Like a bad penny, I‘m on here again. Please know that I try to search this site before asking anything!

After removing my rear hub motor wheel, I’ve noticed that on reassembly, the tyre fouls the non-drive chain stay, unless I back the axle that side a few mm out of the hanger and tighten things up. I’m a big bloke and worry that mid-ride the axle will shift back down firmly into the hanger, the wheel will jam against the stay and I’ll damage something or crash.

I dished the wheel when first fitting as this happened then, but the axle fitted fully into the hangers after.

I fitted wider tyres to the rim and there is very little space back there - around 2-3mm either side.

Have I twisted the frame?

Can I safely ride with the axle clamped mostly into the hanger on one side (it’s 5-6mm out)?

Is filing down the other hanger to allow the awkward side fit to fit home an option?

Any other thoughts/ideas?

As ever, thanks for the time you guys take to answer.

Turn your bike upside down and stand behind it. Look at the line of the wheel compared with the rest of the bike. Is the whole of the wheel offset to the left of centre (right when upside down)? If so, you need to add some dish to the wheel. Take a photo of it if you can.

Like a bad penny, I‘m on here again. Please know that I try to search this site before asking anything!

After removing my rear hub motor wheel, I’ve noticed that on reassembly, the tyre fouls the non-drive chain stay, unless I back the axle that side a few mm out of the hanger and tighten things up. I’m a big bloke and worry that mid-ride the axle will shift back down firmly into the hanger, the wheel will jam against the stay and I’ll damage something or crash.

I dished the wheel when first fitting as this happened then, but the axle fitted fully into the hangers after.

I fitted wider tyres to the rim and there is very little space back there - around 2-3mm either side.

Have I twisted the frame?

Can I safely ride with the axle clamped mostly into the hanger on one side (it’s 5-6mm out)?

Is filing down the other hanger to allow the awkward side fit to fit home an option?

Any other thoughts/ideas?

As ever, thanks for the time you guys take to answer.

 

Possible axle misalignment.

Possible axle misalignment.

I've never seen nor heard of that after working on electric bikes and being on this forum for 10 years. Have you seen it?

 

On the other hand, virtually every rear motor that I've installed has required some dishing to get it central.

 

Some kit suppliers lace their rims central. Those wheels will almost certainly end up off-set from centre in the frame. Others, put a fair dish in them, but they have no idea how much off-set is needed for your frame, so it's just a guess.

 

The problem becomes much worse if you have a cassette motor or fit an 8-speed freewheel to a freewheel one.

 

When I worked in the shop, I saw several conversions, where the wheel was significantly off-centre. The owners hadn't even noticed. I bet hundreds of forum members have the same, but as long as the tyre doesn't touch the frame, they're happy. The bikes were still rideable like that, so if you're happy with the handling, it's nothing to worry about unless you want to fit a wider tyre, though the handling will always be better and safer with the wheel central.

Edited February 25, 20215 yr by vfr400

Have ARW's been fitted and the tab facing the same direction ?

Have ARW's been fitted and the tab facing the same direction ?

Blimey - what’s an ARW? Just checking the bike now, will post pics...it has a 9-speed cassette...

So these are with the axle not sitting fully in the hanger - and the wheel sits perfectly within the stays but def looks offset to the rest of the bike. The wheel is dished already - not sure now much further I’d want to go and still have enough tension in the spokes on the ‘loose’ side...but is that the answer?

I wouldn't want to dish it any further than that. If it's touching the left stay, all you need to do is move the anti-rotation washer inboard of the drop-out where it's supposed to be. If that's too much, just put a normal 12mm washer on the axle inside the drop-out.

I wouldn't want to dish it any further than that. If it's touching the left stay, all you need to do is move the anti-rotation washer inboard of the drop-out where it's supposed to be. If that's too much, just put a normal 12mm washer on the axle inside the drop-out.

I’ve got them in the wrong place? But in any case I must make sure the axle is fully seated in the hangers? (I went for a ride this ago with it like this, nervous as a kitten).

I've never seen nor heard of that after working on electric bikes and being on this forum for 10 years. Have you seen it?

 

On the other hand, virtually every rear motor that I've installed has required some dishing to get it central.

 

Some kit suppliers lace their rims central. Those wheels will almost certainly end up off-set from centre in the frame. Others, put a fair dish in them, but they have no idea how much off-set is needed for your frame, so it's just a guess.

 

The problem becomes much worse if you have a cassette motor or fit an 8-speed freewheel to a freewheel one.

 

When I worked in the shop, I saw several conversions, where the wheel was significantly off-centre. The owners hadn't even noticed. I bet hundreds of forum members have the same, but as long as the tyre doesn't touch the frame, they're happy. The bikes were still rideable like that, so if you're happy with the handling, it's nothing to worry about unless you want to fit a wider tyre, though the handling will always be better and safer with the wheel central.

YES!!! in10 years 2 of my bikes https://sheldonbrown.com/forkend-alignment.html and yes my bikes were still ridable even with the misalignment ;-)

YES!!! in10 years 2 of my bikes https://sheldonbrown.com/forkend-alignment.html and yes my bikes were still ridable even with the misalignment ;-)

They're talking about fractions of a degree out of paralle when you spread the frame. That's got nothing to do with OP's problem. what was your misalignment and how did it come about?

 

I had to spread my frame so far to fit a Xiongda motor that the two arms were very noticeably not parallel, and I had to use odd numbers of washers behind the caliper adapter to put the caliper in line with the disc, but none of that had any problem putting the wheel in and tightening it up:

Exactly how mine got misaligned either getting the back wheel out or back in. Only visible once the axles were fully fitted into to dropouts and the dropouts weren't the problem -

Thankfully I worked at a bike repair shop so tool access wasn't an issue.