Front wheel alignment problems

declan1

Hello everyone,

I've had a problem for a very long time with the front wheel of my mountain bike - it is tilting to the left hand side, or to explain it better, the top of the wheel (viewed from a riding position) is to the left of the bottom of the wheel.

I had this problem on my previous bike and assumed it was either the wheel or the fork, but I now have a new fork and wheel so maybe I'm just very unlucky.

Anyway, I have OCD (not the general internet-associated OCD, the real condition) and I have to have the front wheel and stem lined up absolutely perfect otherwise it makes me want to throw my bike into a bush during a ride. If I line up the stem with the wheel (wheel at about 45 degrees from forward, line front and rear of stem up with the tyre) the wheel feels (and looks) when riding to be pointing to the right. I have to make a compromise of lining up the stem slightly squint so the wheel tracks straighter while riding.

I can't ride no-handed very easily either as I have to lean to the left a considerable amount to balance the bike.

Sorry about the long story here but I can't stand it for much longer - any help would be greatly appreciated!

rockmonkeysc

Do you have the axle tight up in the top of the drop out slot (assuming it's QR)?

The Northern Monkey

Sounds like it needs truing.

declan1

Yup, the wheel is up against both dropouts - when I tighten the QR it tilts to the side slightly.

Are you saying that maybe it needs re-dishing?

The Rookie

If it moves when tightening the QR then the is your problem, it shouldn't, if it moves it is no longer where it should be.

declan1

The Rookie wrote:

If it moves when tightening the QR then the is your problem, it shouldn't, if it moves it is no longer where it should be.

Is there any reason why that would happen?

kajjal

What I do is put the front wheel in and apply a little pressure on the bars /stem in the middle while doing the QR up. This helps line things up.

The Rookie

Usually damage to the dropout so as the QR tightens it pulls into a recess, you have to inspect all parts carefully, easy option is to try a different QR.

declan1

The Rookie wrote:

Usually damage to the dropout so as the QR tightens it pulls into a recess, you have to inspect all parts carefully, easy option is to try a different QR.

That could be an issue but it's been doing it since I bought the fork (new). I've already purchased some XT skewers but the problem persists.

cobba

Fiip the wheel around 180 degrees so the current left side is on the right side.

It's a dropout problem if when you do this the wheel still leans to same side.

It's a wheel problem if when you do this the wheel leans to the opposite side.

The Rookie

Forks can be faulty from new....watch the side that drops very closely and try and figure what's causing it, also try leaning down on the bars when doing up the QR to Ray and hold the wheel up into the dropouts.

wilberforce

Have you got the springs on the QR the right way round?

declan1

Wilberforce wrote:

Have you got the springs on the QR the right way round?

Yup.

I'm confused as to why the same thing happened with my previous forks/wheel!

The Rookie

Poor technique, applying a sideways force while doing up the QR.

botch

I know what you mean. I had a similar problem, it was slightly out and then pulled more to the side when the front brake was applied hard. Switched the wheel out for another (which was fine in it's normal bike) and the same thing. So it must have been the forks? I ended up using some car body filler in one of the dropouts which was then filled then smooth/rounded and this made things a lot better.

However, I recently upgraded the forks and I've still get the same issue but only really noticeable under heavy braking. I'm now playing about with the wheel/spokes. Although true, a lot of the spokes weren't particularly tight and I have a feeling this was allowing the wheel to flex. So, I'm currently messing about with the spokes, tightening them up but keeping the wheel true. (Or rather at the moment tightening them all up evenly and ending up with a wheel that's very not true.)

declan1

botch wrote:

I know what you mean. I had a similar problem, it was slightly out and then pulled more to the side when the front brake was applied hard. Switched the wheel out for another (which was fine in it's normal bike) and the same thing. So it must have been the forks? I ended up using some car body filler in one of the dropouts which was then filled then smooth/rounded and this made things a lot better.

However, I recently upgraded the forks and I've still get the same issue but only really noticeable under heavy braking. I'm now playing about with the wheel/spokes. Although true, a lot of the spokes weren't particularly tight and I have a feeling this was allowing the wheel to flex. So, I'm currently messing about with the spokes, tightening them up but keeping the wheel true. (Or rather at the moment tightening them all up evenly and ending up with a wheel that's very not true.)

I'm considering doing something with the dropouts as I'm sure they're the problem. If only I knew for sure though...

nicklouse

Have you flipped the wheel round yet?

Don't do anything to the drop outs.

declan1

nicklouse wrote:

Have you flipped the wheel round yet?

Don't do anything to the drop outs.

Yep, I've flipped the wheel but no difference. It's actually central in the fork, so perhaps the fork is the problem?

cobba

What's the fork?

There has been some Rockshox forks in the past that had manufacturing problems with the casting of the lowers, the dropouts on them weren't even and a wheel on these forks would always lean to one side.
Rockshox replaced a lot of lowers under warranty but some people found an easy way to fix this problem by getting a round file and filing out a small amount of the dropout on the side that the wheel leaned to.

http://forums.mtbr.com/shocks-suspension/rs-recon-lower-leg-defect-639241.html

http://faqload.com/faqs/bicycle-components/suspension/rockshox-sid-wheel-not-sitting-straight

declan1

cobba wrote:

What's the fork?

There has been some Rockshox forks in the past that had manufacturing problems with the casting of the lowers, the dropouts on them weren't even and a wheel on these forks would always lean to one side.
Rockshox replaced a lot of lowers under warranty but some people found an easy way to fix this problem by getting a round file and filing out a small amount of the dropout on the side that the wheel leaned to.

http://forums.mtbr.com/shocks-suspension/rs-recon-lower-leg-defect-639241.html

http://faqload.com/faqs/bicycle-components/suspension/rockshox-sid-wheel-not-sitting-straight

It's an XC32, so not a quality fork by any means! It might have a manufacturing defect but I'm worried that if it doesn't I might ruin it!

The Rookie

The dropout problem meant the wheel could never sit square, you are saying (I think) that it sits square until you do up the QR.

If the movement is the same with the wheel flipped, then it sounds like a fork issue anyway.

Try fitting the wheel with the bike upside down so you can get a better look at what may be pushing it out of line as you do up the QR.

declan1

Sorry to bring this thread back, but I've narrowed down the problem (which has somehow changed).

I purchased a pair of Rebas recently, and hoped that my problem would be solved, however it is still there. The wheel is now central in the forks, however the feeling of it being out of line is due to the fact that it is 'turning' to the right.

If the forks are facing forwards, the wheel is facing about 5 degrees right - so if the bike was rolling with the forks facing forwards, it would turn to the right.

I checked the forks were straight by measuring various parts to a wall and checking the difference between the top of the stantions and the dropouts.

I also flipped the wheel, and it turns the same amount to the left, in addition to being off-centre in the forks (at the top, it is tilted to one side).

This is driving me mad now!

Antm81

Sounds like the wheel then. Have you tried a diff end wheel since fitting the rebas? What hub/wheels you using?

nicklouse

So still no pictures to see what you are seeing.

What you are saying can not happen.

declan1

nicklouse wrote:

So still no pictures to see what you are seeing.

What you are saying can not happen.

Unfortunately a photo can't show the problem. It's not a big misalignment but it definitely 'feels' out of line - my OCD really doesn't help either, as anything that isn't confirmed as being perfectly straight feels much worse than it is.

I'm going to try and give a few examples of methods I've tried to align it:

Look at stem from above, align middle of tyre to front and back (middle) of stem - this is with the bars turned to the left/right so I can see the rear of the wheel.

Align the back of the wheel with the frame (from above) so equal amounts of tyre are on either side, and then align stem to the top tube.

Plus many other ways of attempting to gain perfect alignment.

Also, I tried three different wheels all with the same problem!!!

As you might imagine there was a lot of throwing things around involved...

cooldad

If you've tried three different wheels, and two different forks, perhaps your eyes are skew?

declan1

cooldad wrote:

If you've tried three different wheels, and two different forks, perhaps your eyes are skew?

I'm beginning to think that - I've also tried two different frames, three stems and two bars.

:evil:

benpinnick

If its central in the forks it's likely in your mind only. Bear in mind when you look at things you don't see them straight, you see a blend of two off centre images, with one more dominant than the other. So it's easy to believe that something is off when it's not... Even more so if you're ocd!

declan1

benpinnick wrote:

If its central in the forks it's likely in your mind only. Bear in mind when you look at things you don't see them straight, you see a blend of two off centre images, with one more dominant than the other. So it's easy to believe that something is off when it's not... Even more so if you're ocd!

Yup, I'm trying to convince myself now that it's my OCD - it's very hard to explain, but it [OCD] 'tells' me that something isn't straight unless I've accurately aligned it with a sure-fire method. I think that's the case here, so I'm just going to have to put up with it!

The Rookie

Ride the bike, if it kills you the OCD was right, if you survive it wasn't, simple!