Isaacchencool

My fork ends are too big for my hub axle, which causes the front wheel to not be centered. Its a stock bike, so i did not change the fork or the wheels. What should I do?

FBinNY 

More details would help.

Most slotted forks these days are designed around 9mm Quick releases. In the past, solid axles on lower end bikes were only 8mm, and the forks matched, making it impossible to switch to QR. But over the last decades there was standardization on 9mm front axles, QR or not.

So, please give some specifics, and thrn we can give you intelligent advice on possible solutions.

Isaacchencool

i think i have a 8mm axle in a suntour XCT 26" with 9mm fork

Isaacchencool

I have a 8mm axle in a 9mm fork, what should I do

CliffordK

Typically one installs the wheels with the wheel on the ground and the bike & weight on it, and tight or loose, it isn't a problem as long as the quick release is tightened down properly.

Make sure you tighten the QR, then flip the lever to lock it.

LesterOfPuppets

There was a 5/16" axle size that pretty much died out in the 1970s, although it is still found on some kids bikes with 12" wheels.

With skewer loose, jiggle the wheel a bit to try to get it to settle in to the dropouts. Then press down on the bars to try to keep the axle up in the dropouts as you tighten skewer.

If that doesn't work, my guess is that the fork's lowers and/or dropouts just weren't manufactured correctly. If so I'd just do a little rat tail filing to the top of the dropout that's too low.

Are all parts on this bike stock? What make/model/year is the bike?

FBinNY 

First test it by installing the wheel with the bike vertical on the ground and seeing where it all settles by gravity. This is the bet way to install wheels, because it gives the most consistent wheel placement at the tops of the fork slots.

Unless the slots are mishappen, the bike should settle with the wheel centered at the top of both slots.

If this doesn't work, either the axle is bent, the wheel itself is off center,or the fork needs a bit of tweaking.

So, do some diagnostics.

One, to make sure it's not the axle, remove the wheel and looking carefully, rotate the axle, and see if it wobbles.

Next install the wheel, one way, note the position, then flip it and see if it moves to the other side (it shouldn't).

If the wheel passes both tests, then it's the fork, and the simple solution is to use a rat tail file to carefully raise the slot on one side to move the top of the wheel in the opposite direction.

maddog34

is your wheel's axle held onto the fork by nuts, or a quick release?

if it is a quick release, it's a 9mm axle, which actually measures about 8.8 mm...

do the dropouts on the fork look heavily worn, by chance?

and the axle, if it uses nuts to hold it to the fork, may be a 5/16" axle... .3125... actual measurement of about .305" or less...

is it a steel hub, or aluminum?

sorry for all the questions we ask... can't see through the internet, without pics.