Removing a few mm from aluminium

[b422063]

What's the best way to remove a a fraction of to a few mm from aluminium? It's a wheel spacer that's slightly too bid and just needs a touch removed as it's applying pressure to the wheel, preventing it freely rotating.

[Polarbear]

[b422063]

Haha, no. It's a newly made spacer after a front end repair following an incident. Not my bike or incident I hasten to add, I'm just helping.

[Pete.]

[c_dug]

There's a big difference between a fraction and a few mm.

I'd do either with a lathe because I can, but as you're asking I presume you don't have that available.

You could do less than a mm easily enough with emery cloth and patience or for a couple of mm a file is your best bet, but filing/sanding something dead flat is harder than it sounds, so it depends on what accuracy and finish you are after.
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[b422063]

It's too long. I'm not sure how much needs to be removed because there's nothing original to measure I can't compare. The wheel does move just with a whole load of friction and effort. I don't think it's too far out due to the fact the original measurements were used and there was no such problem. I think it's just "manufacturing tolerances". I forget the exact measurements but say it was 20mm it measures 20.2mm or something like that.

[c_dug]

If I had to do something like that at home where I have very little access to tools or workspace I would probably pop to B&Q, buy some carpet tape (or decent double sided tape), and a pack of assorted emery cloth.

I'd tape a whole sheet of emery cloth down to a flat surface (a piece of scrap wood would be perfect but a kitchen worktop would do the job, good luck getting the tape off though), then I would hold the spacer firmly down to prevent rocking it and move it across the emery cloth, checking for fit regularly.

Doing it that way should help keep it all flat. It might be a bit overkill but it beats ruining the spacer and having to get a new one made up.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[stinkwheel]

Assuming it's one of the "top-hat" type spacers that goes bewteen the swingarm and the bearing, an over-long wheel spacer shouldn't stop your wheel rotating.

If it's been made and fitted properly it will only be pushing against the inner bearing race. When the wheel nuts are tightened down, it effectively makes a single, solid bar (inner races and spacer pressed together) which the ball bearings rotate on.

A fully torqued-up wheel nut will put WAY more force through a spacer than you could exert by forcing a slightly over-long one between the legs of the swingarm.

So. What is rubbing on what?
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[CaNsA]

[Llama-Farmer]

I got some car wheel spacers shaved down by an engineering company.

2mm removed off each, and it cost £10 total.
Might be easier to get someone else to do it, unlikely to be expensive.
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[Pete.]

[virus]

Agree with Stinkwheel and Pete here, if its not fitting you need to work out why before going at it, if it physically fits then its highly unlikley to be the cause of the binding.


If it is the cause though id get it lathed down, its not worth messing around with something that can be done by turning up to a local engineering firm with a 4 pack of beer and a smile.



Cheers
John
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owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Vincent]

As it's ally, 1.5mm by hacksaw, then file the rest.

If it really needs doing that is
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[b422063]

I'll be going out in the morning to see if that is definately the cause or not. Attempted to eliminate everything else first.