Front wheel alignment

ian400 · Post by **ian400** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 8:03 pm

Ok here's my problem, I have noticed in the past that my nc23 front wheel was difficult to align, so I have decided to attempt to sort it out, basically it sits too far to the left when looking from the front of the bike, all bearings are 12mm wide and the spreader is in place, the wider of the 2 spacers is on the left and the thinner to the right, if I tighten the nut the disc nearly touches the fork leg on the nut side and there is a visable difference in the gap from the fork legs and edge of the wheel, it is as if the wider spacer isn't wide enough, have any of you guys had this problem before?

amorti · Post by **amorti** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 1:10 am

Take your forks out and roll them on a piece of glass to test if they are straight.

Yes, I have had this before and it was because the forks were very slightly out of line.

Do this and test and if they are straight then post the measurement of your spacersa and we will verify for you in case someone's used the wrong parts. Also check if the middle spacer is present, and if your bearings look right.

ian400 · Post by **ian400** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 5:20 pm

I think I may have found the issue, there are marks on the spindle that shows the spacer on the left side has been spinning, I then checked the corresponding fork leg that appears to have a groove of about 1.5 mm that could be caused by a spinning spacer as the opposite fork leg has no groove, I tried photo bucket to put some pics up, but it doesn't like my phone so I gave up, the spacer on the offending side is 22mm wide and everything else is in place and straight

ian400 · Post by **ian400** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:27 pm

Right guys, I put a 2mm washer between the spacer and the wheel bearing, the wheel is now central with a difference of less than a mm, i can only assume that the spacer had eaten its way into the fork leg, unless anybody can tell me different, looks like I'm gonna need a new spacer making!

Post by **thunderace** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 6:50 pm

If it has eaten into the fork leg, the spindle has been done up too tight at some point. IMO, you'd be better off sourcing a new fork lower.

ian400 · Post by **ian400** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:02 pm

I think it was caused by the opposite! If the spindle wasn't tight enough then the spacer has been spinning with the wheel, this will account for the marks on the spindle, the spacer could then gradually work into the ally of the fork leg

amorti · Post by **amorti** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 1:46 am

ian400 wrote:I think it was caused by the opposite! If the spindle wasn't tight enough then the spacer has been spinning with the wheel, this will account for the marks on the spindle, the spacer could then gradually work into the ally of the fork leg

I would tend to agree. Pretty scary that anyone could do it and not notice though.

Actually if I were guessing I would say someone's been in the habit of doing up the pinch bolts before the axle bolt, with the same result.

Or, if a bearing has at some point spun, it could maybe drag the spacer with it, maybe?? In any case, check the bearings.

ian400 · Post by **ian400** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 7:30 am

I think I may be partly responsible as I noticed the marks on the spindle when I first got the bike and Changed the bearings but didn't investigate further

Front wheel alignment

Front wheel alignment

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