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New Wheelset front wheel not centered on fork

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Old 06-01-24 | 08:04 AM
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New Wheelset front wheel not centered on fork

Finally got the time to install a new wheelset:

https://velomine.com/products/dt533-..._fid=83c4094da

Started with the front wheel first and after the install the wheel is not centered on the fork. The wheel is 10mm offset to the drive side of the bicycle. Spins true and disk rotors are correct in the caliper. I guess they call this dishing after doing an internet search. Do I try to fix this with a dish tool? Let it be? Or contact Velomine about this?
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Old 06-01-24 | 08:24 AM
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One can make a decent enough dishing gage with a table top and three equally high stacks of spacers (washers, coins, thread spools, Lego Blocks...). Place the wheel, with any QR/through axle removed, on the table top on the side, the wheel is sitting on it's axle end and one point about the rim now. Place the three stacks of whatever you have to support the rim parallel to the table top and so the axle is slightly lifted off the table. Now a simple measurement or sliding another stack of somethings under the axle end (lock nuts/end cap) so the stack just fits between the table top and the axle. Flip the wheel over and repeats noting how the axle stack now fits, or doesn't.

10mm is a huge amount of off centeredness. Huge. For a wheel to be so far out of dish suggests a real failure of their QC "department". If this is so the company should get feedback and get to see the wheel (as in return for replacement).

There are other reasons why a wheel can sit so far off center when the wheel is properly dished. Any reason why one axle end won't slide up and fully seat into the dropout's slot? Like one QR spring is on backwards so the big end is overlapping the axle end? Or perhaps there's a burr or too thick paint to let the different wheel axle to fully seat?

This is one of those problems that will be hard to figure out long distance but likely simple if hands on. If you can't figure it out do you have a friend with more experience or a local shop you are good with? Andy (who would suggest Allstar Bike Shop having worked at their Falls of the Neuse location)
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Old 06-01-24 | 09:11 AM
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If a new wheel is delivered that far off, your best option is to return for refund or replacement. I'd prefer a refund because that much of an error is a solid indicator of zero quality control.

HOWEVER.

First take a moment to confirm whether it's the wheel or your fork. Easy enough to do by simply removing the wheel and remounting it, flipped left/right. If the wheel is off, it'll be off by the same amount on the other side.

If it's still off center in the same direction the wheel is fine, and your fork is off.

Last edited by FBinNY; 06-01-24 at 09:14 AM.
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Old 06-01-24 | 09:52 AM
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Ahhh, never mind. I remounted it, as I had taken it off to examine before posting here, and all is well now. I am confused on what happened but thanks for the input Andy and FBinNY.

Andy, All-Star Bike Shop has been renamed and actually moved from Quail Corners:

https://www.contebikes.com/about/ral...tion-pg656.htm

They are not the same any more. The mechanic area is so bare bones now you would not recognize it. Jeff is having fun retired as I see him riding the local Greenways all the time. His large mustache gives him away
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Old 06-01-24 | 10:37 AM
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I had heard of the sale but not much about the shop after. (I still see Jeff's Facebook postings here and there). It's sad to hear of this kind of stuff, a great shop gets sold and the new doesn't keep up the same level of service as before.

I like problems that are self fixing Andy
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Old 06-02-24 | 10:44 AM
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Originally Posted by themp
Ahhh, never mind. I remounted it, as I had taken it off to examine before posting here, and all is well now. I am confused on what happened but thanks for the input Andy and FBinNY.
FWIW mounting wheels not fully seated in dropouts is fairly common. Especially when working with the bike in a repair stand.

Best practice is to mount wheels with bike on the floor, so gravity ensures they're fully seated to the tops of the dropouts. Or, mount them on the stand, but move to floor and open and retighten QRs before any brake adjustments.
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Old 06-02-24 | 11:18 AM
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Originally Posted by themp

Started with the front wheel first and after the install the wheel is not centered on the fork. The wheel is 10mm offset to the drive side of the bicycle. Spins true and disk rotors are correct in the caliper. I guess they call this dishing after doing an internet search. Do I try to fix this with a dish tool? Let it be? Or contact Velomine about this?
I know you figured it out but I would just like to point out that before assuming the dish is off, simply flip the wheel 180 to see if the offset follows it.
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Old 06-05-24 | 01:13 PM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
FWIW mounting wheels not fully seated in dropouts is fairly common. Especially when working with the bike in a repair stand.

Best practice is to mount wheels with bike on the floor, so gravity ensures they're fully seated to the tops of the dropouts. Or, mount them on the stand, but move to floor and open and retighten QRs before any brake adjustments.
That is what I always do. I can get the wheels onto the bike in the repair stand, but I then put it on the floor and make sure that the wheel is fully seated in the dropouts. Particularly important with conventional quick release wheels and disc brakes
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Old 06-05-24 | 04:56 PM
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Originally Posted by FBinNY
FWIW mounting wheels not fully seated in dropouts is fairly common. Especially when working with the bike in a repair stand.

Best practice is to mount wheels with bike on the floor, so gravity ensures they're fully seated to the tops of the dropouts. Or, mount them on the stand, but move to floor and open and retighten QRs before any brake adjustments.
+1 and before shifting adjustments (rear wheel of course)
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