Front Wheel Information

Fork Alignment
In the July issue of Cycle World, Paul Dean had a piece in the Tech tips column about forks.

When reinstalling a front wheel - either pros or those of the shade-tree variety - don't take one important step that can allow the front suspension to function at least as smoothly afterward as it did before.  With most front-axle attachment systems, one end of the axle threads either directly into one of the fork legs or into a threaded sleeve nut in one of the legs, while the opposite end of the axle is smooth and secured by pinch bolts that clamp it to the leg.

To ensure that the fork tubes will travel up and down smoothly in their stanchions after reassembly, first thread the axle into place and fully tighten it, along with any pinch bolts on the threaded end; then with the pinch bolts at the smooth end of the axle still loose, butt the wheel against something solid, like a wall, and repeatedly pump the front end up and down as far and fast as you can by alternately pushing and lifting on the handlebar. This automatically aligns the tubes and stanchions for the smoothest operation.

Pump the fork up and down at least a half-dozen times, and don't use the front brake when doing so or the action of the calipers may prevent the legs from centering themselves. Once you've completed this procedure, tighten the pinch bolts and the job is finished.