# Front wheel not centered in fork



## Greenduck (Apr 19, 2011)

Hi

(This has also been posted at WW)

Earlier today I disassembled my headset and took out the fork to clean and re-lube the headset. When I reassembled everything again I noticed my front wheel is not 100% centered in the fork. Looking from the front the rim is closer to the left leg of the fork. Not much, maybe 2mm.

I tried to flip the wheel but it still sits off center towards the left side. The wheel looks to be true when spinning as the distance to the brake pads are the same when spinning. I also made sure the wheel sits properly in the dropouts and that the headset is properly assembled. The wheels are Mavic Cosmic Carbone SL. I don't have another wheelset to test.

It has probably been like this since I got the bike and I've never noticed this before and neither have I noticed it on the road when riding.

Is it an issue I should persue with a solution or should I just let it be when it doesn't affect the riding/handling?

Regards, Jakob


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## dougrocky123 (Apr 12, 2006)

Its not trueness but dish that would cause it to be off centered. By flipping the wheel you checked that. If its been ok I wouldn't worry or else if its under warranty see if your LBS can help you. I would also find a riding buddy and try their front wheel first.


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## Greenduck (Apr 19, 2011)

I've never noticed any of this issue when riding. I just noticed it visually today. I have a friend I'm riding with so I will borrow her Zipp 404 front wheel to see if it's the same "issue".

Thanks for the reply, appreciate it.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Prediction*



Greenduck said:


> I've never noticed any of this issue when riding. I just noticed it visually today. I have a friend I'm riding with so I will borrow her Zipp 404 front wheel to see if it's the same "issue".


Unless you are somehow flubbing your wheel installation, then putting in a different wheel will not make any difference. You've already shown that your rim is properly centered between the hub flanges (the wheel is not dished, just as it is supposed to be) when you flipped the wheel and things didn't change. If your bike does not pull to one side when riding no-handed then the asymmetry may be meaningless. If it does pull to one side and the bike is relatively new, then I would pursue it as a warranty issue. If the bike is out of warranty and you've never had any problems from this, then it's probably time to just live with it.


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## RoadBoy1 (Oct 1, 2011)

The thing that everyone is missing here is that is has nothing to do with your wheel at all, it has to do with poor build quality of the front fork. Most bikes these days are assembled by robots and automated welders and "close enough is good enough" has become the standard.

What has happened is that the dropout face that contacts the axle of your front wheel is longer on one side than the other and this is what is causing your wheel to tilt when you put it on the bike. It could be a case of one fork leg being longer than the other or the actual dropout being larger but this is what is causing your problem and it is common place on entry to mid level bikes.

You can file the inner part of the longer dropout to ensure that your wheel is centered in the fork or you can center it yourself when you put the front wheel on and clamp the quick release and in most cases, especially with a road bike it will hold. It simply is not economical for any bike manufacturer to measure the front fork to insure that the wheel actually centers so if it is an issue it is up to the owner to fix it. Good luck.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

RoadBoy1, you can't tell for sure whether it's the dropout slot/leg length which is causing the offset wheel.

The legs themselves could be offset to one side around the steering axis.

Park makes a tool for shops to check fork alignment. If a local shop uses such a tool, they can confirm whether it's leg alignment about the steering axis or a dropout fault. If the dropout was not in the correct position then yes; you could file the slot until the wheel is aligned, but be sure the wheel used as a reference is checked with a dishing gauge, first.


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## Greenduck (Apr 19, 2011)

Thanks for all the replies. I'm really good friends with my LBS so I will take a bike ride and visit them. The they can check the fork/dropouts. 



Kerry Irons said:


> If your bike does not pull to one side when riding no-handed then the asymmetry may be meaningless.


I never ride no-handed. So I don't have any knowledge whether my bike pull to one side before I noticed the offset. But I can give it a shot and see if it does.


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