Mounting Front Wheel - Trip Gear Binding

[ChucksKDX]

I'm trying to get my front wheel back on after rebuilding my forks and installing a new tire. Should be a relatively easy task, but no; this bike is cursed for some reason. I cleaned out the trip meter gear as it was caked with mud/grease and barely turned at first. I got all the old gunk out, got is moving freely. So I installed my front wheel, spacer on the left side, trip gear on the right. All is well when I put the axle through and tighten it lightly; then the clamp. Wheel spins freely; I can see the cable mechanism through the top hole spinning, no problem. However, when I tighten the axle more (and I'm not talking 65 ft. pds.), just a snug turn with my ratchet, it binds up the wheel and won't turn. I cannot for the life of me figure out what's binding. It would appear to have something to do with the trip gear assembly, but I just don't see how tightening the axle is binding it up. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Chuck

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[bufftester]

Make sure your stack up is correct and has all the parts. There is a washer on the inside of the tripmeter gear assy. Also make sure the left hand spacer has the flange towards the fork.

[FlexingtonKY]

Be sure your wheel bearings are spinning freely too. Thumbs up to buff on that washer and stack reminder, very critical stuff

[ChucksKDX]

Thanks for the tips! I did get the wheel installed and spinning freely.

However, I noticed last night just by chance that I have wheel movement if I grab the top and bottom of the wheel and move it back and forth. I can actually see on the left hand side (brake) where the spacer meets the wheel about a 1MM (i'm guessing) gap as I move the wheel back and forth. I have the spacer inserted with the large side facing the left fork, small side in the wheel. I didn't think there is anything else on this side other than the spacer that I'm aware of looking at an exploded diagram of the front wheel. I obviously can't see inside the speedo gear side with it installed, but I have the gear assembly all intact (i.e. washer, circlip) and installed on the proper 'indents' on the hub. So I'm perplexed what would cause the movement?

But somethings not right, I should not have this ever so small 'wobble'. Anybody got any idea what this could be?

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[ChucksKDX]

After reading up some more, I've resigned myself to it's most likely wheel bearings. And to top that off, after installing new pads, I'm getting some bad rubbing when turning the wheel (more at some points in the turn than others); think my rotor is warped. I can either get a new rotor or let this one wear my new pads to fit!

[KDXGarage]

Stock bearings?

spacer between bearings installed?

[bufftester]

Stock bearings?

spacer between bearings installed?

That was my next question. Coming out the stack up should be the hub spacer, bearing, circlip, seal, then spacer. Some aftermarket bearings I have seen be slightly different sizing, could be the issue if not OEM bearings.