) is not bent, and the bushings are not worn, aligning the front wheels is fairly simple. First, camber on Yamaha carts is not adjustable unless you buy after-market coil-over shocks and replace the originals. The after-market ones I've seen have three mounting holes at the top instead of the one on the factory unit. You choose the mounting hole which gives the amount of camber you want, positive, neutral, or negative. Given the price of the after-market units you can buy several sets of front tires for your cart, assuming that changing the camber even does some good and reduces the wear on the tires. If you are going to "jack" your cart up, that alone will change the camber and you may have to spend the money for after-market coil-over shocks and springs.

Assuming you haven't changed the camber, the only thing you can do is to change the "toe-in". This requires either two or three open-end wrenches, a marking pencil, and a tape measure. You make a mark at the center of both the front and back of each tire and measure distances. The proper setting is for the distance between the front tires should be 1/8-1/4" less than the distance at the back. If not, you use the wrenches to adjust the distances using the wrenches on the jam nuts and tie rods. There are numerous videos on YouTube which will take you through this step-by-step.

Great post. Great explanation.

[Bay Kid]

Sorry but the light bar will effect oncoming traffic, even worse on hills. It would be nice to be able to dim them for oncoming traffic.

[jimkerr]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

Sorry but the light bar will effect oncoming traffic, even worse on hills. It would be nice to be able to dim them for oncoming traffic.

Light bars are not intended to dim. They are intended to give off light. Dimming a light at makes no sense whatsoever. I bought my light bar to increase the light and provide safety. It does just that.

[jimjamuser]

Originally Posted by jimkerr

Light bars are not intended to dim. They are intended to give off light. Dimming a light at makes no sense whatsoever. I bought my light bar to increase the light and provide safety. It does just that.

That IS controvesial. Some say that it is UNSAFE because it is BLINDING to oncoming traffic. Please keep in mind that MANY seniors have light sensitivity and MAY not yet have gotten a cataract operation.

[Bill14564]

Originally Posted by jimkerr

Light bars are not intended to dim. They are intended to give off light. Dimming a light at makes no sense whatsoever. I bought my light bar to increase the light and provide safety. It does just that.

Then I will leave it up to you in your more safe cart to avoid me as I blindly attempt to get past you. I promise it is not my intent to head towards you but with your increased lights shining directly in my eyes I can see neither you nor the trail nor the tree just off the trail. I don't want to hit the tree and I know you can see me so I'll leave it up to you to dodge.

Or you can adjust your safety lights to not shine in my eyes and we'll both be happy. Your call.