Front wheel play

Ok so if you crank the front axle tight you have no wheel play and no wheel spin . So the question is proper install of the front wheel and free play between the sliders? it seems to kind pull the sliders in and that cant be good . alsochecked old britts parts detail and nothing is missing . Im sure there is a write up but i cant find it
Thanks Tom

The axle is free to slide towards the right slider when tightening the axle, because it is a sliding fit in the left side slider until you tighten up the lower pinch bolt. The axle has a shoulder that buts up against the wheel bearing and holds the hub against the right slider.

What order are you doing it in.

You should have the pinch bolt loose,

Assemble axle/wheel/spacers,

Lightly tighten Axle nut, observing stepped part of pinch bolt side axle making contact with the spacer. This is where too much tension can be placed on the wheel bearings.

Once the stepped part makes contact, tighten pinch bolt,

Then snug up axle nut.


This order should ensure the axle it secure, the wheel turns freely and the forks don't bind.

thanks a lot guys .
bwolfie perfect sequence can see it in my head clearly thanks

Tightening the axle nut shouldn't affect bearing play or cause the bearings to tighten up as the clamping force is only being applied to the spacers and inner bearing spools.

If fully tightening the axle nut causes the bearings to bind, then something is wrong with the assembly.

According to the factory manual, the axle nut should be fully tightened first and then the pinch bolt is tightened after bouncing the forks, (section H8) and that's the way I would do it.

L.A.B. said:

Tightening the axle nut shouldn't affect bearing play or cause the bearings to tighten up as the clamping force is only being applied to the spacers and inner bearing spools.

If fully tightening the axle nut causes the bearings to bind, then something is wrong with the assembly.

According to the factory manual, the axle nut should be fully tightened first and then the pinch bolt is tightened after bouncing the forks, (section H8) and that's the way I would do it.

Click to expand...

+1

If the wheel binds when tightened, one or both bearings aren't seated, the spacer between the bearings is wrong, or a spacer somewhere is missing. The spacers and bearing inner races (spools) all butt up against each other when the axle nut is tightened, keeping the bearing inner races from spinning. Individual bearings roll as the outer races, which are fixed in the hub, rotate with the wheel. The inner races stay stationary with the axle.

ok L.A.B i have to set her on the stand this weekend to remove and balance the front and rear wheel anyway so ill check the assembly and bearing as well as lube up for final fit

Billt caught me mid post . i have a 71 with a tls front not the disk but i get the point

tjfisher said:

Billt caught me mid post . i have a 71 with a tls front not the disk but i get the point

Click to expand...

Yeah, same principle, a few different parts

As far as the wheel binding when you tighten the axle nut, I was having the same problem although I have taken apart and re-assembled dozens of commando front ends without problem. It was one of those dumbstruck moments where you just can't believe something so simple has flummoxed you. What happened to me is I developed/created a burr in the aluminum where the axle goes through the slider on the drive side and the axle was bound up. The shoulder portion of the axle should be able to pass completely through the drive side slider and mine was getting hung up on a burr of aluminum. Hence when the axle nut was tightened, it pulled the entire lower slider over as opposed to freely passing through to hold the dust cover against the spacer. My slider was being pushed against the dust cover as opposed to the shoulder on the axle pushing the dust cover in place. That was a week of questioning if I was totally losing it. Duh. So, as the other posts mentioned, you ensure the shoulder part of the axle isn't hanging up inside the slider, feed it all the way through, tighten the axle nut slightly, bounce the front end up and down a few times to get everything cozy, tighten the axle nut to torque spec and tighten the pinch bolt. At least that what happened to me.

yep the big end of the axle must be able to slide freely in the slider so everything can be centralized without any binding.
I'm sure your experience is more common than ..............