AJS & Matchless Owners Club

I have just re built my front wheel and I set the off set from the brake hub to the rim at 5/8", which is what my other model 18 is set at . I then handed the rim over to a professional to properly tighten the spokes and true the wheel. I forgot to tell him to maintain the 5/8" off set and when I got the wheel back and checked it the off set is now 3/4" . How critical is this off set?

Hi

You probably won't notice any ill effect, but I'd consider changing your 'professional' wheel builder for one who asks what the offset should be

Regards Mick

I did not think there was an offset. If it is correct that there should be 5/8 offset you only have a further 1/8 and you will probably only notice it in the wear pattern of the tyre if at all.
Some years ago I tweaked the spokes on a single sided hub which had no offset so that the tyre was centrally placed in the forks, ignoring the fact that the end of the spindle did not sit flush with the slider cap on the other side. It was only subsequently that I realised there are different lengths of lock nut for the brake plate. By the time I came across the right one it would have meant readjusting the offset again back to centralise the wheel. Did I bother to use the correct nut? Of course not!