Can I dish the wheel to fix my wheel alignment/clearance issues?

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alcatraz
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Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:19 am

by alcatraz

Check your caliper/tire clearance before you attempt to modify your dropouts. It will become marginally smaller.

gramsqueen
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Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2018 5:15 am

by gramsqueen

I’ve been thinking about this and the first worry I had was the pitch of the wheel inside the frame (angle towards the floor). I assume that if I file one dropout up and back to fix the yaw, the wheel will also pitch towards the opposite direction. To fix this I would file the opposite dropout straight up no?

The only other thing is taking so much material that the wheel starts touching the brake bridge/caliper which I will check to see how much dropout essentially that I have available to play with.

If warranty was an option that would’ve been my first choice.

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Jugi
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by Jugi

gramsqueen wrote:
Mon Aug 13, 2018 5:13 pm
I’ve been thinking about this and the first worry I had was the pitch of the wheel inside the frame (angle towards the floor). I assume that if I file one dropout up and back to fix the yaw, the wheel will also pitch towards the opposite direction. To fix this I would file the opposite dropout straight up no?
...and if the rear axle is straight in relation to the frame at the moment, moving one end of it back or forth introduces some constant steering angle to the rear wheel. Which of course has to be countered at the front steering axis.

If the frame and dropouts are straight, they are just fine and should not be modified. Fixing the rim’s alignment is then done by a slight adjustment to the wheel’s dish. If the dropouts are found to be crooked, of course those have to be aligned.

gramsqueen
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Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2018 5:15 am

by gramsqueen

Oh duh lol

Right so I’ll report back my findings from the LBS alignment check

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pdlpsher1
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by pdlpsher1

gramsqueen wrote:
Mon Aug 13, 2018 9:17 am
Wouldn’t filing the 11 o’clock just make that dropout wider and thus not fit the hub perfectly like it does now?
No. With your wheel in the dropouts, completely remove the quick release. Observe the axle's position and size relative to the dropout. The dropout is already significantly bigger than the wheel's axle. If it's a tight fit you'll never be able to get the wheel in the dropout easily. Moving the axle 0.1mm won't have any detrimental effects.

If you have watched the Lynskey video I linked earlier, you should understand that all bikes will have this dropout adjustment done at the factory, including yours. The adjustment made at the dropout ensures the rear wheel will track straight and it's centered relative to the frame. The adjustment is done the same way by every manufacturer. Your LBS may possess the knowledge on this adjustment. If so I'd just let them do it for you. While your bike is at the LBS have them also check the dropout alignment. Here's a pic of a badly aligned dropout. The dropouts should be aligned first before any modification is to be done on the dropouts.

ps some dropouts may not be adjusted after they are bonded and cured to the carbon chainstays.

Image

gramsqueen
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Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2018 5:15 am

by gramsqueen

That makes sense, there should be some play going in, but where it bottoms out there is no forward and back play for the axle. In a sense, the drop out inner face is almost dead on the same size as the axle.

My LBS just called and said everything is aligned perfectly. I will try to put on the CAAD8 derailleur hanger that I have. The CAAD8 hanger doesn’t have the inner plate which would eliminate this issue which seems more and more like a spacing issue.

Maybe I’m completely wrong, but even my aksiums will rub this frame, and they are some narrow rims with 23 tires

AJS914
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by AJS914

You might want to measure the rear drop out spacing before swapping hangers. If the LBS said everything is aligned correctly, did they have an explanation for the wheel not sitting straight in the frame?

I had a frame where it helped to pull the dropouts apart by hand a tiny bit to help the wheel pop all the way in place.

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pdlpsher1
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by pdlpsher1

To be honest I think you should move on to a different frame, one with larger clearance for bigger tires.

gramsqueen
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Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2018 5:15 am

by gramsqueen

All the really nice carbon frames seem to hug that rim tight at the chainstays now. Fwiw, even with wider carbon rims and 25c conti sprinters, the evo has 1.5-2mm of clearance on each side. ps the drop outs are aluminum
Last edited by gramsqueen on Tue Aug 14, 2018 1:43 am, edited 2 times in total.

gramsqueen
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2018 5:15 am

by gramsqueen

Great news, the drop outs were poorly filed from the factory, and in the direction that they currently have more material than needed :D

At my LBS they inserted the drop out alignment tool, and the NDS drop out took a bit of effort to put in. There must be some material at the 11 oclock position of that drop out pushing the axle towards the rear, thus causing the rim turning to the left slightly.

The mech told me to take a file to it, but I may give it a day for a framebuilding buddy to step in and file these drop outs to perfection

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pdlpsher1
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by pdlpsher1

I'm glad you got it sorted out. Yes, sometimes a frame builder will add materials depending on what's needed to align the wheels.

You really need more than 2mm for proper clearance. I can't recall the exact amount but frame builders probably aims for something like 6mm per side. The same for forks and brake bridge.

Don't be fooled into thining that a bike with race geomeetry is best for you. People think if a bike doesn't have a race geometry then it must be a slow bike. People all want to buy what the pros are riding even when they don't do much bike racing. For the majority they will be better served by a bike with touring geometry, for stability and comfort's sake. Something like a chainstays 420-425mm long will give you stability, comfort, and loads of wide tire clearance. Check out the Trek Domane. It has a smooth ride and tons of tire clearance.

alcatraz
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Joined: Mon Aug 29, 2016 11:19 am

by alcatraz

If your derailleur hanger breaks and needs to be swapped, do you need to file down the new one? That would be a bit annoying but so is the hanger breaking.

/a

gramsqueen
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed Jun 27, 2018 5:15 am

by gramsqueen

No you don’t need to file the new derailleur hanger. The hanger is an alloy piece that bolts onto the carbon drop out. But I think if anything is gonna break off the derailleur hanger on this frame, it would take the dropout along for the ride.

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