biffco Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Should there be a spacer on both sides of the front wheel? I have just undone the clamp bolts for the spindle and the shocks sprung away from each other.. Are they bent or am I missing a spacer? Pictures of the full set up would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 The MK1 had spacers both sides, the MK2 onwards had one spacer only on the opposite side to the brake (it formed part of the speedo drive) The MK1 forks have flat bottoms with one 8mm pinch bolt per side, so easy to identify Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffco Posted May 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 My forks have 2 M6 clamp bolts on each shock, so are mk2. I have one spacer on the right (the opposite side to the brake). I'll have to have another look. Is it possible the shock is bent? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted May 11, 2015 Report Share Posted May 11, 2015 Hard to see how the spindle is pulling the forks in as the left hand leg 'floats' on the spindle. The larger diameter section of the spindle clamps against the spacer which in turn clamps against the bearing when the spindle is tightened. It shouldn't pull the left fork leg in as the spindle should pass right through the leg. If the spacer is too short it will just pull the spindle further through the leg until it meets the spacer. Is it the correct spindle which should look like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ossa-Plonker-250-FRONT-WHEEL-AXLE-PIVOT-BOLT-OEM-/400831268520?hash=item5d5367c6a8&vxp=mtr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffco Posted May 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 My spindle does look like this (other that the end is broken off where the hole is) Your right in that it isn't the spindle that pulls the shocks together. I miss stated what happened when I first removed the spindle. I first loosened off the clamp bolts and the shocks then 'sprung' apart. So the last person to build them must of pulled them together before tightening the clamp bolts? I wonder if I have a mk1 wheel on a mk2 bike and without the 2nd spacer? Could someone please measure the inside distance between their shocks where the wheel and spacers should be. How can I tell the difference between a mk1 and mk2 wheel? All help and advice is truly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffco Posted May 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 My spindle does look like this (other that the end is broken off where the hole is) Your right in that it isn't the spindle that pulls the shocks together. I miss stated what happened when I first removed the spindle. I first loosened off the clamp bolts and the shocks then 'sprung' apart. So the last person to build them must of pulled them together before tightening the clamp bolts? I wonder if I have a mk1 wheel on a mk2 bike and without the 2nd spacer? Could someone please measure the inside distance between their shocks where the wheel and spacers should be. How can I tell the difference between a mk1 and mk2 wheel? All help and advice is truly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 MK1 and MK2 wheels are the same externally so either can be used. Only difference is inside the hub, the MK1 has narrower brake shoes The difference is in the forks. The MK2 fork fits up against the brake plate whereas the MK1 doesn't which is why it has the spacer on that side as well. I won't be able to measure anything until the weekend but if you refit the wheel with the spacer, push the spindle fully home and pump the forks, you'll see if they are in line or not. If they move up and down freely it could be as simple as someone just manually pushing the left side fork leg inwards and clamping it there for some reason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
biffco Posted May 12, 2015 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 One last thought, after reviewing Ossa images on Google. Many have speedos and mine doesn't could this be my problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bisby Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I don't have a speedo on my gripper but I do have a spacer the same width as the speedo drive, I made it from a bit of old alloy handlebar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted May 12, 2015 Report Share Posted May 12, 2015 I forgot one of the bikes is accessible so measured the spacer which is 20mm. Spindle length is hard to get whilst in the bike but roughly 23 - 24cm However, as mentioned before the spacer length won't cause your problem. If it's too long the fork leg will be pushed out, not in. Too short and the spindle will just sit further in with more thread showing the other end, the leg will be unaffected and remain in its position. As Steve said above, the missing speedo drive isn't an issue, it is replaced with a spacer Are you sure the spindle isn't picking up inside the leg and pushing it inwards? Take the wheel out and make sure the spindle pushes smoothly and cleanly right though the left side leg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
longlegscanbeuseful Posted May 13, 2015 Report Share Posted May 13, 2015 The spacer thickness is not that critical, the brake plate should be tight against the fork. (Originally the RHS fork, but some people swap them to improve the brake cable routing. You can tell by the fork oil drain bolts, they should be at the rear of the fork.) The other side of the wheel is held tight by the step in the spindle, the fork does not have to be tight against the spacer and can float on the spindle until clamped. I suspect the previous owner fell into that trap. The fork is clamped onto the spindle by the pinch bolts at the bottom, its position is governed by the distance between the forks which are hopefully nice and parallel. It's best to refit the wheel and tighten everything except the pinch bolts on the non brake side, then put the bike back onto the floor and compress the forks. This should help align the fork legs. If you want to do it on the lifter then remove the fork springs and lift the wheel/forks to check for any restriction in movement. Bent mudguard stays can act like springs pushing or pulling between the fork legs, so if you suspect there is a problem then you should remove them while you align the forks. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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