Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - phil hubs and off-center wheels

So I got the new set of Phils, fixed fixed rear, high flange on 32 hole mavic CXP-33 rims. I find that when I tighten the front wheel in the dropouts it tends to push the wheel slightly off center to the bike's left. It is only about 2-3mm off center, but it drives me nuts to look down and see it sitting there like that. Any idea why this happens? How to fix it? The cones are nice and snug and there is no side to side play on the axle when I spin the wheel in my hands....help.

it prolly happens because of friction from the nut against the dropout; as it turns it creeps forward (i'm guessing that you're tightening the right side).
try this; tighten the left side first, so the wheel is a little off center to the right, but don't crank it down all the way. then tighten the right side, and once it's tight, finish tightening the left.
you may have to play with it a bit, but it should fix your problem.

When you flip the wheel is it off centered in the opposite direction? If yes, your wheel needs to be dished back to center.
If it is off centered to the left, no matter which way you mount the wheel, then the fork is out of alignment.

This sounds more like what is happening. How does one fix an out-of-alignment fork?

This sounds more like what is happening. How does one fix an out-of-alignment fork?

Do you have another front wheel to check to make sure that this is the case?

You need to determine exactly how the fork is misaligned. If it is a steel fork, you can try applying a bit of force on the fork blades to try and bring them back to center. Another easy fix would be to slightly shave one dropout so the axle will seat slightly deeper.

Better yet, I would take it to a LBS and have them take a quick look at your fork and see what they suggest.

Cool, thanks! I am supposed to see a mechanic this week about ordering a new bike, and they were going to use this one as a fit guide...I will have him take a look at the fork and see what he thinks. I am sure this guy has a fork jig and the expertise to do a better job than I could trying to bend things a little hear and there. It is a steel fork, by the way.

My uneducated opinion is fork misalignment. If you're lucky it's just the fork ends and it's a quick job with the alignment tool.

thanks. I will try to remember to post a follow-up once it is fixed...uh corrected.

if it's a carbon fork, just give it a few good whacks with a hammer to straighten it out.

p.s.: don't do this.

actually, with carbon fiber you can just sand it into the proper shape