Over the summer I posted looking for fork straightening. Found a place in TN and he did a great job - tubes came back straight as an arrow. The wheel is mounted and about .25" or so closer on one side compared to the other. It's the side opposite the front brake that is closer.

I was thinking maybe the triples are bent but I don't know how to check. I looked at the fiche and all parts/spacers  are accounted for as near as I can tell. I have never run this bike so all is new for me right now.

I promise I will get some pics in the am...

I will keep staring at it and cursing for now - my hope is that I am overlooking something simple.

 

I think first thing I'd check the wheel it vertical & not on a lean to one side. I've seen the alloy sliders get bent in an accident in which case the forks would stick on compression. But also the left side axle lug could get bent more than the clamp side. All a wild guess though. If the wheel has been rebuilt it's possible its ended up to one side more than it should. Could've ended up with a wobble to true up & ended up trued to the wrong side of the wobble (umm-- if that make sense). Not a lot else to do without machining & spacing then keeping an eye on the brake anchor lug depending which way you need to move the wheel. To check the vertical I'd sit a straight rod against the tyre in exact the same tyre knob top n bottom then eyeball it against the fork tube. Not done that for years but eyeballing works good just standing bike vertical then stand away in front & sight it up. If it's not vertical you'll see it. On one of my relics something had damaged where the speedo drive gear rotates on the brake plate centre & it had broken away half the circle back to almost the circlinp groove so on tightening the axle it tilted the wheel but then the brake went like a sponge so was obviously wrong. Could just forget it if it steers ok considering the trouble of putting it right. Not easy to forget, i know.

This image is hidden for guests.
Please log in or register to see it.

Well the struggle is real! Took a while but here are a couple pics. RT - thanks for the thoughtful reply. Never considered the axle lugs being bent. The first pic up top is with my axle in the wrong way, switching it helped but left me with the fork lower not all the way to the edge of the spacer. Second pic shows how it sits on it's own - you can see it's not at the edge of the spacer. If I forced it over a bit then tightened the pinch bolts I could get it like the pic below.

Still not perfect but better than it was by a long shot. That hub to fork lower is about 1/4" - is that normal? Seems like it needs another 1/8 or so. RT do I need the boots removed to eye my wheel alignment better? Does the technique work just eyeing the lowers?

I have since taken the fender off - lemme try to take another pic...

Edit I can't seem to get more than one pic to work. It looks fine when I am typing then becomes links when I post...
 

You keep mentioning spacer - singular.
Looking on CMSNL, the parts pic shows an outer sleeve that clamps in the fork leg and a spacer that goes between that sleeve and the bearing.

You do have both fitted on the right side?

Edit, Magnifying you first pic, I am not happy with the offset of your front wheel.  The spokes look completely wrong.  It needs recentering.

No need to make a "post" on Imgur with your photos.  Just save it there.  Then you link it here.  Post#10 here might help.

yamaha-enduros.com/index.php/forums/74-7...2-dt250a-tank#168421

Need to see a close up of both sides of axle.  Even better would be pic showing spacers with wheel removed.  That model is tricky.  Are you sure you're following the correct process for installing the wheel?  You MUST leave the axle cap on the bottom of the right fork leg loose before tightening the axle.  Otherwise you will pull the fork leg out of line and wheel won't be centered.  After axle is tight, you tighten the axle cap...  close the gap at the front of the cap first.  Procedure is in manual.  (1977 manual is in Tech Library here)

Also on that model there should be lines scribed in the fork tubes about 1 or 2 inches from the top.  Those lines should be just above the top triple clamp...  forks stick through the clamps on that model.  Can't tell in the picture if yours are that way or not. 

#4 spacer is long and goes all the way through the cap

Also note that the little spacer on the right side (side opposite the brake, right and left sided are defined by convention with rider sitting on the bike facing forward) is shown as separate from the "dust cover" in the online parts diagrams.  In reality, that short spacer is inserted into the dust cover and it seems like part of the dust cover. (These parts are not shown in the photo I posted above..  short spacer and dust cover are inserted into seal on wheel hub)

Here's a pic of the fork sticking out of clamp...  you can just see the scribed groove or line just above the clamp.

Thanks for the replies all. At this point the only thing I am sure of is I don't know anything!!

I have mounted plenty of wheels before though this bike is a new build for me and I am not super familiar with it. The tubes I checked and are on the lines as far as height in the triples.

There are two spacers on the right side - one was behind a dust cap and captive on the hub so I didn't notice it.

I just rode the bike and it definitely feels a little off. I plan to pull the forks and remove the boots so I can get a better look at the wheel compared to the forks, still can't quite tell if they are square to one another.

If my hub/wheel was laced wrong how would I know? I just have no idea what I am looking at, changing the viewing angle makes it look centered or not.

Something is not right for sure. I took some more pics - lemme see what I can do to have them show here...

I had a 1977 with the same forks.  Mine had the same "issue".  Very important to tighten axle nut first with cap loose.  If long spacer is sticking out on right side of bike, I remember simply pulling leg away from wheel until spacer on outside of leg was flush with cap and then tightening cap.  It's been a few years though. 

I can post pics!!! Here the only way the fork leg stays there is with the pinch bolts holding some pressure. If they are loosened the fork will move about 1/8" to the left.

One final thought - when assembling them I remember they didn't move all the way through their travel smoothly - towards the bottom they would bind up. I may be imagining this as it was a few months ago...

That would indicate bent allow lowers though re RT's advice.

Thanks again all - gonna spend the rest of my day doing something else lol.