If I place a wheel all the way into the front dropouts its out of alignment with the forks so I have to back one side up before clamping it down. Is this a normal problem for older forks or could mine be bent?

Flip the wheel around and see if it is in the same place or goes to the other side. If it is closer to the same side of the fork either way, the fork is bent. If it gets closer to the other side, the wheel dish is wrong.

Also check your axle for run out. Remove the skewer and spin the axle to see. Worn cones can make an axle wobble as well as a bent axle.

I've got the same problem with this Peugeot. It's not bent, I think it came from the factory that way. The wheel is about 3/16" off to the left, even if I turn it around. It's not a high end bike and most people would probably never notice.



One leg of the fork is a fraction longer than the other. Maybe it didn't get seated into the crown completely before brazing. A few strokes with a round file will fix it, but I hate to ruin the chrome, even though it won't show.

I tried another wheel and it did the same thing so that's not it. The bike is in excellent condition and I have the original front wheel also in good shape so I doubt its been crashed. I'll assume its the same problem as Dirtdrops and just a poorly made fork.