New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

For discussions about bikes and equipment.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by reohn2 »

Brucey wrote:
reohn2 wrote:... perfection is never possible and an allowance for tolerance is alway present.


you get a darned sight closer to it with a different fork design.

With different axle, brakes and dropouts this would likely take a few seconds with a file to sort out.

cheers

But this fork doesn't have a different fork/axle or brake design,so the OP,and yourself FTM,will simply have live with it if they want discs and a through axle or send it back ain the hope a replacement will be perfect :? .

Let's not forget we are discussing a -2mm alignment issue! :roll:

EDIT; BTW your file fix only works if one fork leg is longer than the other,if the fork leg splay is unequal it doesn't by your own reckoning.

PS,you'll want the last word I've no doubt but but that's me done,have a nice day :D
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by Brucey »

reohn2 wrote:
Let's not forget we are discussing a -2mm alignment issue! :roll:


a 2mm alignment error qualifies the fork for remedial work (not readily possible in this case) or the scrap bin, not a bike.

Why should you pay for and ride bikes that are badly built?

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by pwa »

Is it worth checking the non-threaded side to see if there is an easily remedied blob of paint stopping the axle seat perfectly? I've had that issue with a disc brake mounting and it took a minute to solve with a bit of sanding.
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by Brucey »

pwa wrote:Is it worth checking the non-threaded side to see if there is an easily remedied blob of paint stopping the axle seat perfectly? I've had that issue with a disc brake mounting and it took a minute to solve with a bit of sanding.


according to the OP (upthread) there is material missing from the non-threaded side, i.e. it needs building up.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by pwa »

Brucey wrote:
pwa wrote:Is it worth checking the non-threaded side to see if there is an easily remedied blob of paint stopping the axle seat perfectly? I've had that issue with a disc brake mounting and it took a minute to solve with a bit of sanding.


according to the OP (upthread) there is material missing from the non-threaded side, i.e. it needs building up.

cheers

So not fixable with a file.
GranvilleThomas
Posts: 139
Joined: 1 Apr 2015, 9:58am
Location: Caerphilly

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by GranvilleThomas »

pwa wrote:
Brucey wrote:
pwa wrote:Is it worth checking the non-threaded side to see if there is an easily remedied blob of paint stopping the axle seat perfectly? I've had that issue with a disc brake mounting and it took a minute to solve with a bit of sanding.


according to the OP (upthread) there is material missing from the non-threaded side, i.e. it needs building up.

cheers

So not fixable with a file.


Its not broke - it's 2mm it is not the space shuttle.
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by pwa »

GranvilleThomas wrote:
pwa wrote:
Brucey wrote:
according to the OP (upthread) there is material missing from the non-threaded side, i.e. it needs building up.

cheers

So not fixable with a file.


Its not broke - it's 2mm it is not the space shuttle.

I'd be asking myself "Is this an inexpensive fork, in which case 2mm is acceptable, or is it meant to be a bit special, in which case 2mm out is disappointing". It depends what you are expecting.
GranvilleThomas
Posts: 139
Joined: 1 Apr 2015, 9:58am
Location: Caerphilly

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by GranvilleThomas »

pwa wrote:
GranvilleThomas wrote:
pwa wrote:So not fixable with a file.


Its not broke - it's 2mm it is not the space shuttle.

I'd be asking myself "Is this an inexpensive fork, in which case 2mm is acceptable, or is it meant to be a bit special, in which case 2mm out is disappointing". It depends what you are expecting.


Yes I understand your point of view, but if I had just got a new bike with sort of very minor 'flaw' I would just want to ride it and not dwell on it like this.

This probably demonstrates why I am not in retail - I couldn't cope with the pedantic customers :D
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by Brucey »

I'd expect a fork to be correctable for alignment errors, not built so that any flaws can't easily be fixed.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
pwa
Posts: 17371
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by pwa »

Brucey wrote:I'd expect a fork to be correctable for alignment errors, not built so that any flaws can't easily be fixed.

cheers

The OP needs one of those magic files, Brucey, the ones that put back missing material. If it were an old fork that I had lying around, I'd be tempted to just apply a blob of some sort of expoxy to build up a tiny bit in the dropout. It probably only needs the thickness of some stiff paper to correct it.
fastpedaller
Posts: 3435
Joined: 10 Jul 2014, 1:12pm
Location: Norfolk

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by fastpedaller »

For my 2- pen'orth........ do we know if the front wheel is 2mm out? On the road it may be running perfectly in true with the rear wheel. It may not be exactly vertical (likewise the rear wheel).
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I suspect this 'situation' is within tolerance, my reasons:- 1) the measurement is between the rim and each of the fork tubes and is 2mm difference, 2) this suggests a 1mm movement towards one side. 3) the dropouts are c 100mm apart (I may be wrong, I have never seen a through axle). 4) the rim radius is c300mm. From 3&4, the 'error' at the hub is only roughly 1/3 of a mm. I don't know how tightly the through axle fits through the hole in one of the dropouts, but given that it can't be an interference fit, there has to be some tolerance on the hole diameter, its position relative to the rest of the fork etc etc.
Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by Brucey »

pwa wrote:
Brucey wrote:I'd expect a fork to be correctable for alignment errors, not built so that any flaws can't easily be fixed.

cheers

The OP needs one of those magic files, Brucey, the ones that put back missing material....


what the OP needs is to be less fussy (wouldn't be my choice), better made forks of that design, or forks (of a different design?) that can more easily be rectified if the alignment is bad.

As I mentioned upthread, a blob of weld and some dressing would fix it, but you shouldn't have to be doing that with a new fork.

cheers
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Brucey~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
User avatar
531colin
Posts: 16083
Joined: 4 Dec 2009, 6:56pm
Location: North Yorkshire

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by 531colin »

Image002 by 531colin, on Flickr

OP has probably jumped off a bridge by now......but if you are still there, don't forget that you can find out what is wrong with the fork with a piece of string....3rd post, page 1. No need to mount it in the frame.
jimneycricket
Posts: 54
Joined: 19 Feb 2020, 5:31pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by jimneycricket »

Thanks for the posts, popped off an email to the supplier to see what they think and said they would look into it but it sounds within tolerance. I can realign it by moving axle down a bit in open non threaded dropout and will look into building up the dropout with some jbweld maybe. This is literally the first time I have ever owned a bike/bike frame brand new as the first person to ride it , everything else I have is second or third hand and so I was not so sure what my expectations should be around alignment if I was being too perfectionist or if I should be trying to get it replaced.
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: New steel Fork ,wheel sits off center ,what tolerance acceptable?

Post by reohn2 »

Just ride it,after the first mile you'll forget it's even there and it certainly won't affect the handling of the bike in any way whatsoever.
-----------------------------------------------------------
"All we are not stares back at what we are"
W H Auden
Post Reply