i noticed that the left side of my tire was a lot closer to the frame than the right side, and all the way around too. so it was either i’d accidentally dished my wheel and didn’t notice till now, or the bearing moved on the axle. turns out my ill-fitting yuni frame had squeezed the left bearing inward; so now i know why the seat was only rubbing my right thigh no matter how i made it point
It is not unusual for the bearings to slip on the axle. When that happens the wheel will get off-kilter in the frame. It has happened on my Coker and on my DM Ringmaster Advaced freestyle uni. It’s not the fault of the frame that the bearing slipped. It’s the result of a poor press fit.
The bearings are just press fit on the axle. Sometimes the press fit is not tight enough which allows the bearing to slip out towards the crank. The fix is to use Loctite sleeve retainer to secure the bearing on the hub. Sleeve retainer is designed to augment press fit parts and get the press fit to hold better. You can get Loctite sleeve retainer at auto parts stores like NAPA. Get the high strength stuff.
Pull the bearing off the hub. Clean off any grease and dirt from the area where the bearing fits. You can use acetone or a degreaser to clean it. Dirt and grease will keep the Loctite sleeve retainer from getting a good bond. Put the Loctite sleeve retainer on the hub and on the inside of the bearing. Press the bearing back on the hub. Allow it to cure for 6 hours. Put the uni back together and go ride.
Sleeve retainer is similar to their threadlocker, but the sleeve retainer is designed to fill larger gaps.
Roger has a FAQ on changing bearings. He doesn’t cover the Loctite bit, but he does cover how to remove the bearings and press them back on.
FAQ: Changing Bearings