shawnin van

put a brand new wheel on that is perfectly straight... when it sits in the frame it is way crooked and not evenly in middle of frame at all... am i missing something here???
its a rear wheel on 24" with quick release clamp.. springs are on outside.. does it matter what side of frame clamp is on? i just drop wheel in frame and put springs on and clamp... but not straight..
help... photos here...

Crankycrank

Clamp will work on both sides of the frame but non-drive side is what is considered the correct side. Make sure your QR springs have the narrow end against the dropout or they can get caught in the dropout slot and foul up your wheel angle. Also, do the wheel axle locknuts have the same outer width as the old one? One might be 130mm and the other 135mm as an example.

shawnin van

can the axle be adjusted it its to far to one side??? what is causing wheel to go on an angle.... ??

shawnin van

also the hubs where very close to same.. the wheel fits right into the frame smoothly,,, but just on a bad angle.. there is not much to adjust,, thats why im stumped... im usually pretty good at these things...

smd4

The conical springs should have the “pointy” ends facing each other.

It may be new, but was it dished correctly?

The axle can be adjusted, but that won’t affect the centering.

shawnin van

when i say new i mean new used.... its a used wheel... but spins ok.. way better then old one and quick release speak goes through ok so axle not bent... could it be the spokes? front wheel is perfect.. should i take it out and drop in rear and see if its centered??

smd4

Try reversing the wheel in the dropouts. Flip it. If it’s off center the other way, then it will need to be dished properly.

And fyi, you don’t need to remove the QR and springs every time you remove the wheel.

shawnin van

ok.. good idea.... will try flipping it.... what does dished mean?

smd4

because the cogs take up so much room, the rim isn’t centered over the visible part of the hub. The rim should be closer to the hub flange near the cogs—the spokes are shorter on the drive side, longer on the left side, making the wheel look like a dish. Google “wheel dish” images and you’ll see what I mean.

FBinNY 

Assuming the OP has at least minimum skill, I'll take at face value that this is a true, dished wheel, and there's no problem with how it's mounted.

That leaves two likely issues, either the axle is bent, or the rear triangle is. the first is easy enough to check by mounting the wheel with the bike on the floor, and the QR open or removed. Then use something to turn the axle slowly and see of the wheel position changes.

the frame is harder to check completely, but can be done with basic household tools, including a standard bubble level (of level app in cell phone)l

remove the tire, mount and tighten the wheel, and lay the fame on the floor Use whatever's handy and some patience to shim the head, seat lug, BB, and rear triangle so the seat and downtubes are level as confirmed by bubble level. Now check the rim at 12 and 3 O'clock. It should be level too. Check and confirm to be sure your work is ON and you have your answer.

(For those who lack imagination, I use things like books and/or cans as rough shims, and finish with stacked sheets of paper , allowing me to work to a precision of 0.001")

shawnin van

what about putting the front wheel on the back and see if its centered???? the front one is perfect....
is it normally easy to swap wheels? i changed the cassette and the rotor.. that was about it.. all seems the same....

FBinNY 

Except that front wheel axle width is typically 20-30mm less than rear.

But, eliminating the wheel is as as simple as mounting it backward. If the wheel is off, it will now be off in the opposite direction.

Bill Kapaun

On "some" bikes, you don't put the axle all the way seated in both DO's.
One side does and the other is set to line up the wheel properly between the stays.

Also, make sure it's not a tire bulge from a poorly seated or defective tire?

And use MS Paint or something and crop out all that white space. It makes it a lot more tedious to view.

shawnin van

lol.... the axle sits on both sides.... there is no way to adjust where the axle sits.. cant flip wheel around as rotor wont fit where derailer is... so cant do that,,,
something is weird here.. axle is straight as i can spin wheel in my hand and it spins fine.... frame seems fine its as solid as a rock,, its a kona dirt jumper bike... maybe spokes are messed u.P??

FBinNY 

BEFORE going any farther, you need to confirm that the wheel is true and dished correctly. This is PARAMOUNT, and not doing so let's something simple and repairable pretent to be something lese altogether.

The east way forward is probably to remove the rotor, so you can try the "reverse wheel method". OR, you can make a DIY wishing gauge out of 3 identical cans or glasses. Arrange them on a table to support the wheel (tire off) on the 3 laid out in a circle on a table. Then stack up coins or whatever you have until they just reach the axle face. Flip the wheel and the opposite axle face should be the same height (per the coins).

Not checking the dish is like measuring kitchen cabinets with a stick you found in the yard, ie. a meaningless waste of time and effort, both yours and those of here trying to help.

tFUnK

Could the rear dropouts be worn/damaged to cause the wheel to not sit in the proper position? Easiest way is to flip the rear wheel (remove the rotor if you have to). That would tell you if it's the wheel or the frame. If it's the frame, then it could be the rear triangle is off or the dropouts are worn or damaged.

Rolla

You won't be able to eyeball a frame that's out of alignment.

https://bikehow.com/how-to-dish-a-wheel-1647244579/

smd4

I’m not sure you could have linked to a more incoherent article. “On front wheels with flange brake, both the leave and correctly hub flanges are set at an adequate distance from the middle of the hub.”

smd4

I can’t imagine a scenario where that could happen.

shawnin van

OK took the rotor off and now it sits way to the other side.... so i can now assume the wheel is not true??? is this correct????

FBinNY 

Yes,. If everything is now mirrored. The problem is the wheel not being centered (dished) correctly on the axle.

smd4

It may still be “true,” i.e., straight, but it is not dished. You need to have a good understanding of this concept to know what your problem is.

shawnin van

ok... how do i get the dishing fixed???

smd4

Bike shop.

shawnin van

cant be done at home?