Hi Everybody- I'm getting very confused about the front wheel on my bike. This bike seems to be one of the first made just after the slot in the front forks was deleted to move to the newer type of spindle with holed RHS and sleeve nut on the LHS. My question concerns how this spindle should be assembled.This right side of the spindle has no problems; it passes through the two layered brake back plate (spacer between), the spacer boss on the inside of the brake plate locates into the oil seal and abuts against the bearing in the hub centre. Then there is an intra hub spacer and a second bearing on the LHS... its from here that my problems arise.... On this side I have only a spacer and a sleeve nut which tightens over the spindle and through the fork leg.- see below.P1010717.JPGThe spacer is 23.8mm OD and 12.7mm long. It has a chamfer at one end. When I stripped the bike, the chamfer was facing outwards towards the fork leg. However, I suspect this chamfer is supposed to push through the oil seal on the LHS allowing the spacer to move up against the LH wheel bearing and the sleeve nut will then nip it up tight at just the point that the sleeve itself is screwed tight into the fork leg so that the leg cant slide along the sleeve either. Well that was my expectation... Problem is when I put this spacer in chamfer first it does indeed go in against the bearing, tightening up the wheel in this position however doesnt nip it up and the spacer is left free to rotate and slop about on the spindle- the forks are also able to move along the sleeve nut which really doesnt feel right.If I turn the spacer round then it butts up against a very small shoulder on the spindle and wont go as far onto it. In this position I can tighten everything but it leaves some of the sleeve nut protruding from the fork end and the spacer is well clear of the oil seal. I think the wheel has side to side play because the LH bearing isnt tight against the spacer. Pics below- I have marked the position the chamfered end slides to with blue ink.pushed on as far as it will go chamfer first...... and square end first.This means that the spacer is tapered internally so my question is whether this is intentional or simply due to wear? I tend to think the latter becasue this shoulder seems very insubstantial to do anything as significant as locating the wheel, and I think the spacer should actually be free to slide as far along that small shoulder as it needs to in order to meet the bearing. However if that is the case then the spacer I have is some 2-4 mm too short and needs packing out or remaking. If its supposed to be like this then which way round should it fit?The next point is about the oil seal on the LHS. The 1961 supplement speaks of a rubber seal (in this position?). I did find one there when I stripped the wheel, but it was in poor condition and I thought it was probably a previous owner mod. Anyway, the only replacements I could find, although fine in ID/OD, were too thick and the enclosure couldnt fit properly into the hub, leaving everything free and rotating about the spindle.I therefore opted to refit the felt oil seals with the two part enclosure. The enclosure and cover now fit perfectly, but this wretched spacer is probably now too narrow by another 2mm as it doesnt contact the felt seal at all.Has anyone got a similar bike and can let me know how the wheel goes together please? At the moment i am wondering if I have the wrong spacer? Surely everything should nip p tuight and prevent movement of the fork leg (or worse the wheel) along the spindle??Thanks allMike
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