True F-wheel to itself or frame or ?
11-11-11, 04:51 PM
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True F-wheel to itself or frame or ?
I am truing a Front wheel and notice that it rides just off center of the forks by about 1/16th. So I'm wondering:
a. True wheel to itself?
b. True wheel to frame?
c. Try and tweak forks to center?
d. True wheel to itself and forget about such a small fraction?
e. None of the above.
a. True wheel to itself?
b. True wheel to frame?
c. Try and tweak forks to center?
d. True wheel to itself and forget about such a small fraction?
e. None of the above.
11-11-11, 04:57 PM
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Borrow or make a dish stick, true the front wheel to be centered between the axle locknuts.
After that, if it still rides off center, check the fork for straightness and fix it if you feel you need to.
After that, if it still rides off center, check the fork for straightness and fix it if you feel you need to.
11-11-11, 05:02 PM
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Try the wheel and center it in its dish. That is step one. Next, install the wheel and see if it still sits to one side. If so, the forks need to be considered.
Trying the wheel to the frame is only hiding the problem from the eye. It will not positively impact ride quality. If the forks are twisted, the bike will pull one way, or the other. Well, most of the time. I have been fooled, a time or two, but that is a story as yet unwritten.
Trying the wheel to the frame is only hiding the problem from the eye. It will not positively impact ride quality. If the forks are twisted, the bike will pull one way, or the other. Well, most of the time. I have been fooled, a time or two, but that is a story as yet unwritten.
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11-11-11, 05:03 PM
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Verify if the wheel is properly built. Any good truing stand or Park alingment tool will confirm whether the wheel is properly built.
But as a rough gauge, if you flip the wheel, and it's still 1/16" off on the SAME side, then it's the fork, not the wheel. Conversely, if you flip it and now it's off by 1/16" on the OTHER side, then it's the wheel.
If it's not the wheel, you can sometimes correct the problem by using a round metal file to remove a small amount of steel from the inside of one of the dropouts. Go slow.
If you can ride the bike no handed and it tracks straight without leaning to one side, then things are probebly acceptable in terms of alignment.
But as a rough gauge, if you flip the wheel, and it's still 1/16" off on the SAME side, then it's the fork, not the wheel. Conversely, if you flip it and now it's off by 1/16" on the OTHER side, then it's the wheel.
If it's not the wheel, you can sometimes correct the problem by using a round metal file to remove a small amount of steel from the inside of one of the dropouts. Go slow.
If you can ride the bike no handed and it tracks straight without leaning to one side, then things are probebly acceptable in terms of alignment.
Last edited by Mercian Rider; 11-11-11 at 05:10 PM.
11-11-11, 05:06 PM
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True the wheel to the axis of rotation and dish it between the lock nuts, assuming the locknut is spaced equal from each flange for a normal hub.
If the wheel appears off when in the fork, flip it and see if the misalignment flips too. If it does not, then the fork is the problem. there are tools to do this accurately, if you do not have them, then drop the fork and visit a shop versed in aligning forks. Modern shops may not know anything about this... no cold setting carbon.
If the wheel appears off when in the fork, flip it and see if the misalignment flips too. If it does not, then the fork is the problem. there are tools to do this accurately, if you do not have them, then drop the fork and visit a shop versed in aligning forks. Modern shops may not know anything about this... no cold setting carbon.
