Wheel not centered between fork legs.

[JZ05220r]

Hey guys, on my 2005 Kdx 220 I noticed that the front wheel isn’t centered between the fork legs. The gap is about 1/8”-1/4” smaller on the caliper side. This is with the RB Kx axle mod with 2003 forks/triples. I feel like I need a longer spacer. RB said I’m the first one that’s ever had this issue with his service. Anyone have any ideas why could I be having this issue? The wheel was trued a few months ago and that got rid of most of the wobblyness but it’s still definitely off. Thanks

[SS109]

Please clarify for me, are the axle spacers not touching on one/both side with the axle nut loose, or it it just the outer rim that's not centered to the forks, or both?

[JZ05220r]

Please clarify for me, are the axle spacers not touching on one/both side with the axle nut loose, or it it just the outer rim that's not centered to the forks, or both?

When I measure from rim to fork leg on either side they are different. The RB axle only uses one spacer on the left hand side along with the trip meter on the right hand side. Thanks

[SS109]

Honestly, most people will never notice the wheel be off center by a bit. However, the faster a rider you are the more noticeable it gets. If it's just an 1/8" or less I wouldn't worry about it. My rim (KDX E to H series wheel swap) was off over a 1/4" so I decided to recenter mine. You can center it by adjusting the spokes until it is where it should be. It's a tedious and somewhat slow process but easily done by anyone with a spoke wrench.

Here's my process...

1. Make sure of the difference side to side.
2. Measure between the rim lip and the fork tubes.
3. Whatever that difference is, divide it by half.
4. That is how much you need to move the rim over to the side with the bigger gap to get the wheel centered. I like to cut a piece of cardboard to that measurement to use as a quick guide as this isn't a super precise or critical measurement.
5. Start on the tight side and loosen every spoke on that side of the hub a 1/4 turn.
9. Now, move to the other side of the wheel and tighten all those spokes exactly 1/4 turn on that side of the hub.

----Never go more than a 1/4 turn each time to keep proper tension on the spokes!----

10. After your first round of doing both sides, slide your cardboard measuring tool in between the fork tube and rim lip and see how much further you need to go.

You might get close enough with only one time around the spokes. If it's 1/16" or less leave I would leave it or you can reduce the loosening/tightening sequence to only an 1/8 turn and go through again and see where you're at.

[JZ05220r]

Honestly, most people will never notice the wheel be off center by a bit. However, the faster a rider you are the more noticeable it gets. If it's just an 1/8" or less I wouldn't worry about it. My rim (KDX E to H series wheel swap) was off over a 1/4" so I decided to recenter mine. You can center it by adjusting the spokes until it is where it should be. It's a tedious and somewhat slow process but easily done by anyone with a spoke wrench.

Here's my process...

1. Make sure of the difference side to side.
2. Measure between the rim lip and the fork tubes.
3. Whatever that difference is, divide it by half.
4. That is how much you need to move the rim over to the side with the bigger gap to get the wheel centered. I like to cut a piece of cardboard to that measurement to use as a quick guide as this isn't a super precise or critical measurement.
5. Start on the tight side and loosen every spoke on that side of the hub a 1/4 turn.
9. Now, move to the other side of the wheel and tighten all those spokes exactly 1/4 turn on that side of the hub.

----Never go more than a 1/4 turn each time to keep proper tension on the spokes!----

10. After your first round of doing both sides, slide your cardboard measuring tool in between the fork tube and rim lip and see how much further you need to go.

You might get close enough with only one time around the spokes. If it's 1/16" or less leave I would leave it or you can reduce the loosening/tightening sequence to only an 1/8 turn and go through again and see where you're at.

I can’t thank you enough for the time you put into that response. I may give that a shot. If not I will shim the spacer to get it where it needs to be. Thank you!

[KDXGarage]

I would just keep the wheel dished to the center. Look up the parts diagrams to see if you are missing a washer or something.

[SS109]

Your welcome!

[ericr]

I have 2 KDX's with KX forks. One with the RB axle mod and one with a KX hub. When I was building the bikes, I noticed the offset too and made the following post;

"...The RBD axle mod is great if you have an existing front wheel ready to use and you want to retain the stock odometer. It's plug-and-play. If you're rebuilding the wheel with a new rim, then it's a wash except for the price of the spokes. So, what's the difference? The KX front hub is centered between the forks. The RBD axle mod assures that the KDX caliper and rotor remain in alignment. It's done by shifting the hub to the left by about 3/4 inch. This doesn't affect anything in a straight line but when the bike is leaned over, in a left or right turn, the front wheel is describing either a smaller or larger radius than the rear wheel. This could mean that the front tire will dive-in on left turns and wash-out or push on right turns. You can't tune this out with damping adjustments. Maybe 3/4" isn't enough to make a difference. Those of you with this axle mod - have you noticed any difference in turning from left to right?"

I'm not fast enough to notice the difference. Maybe you will, or not.

[SS109]

Good summary there, Eric. That's exactly what I noticed when going from the H series front wheel to the '96 KX125 wheel I set up for my old E series bike. It was offset on the front. I didn't think it would make much of a difference but felt the bike should be handling better than it was so I decided to center it to see if it made any real difference. It definitely made things better. After moving the rim over (via adjusting spokes) my bike tracked better through the rough, fast stuff and cornering felt more balanced from left to right. Personally, I feel getting the wheel centered is 100% worth it.

[JZ05220r]

I have 2 KDX's with KX forks. One with the RB axle mod and one with a KX hub. When I was building the bikes, I noticed the offset too and made the following post;

"...The RBD axle mod is great if you have an existing front wheel ready to use and you want to retain the stock odometer. It's plug-and-play. If you're rebuilding the wheel with a new rim, then it's a wash except for the price of the spokes. So, what's the difference? The KX front hub is centered between the forks. The RBD axle mod assures that the KDX caliper and rotor remain in alignment. It's done by shifting the hub to the left by about 3/4 inch. This doesn't affect anything in a straight line but when the bike is leaned over, in a left or right turn, the front wheel is describing either a smaller or larger radius than the rear wheel. This could mean that the front tire will dive-in on left turns and wash-out or push on right turns. You can't tune this out with damping adjustments. Maybe 3/4" isn't enough to make a difference. Those of you with this axle mod - have you noticed any difference in turning from left to right?"

I'm not fast enough to notice the difference. Maybe you will, or not.

To be honest I think I did notice a difference between right and left turns. Not saying I’m that fast of a rider but I swear it turned alittle different one way to the other. So if I did correct the wheel centering and made it perfect the brake caliper will be misaligned thus pulling on the rotor? Maybe the kx front wheel is the best fix. Thank you.

[SS109]

So if I did correct the wheel centering and made it perfect the brake caliper will be misaligned thus pulling on the rotor?

If you moved the entire wheel, possibly. That's why I suggested only moving the rim and leaving the hub in the proper position for good brake alignment.

That said, the KX wheel might be a straight bolt-on that fixes the issue but you won't know until you throw it on there and measure it.

[KDXGarage]

Wow, I had no clue it was scooted over like that, dish away!