• Things are never straightforward are they.

    Recently had a pair of forks powder coated by a local auto spray shop and since they've returned the wheel has not sat straight in the drops.

    Have tried sanding down back some of the paint gently in the drops to see if that helps but no such luck.

    Any clues on what's next to try or potential solutions?


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  • mac (apple) images don't show on across all devices! - I have a front wheel not sitting straight to the vertical perpendicular that I've not bothered to get tracked - Argos (Bristol) did sort the tracking of an old frame for me front and rear. It's a case of let the professionals file the dropouts and check them all round (not a massive cost)

  • Here ya go


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    • IMG_7721.jpeg
    • IMG_7722.jpeg
  • I’d take a round file to the dropout myself, and just got tentatively. I think sanding won’t be aggressive enough.

  • Dam nice frame, it's about where mine is, I just set it straight and tighten - unsure what others would say

  • Suppose potentially the heat from setting the powder coating maybe why the metal has distorted+ age fatigue (as armchairsplianing speculation)

  • Unlikely the powder coating temperatures get anywhere near what is required to distort the steel.
    Looks like quite thick coat.
    Likelihood it's slightly thicker on one drop out then the other.

  • I don't know - automotive = wheels, 450°c - my heavy roasting pans buckle at 160°c in the oven

  • Could try this to check the alignment? I'd be inclined to carefully take the paint off the slot of the dropouts and then off the inner face of the dropouts. I wouldn't file the metal away at all. If they're still out of alignment once the paint has been stripped then possibly cold set them?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsU8IkkFaok

  • Thanks All,

    @Nef cheers for reposting the jpgs much appreciated.

    @bluehuw am now running a QR front wheel so struggling to straighten and tighten like you could with a traditional axle.

    @fabfurrymarmots will give the RJ film a watch, fairly hesitant to file away anything based on my skillset however can't see the harm in sanding the paint on the one side a bit more.

    Have some time to take a proper look this weekend, if not maybe a trip to Varonha to have it looked at properly.

  • can probably cut the powdercoat away from the pertinant area with a stanley knife or something.

  • I wouldn't cut paint away on one fork-end and not the other. I think the approach would be to cut from the narrow surface of the dropout on both sides, so the wheel can seat fully into both slots and then re-seat the wheel. If it still sits wonky then look at filing the powder coat flat on the inside faces of the dropouts and after that maybe look at cold-setting it. I don't know if there's an equivalent of the string trick for forks.

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Wheel not sitting straight in forks after respray.

Posted by Avatar for Benzo @Benzo

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