Front rotor rubbing on fork...

[Kurt]

I just got out on the road for the first time since I got new tires and I noticed that it had alot of drag, and then when I stopped it squeeked. Brakes. I thought, but no. It is the fork where the brakes connect rubbing on the brake rotor! I double checked exploded part list for the front axle and everything appears to be correct. It worked flawlessly before I took the wheel off.

Has anyone ever seen this before, or know of a way to correct it? I have already taken everything apart, and put it back together just like the book says. But it is still rubbing.

[Ken Talbot]

Ive heard of this before, but I can't put my fingers on an explanation right now. Is it the right side that is rubbing?

[DiverRay]

Kurt,
put the bike on the center stand, raise the front end, loosen the pinch bolts on the axle, loosen the axle nut. You then need to tighten the axle bolt BEFORE doing anything else! Once the axle bolt is to spec., THEN tighten the pinch bolt.
This should put everything back in alignment.

[Kurt]

Yes Ken. It is the right side.

Ray, I did it the exact way you just described (twice). It got better, but still rubs.

[Ken Talbot]

Going back to what Ray says, if you loosen the pinch bolt on the right side, what happens if you pry the right fork leg out a bit? Would this help at all? If it does, that might point to a washer or spacer in the wrong place.

[HobbyMan]

Manual procedure is a follows:
Tighten the castleated nut to proper torque specs.
Istall new cotter pin( Do not reuse old pins)
Adjust opposite fork leg in and out to center the rotor so that it is evenly spaced in the fork.
Tighten the Pinch bolt(or bolts for standard models)

Works every time.

[Kurt]

Works every time.

It didn't work this time. It is seriously about 1/4 inch off. When I push it out with a flathead it seems to be too much, and then the brake rubs worse than the fork.

Could it be that the wheel was mounted differently with the tire? These things don't have a left and right side do they?

[randy]

These things don't have a left and right side do they?

Kurt,

The rims most certainly do!

The driver's left side has the speedo drive.

[randy]

Kurt,

Do you have the spacer on the right side?

[Kurt]

Okay there is a left and right, but if all the speedo is hooked up on the left side correctly I would think that it was the right way. The guy that changed the tire double checked the rotation direction before ever removing the tire. Unless the original tire was mounted backwards.

[Kurt]

The spacers appear to be on the correct sides. The diagram in the clymers appears to be the same as how I have it.

[randy]

OK,

Driver's right side of wheel, parts go from the wheel outward:

Collar, Dust Cover, FORK LEG, Washer, Nut, Cotter

[wingnut]

Kurt, My special does the same thing. Tighten the axel nut and loosen the pinch bolt. Grab the right fork and pull it out until the rotor is centered in the fork slot. Tighten the pinch bolt. I used a set of feeler gages between the outside of the right hand rotor as a shim to get it centered. Think in my case it was about .o65. Also make sure the calapers are mounted correctly.

[Kurt]

The castle nut is on the left side with the speedo. That side looks perfect. It's the side with the pinch bolt and the nub that I'm having problems with.

The only thing I see that might be missing is the little inner spacer in-between the dust cover and the oil seal. I'll check and see if it's in there or in my trunk. I kind of hope it's not there. Would make this easier.

The innermost axle spacer can't be removed without first removing a bearing correct?

[Kurt]

WOOO HOOO!!!

Got it! The PO had used what looks like jbweld on where the fender connects to the fork, so when I loosened those bolts it was still holding the leg back.

Broke it free and pushed it to center, pinch bolted it in place and it's ready to roll!!! Just got to go buy some new cotter pins.

Thanks for all your help and suggestions.