Funny how we can see things differently.
2FL indicates a variable air gap. it can come from a soft foot condition, but it can also come from a stator which is not concentric with the bearing journals or bearings in the end cover of the housing. That condition originates at the manufacture of...
To follow up on JJPellin, in my opinion he is right but you can also consider that if your magnetic center does not correspond to your mechanical center, the rotor will pull axially.
When generators are mounted on sleeve bearings that can be seen and measured. We then take this in consideration...