remember the axle holding nuts are inch pounds

 

Before I tighten the axle pinch bolts I take the bike off the lift and work the front suspension up and down allowing the front wheel to find it's center (I don't use the brakes to do so). Then I tighten the axle pinch bolts. I seem to get less brake pad drag that way.

 

I have always done that only I use the brakes and work the suspension up and down while things are finger tight before tightening anything up. This lets the forks, brakes and wheel all find their happy place before torquing everything down. When everything is put together correctly the axle should be tightening down on the bearing races and the spacers. There should be no binding with wheel rotation or the bearings.

 

I have found that using the front brake to dip the front end causes a little more brake pad drag than when I pull the bars down with out them (from the front, front wheel in a chock). I opined that the activated brakes pull the fork legs away from where they normally would settle.

All that said, I'm splitting hairs that probably don't matter.

 

i leave the bike up in the air and push the right slider to the left making sure it contacts the outter spacer before i tighten the pinch bolts.