Ok to adjust balance to achieve center vocal image?

Balance controls can solve things, but it is best to find the source. Especially if your stylus is not riding the center of your grooves.

I actively refine balance from my listening chair (for errant tracks) using my Chase RLC-1 Remote Line Controler

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Chase-Remote-Line-Controller-RLC-1/254708363331?hash=item3b4dcd3043:g:huIAA...

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Before you start swapping tubes, cables, ... do a basic check to isolate your TT from the system.

Hook up any digital device temporarily, stream, tv, bluray, anything that presents digital dots.

If not balanced, the LP system is ok, i.e. not the problem. If digital source is balanced, it's the LP system.

Go from there

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I just changed 5 things at once yesterday, doing focused listening:

I heard all CD's centered, all LP's a bit weak on left. Checked using a Test LP with a full range pink noise test, yes, left side weak

Only LP? I re-checked, too much anti-skate, reduced, test, now equal center balance.

But it was fine when I started???

I think I bumped the dangling weight while changing things, the nylon string jumped out of a groove, slid forward to the next groove, thus too much outward pull.



 

Like I said, a small change in anti-skate would not affect channel balance, in my own experience, but your mileage does vary.

Mono is the key. Either a mono record or even better, if your phono has a mono button just toggle between stereo and mono and you'll be able to identify the source of the problem. If it's upstream of the phono stage, pressing the mono button will immediately refocus the sound. If pressing the mono button doesn't do anything, then the issue is downstream from the phono stage, i.e. amplifier / speakers / room / hearing and associated cables. 

Might be worth checking whether the stereo image moves when you adjust the volume. If your volume control is a log potentiometer the left/right matching is awful at lower settings.