Front axle binding when tightened

[justinc1081]

finally got the bike moved to the garage tonight, was going to take for a spin but it started to rain. In moving the bike noticed it was hard as hell to push either front or backwards, figured sticky brakes

Got the front wheel off the ground and it's really hard to spin by hand
Loosened the castle nut and spins free

Having riding fever here, is there a way to install the axle and have that spacer in between the bearings not be on the axle? The spacer was free floating in the rim and when I mounted wheel to bike the axle seemed easy enough to put in. Just curious if I need to double check the spacer got attached to axle or if a bearing is binding up.

Figured out from other posts about the specials alignment with the non speedo side fork, that was fun

[mikubuilder]

Not sure if Specials are the same, but you should loosen up your pinch bolts, then tighten Castle nut, then center rotor by moving fork leg in or out...finally tighten pinch nuts/bolts...

[fredintoon]

- - - is there a way to install the axle and have that spacer in between the bearings not be on the axle? The spacer was free floating in the rim and when I mounted wheel to bike the axle seemed easy enough to put in. Just curious if I need to double check the spacer got attached to axle or if a bearing is binding up.

Hi justin,
when in doubt, check it out.
The spacer tube between the bearings should have a disc pressed onto it's outside to keep it central enough that the axle has to go through it on assembly.
Just perhaps a dreaded PO omitted that spacer disc?
Try reassembling with a short wooden dowel shoved in there to keep the spacer tube centered as the axle gets reinserted.
The dowel will push out as the axle goes in.

[DiverRay]

+1 on the loosen, then redo.
Specials take some care to get the brakes and all correct.
The hole in the axle is to put in a screw driver to keep it from turning as you tighten the nut. AFTER that, you line up the rotors and then tighten the pinch bolt.

[justinc1081]

Gonna check it out when i get home tonight, i do remember there was no extra disc on the end of the spacer inside the rim. Have a suspicion it fell a little too low for the axle to have gone through it.

Got the alignment issue fixed last night, and yes the specials are "special" in the fact you have to loosen the pinch nut and move the fork to get the rotor aligned.

It's raining again today so looks like no test rides anyway, hopefully will get this sorted out.

Thanks for suggestions!

[justinc1081]

Ok, got front wheel back off and there is no possible way that spacer could go in the wrong spot, it must have that disc on the end.

Spins free when nut is loose or i just stick the axle in it but as soon as pressure is applied it jams up...

Im gonna go through the book again and just make sure everything got put back together right..

[DiverRay]

Check the drive for the speedo! If it's off the "tangs" are not in the drive unit, they could cause the problem. You will also need to have the rotors centered in the calipers on both sides before you can check things. I would "loosen up" the calipers before trying again, and see if they are causing the problem.

[justinc1081]

sounds like a plan, going to yank calipers completely just to be sure, and i have a second speedo unit in case this one is causing issues.
Will double check to line up those tangs when re-assembling

[justinc1081]

Calipers removed
Definately something in wheel binding

Took a close look at the components, off the bat the speedo Tang unit
341-25149-00-00 part number

Is warped and does not stay in one spot, thinking this little booger is causing the binding, i did swap speedo unit's with my spare one and had same trouble, before i got castle nut much past finger tight it was already starting to bind.