Wheel dish prob.?

[yenrod]

Upon fixing a punc. prior to riding y.day I noticed when putting the wheel in the frame (vertical dropouts) that the wheel was more to the left than in the middle (when seated correctly): from a general pointofview is this likely to be the dish or could the frame be bent taking into account I HAVE NOT crashed the frame or put some heavy pressure / climbs etc..on it !

Or could the spokes have 'loosened' even though they feel tight

 

[andygates]

Flip the wheel around. If it's still to the left, the frame is wonky. If it's now to the right, the wheel is over-dished away from the drive side.

** unless you've got a wacky setup like the Orbit tourers with asymmetric rear ends and dishless wheels **

 

[robbarker]

This could be one of four things:

Wheels not fitted correctly (most likely - check again - axles not locknuts against the dropouts)

Wheel out of dish (unlikely if it's still true)

Frame bent

Spacers between cones and locknuts installed wrongly on the axle (has the hub been stripped down for maintenance recently?)

Eliminate them one at a time - refit the wheel and flip as above, check the wheel with a dishing tool, or fit a known good wheel and see if you have the same problem, get the frame alignment checked and check that the hub axle cones/spacers/locknuts are installed properly by studying manufacturers exploded diagram.

 

[yenrod]

I know I have not serviced the hub and refitted the spacers wrong so thats out.

I will install wheel the other way - great idea...

I feel its got to be this as I just cannot believe the frames bent; no crashes, big forces...

Will get back to you'...

Thanks

 

[robbarker]

The reason I don't think it will be wheel dish is that non-drive spokes on a rear wheel are much looser than drive-side ones. Even on a wheel built with the drive side spokes at the maximum permitted by the rim or spoke manufacturer, the non-drive side will be only just tight enough to hold their tension reliably.

Most rear wheels aren't built this well and can lose tension of the non drive side (the left hand side) with use. This would cause the rim to be pulled further to the right, the opposite to what you seem to be experienceing. You would also expect to see the odd broken spoke and the lateral trueness of the wheel being affected.

 

[yenrod]

SO I put the wheel in the other way round = the rim rubbed on the right brake-block but was in the middle (between the chainstays)..

 

[robbarker]

The wheel probably wasn't mounted properly then - try it again. Cente your brakes too so they don't pull the wheel to one side when you apply them. (Get the calliper mounted squarely and then use the little adjustment screw for fine adjustments if your brakes have one).

If you really can eliminate that get the frame alignment checked.

 

[Danny]

** unless you've got a wacky setup like the Orbit tourers with asymmetric rear ends and dishless wheels **

Does this apply to all Orbit tourers? I have a venerable Orbit Gold Medal but have never noticed the rear end being asymmetric (though am not sure if I would know how to spot it if it is).

 

[yenrod]

I should be taking it up to where I bought it from soon so I gonna see what they say...!

Thanks all anyhow !!

 

[robbarker]

Best of luck sorting it out!

 

[andygates]

Does this apply to all Orbit tourers? I have a venerable Orbit Gold Medal but have never noticed the rear end being asymmetric (though am not sure if I would know how to spot it if it is).

No, not all. Harriers from early 2000s for sure, and some others. You'd spot it because looking from behind, it looks like the frame's been, er, bent in a crash

 

[heretic]

Quick way to check the frame:-
Run a piece of thin garden twine from the offside dropout up to the headtube, then back to the nearside dropout. Pull it tight & tie off. Then take a steel tape & measure from string to side of seat tube on both sides. Don't panic if it's up to 3mm out - most off the peg frames are, though I'd expect a made to measure special to be spot on.

 

[yenrod]

RIGHT: this is what the prob? was...

The GEAR side spokes had lossened off...

They where tightened up - et voila !

Thanks for the discussion.

On a seperate note: i got TOTALLY soaked going and coming form the shop...