Disc brake pulling wheel out of alignment?

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Hi all
The front wheel of my Kona Dew Drop has been out of alignment for a while now. I assumed it was a little out of true and have been too lazy to fix it.

Anyway, I had a fiddle with it yesterday and discovered that the wheel wasn't seated properly in the dropouts. I'm 100% certain that I had it in square to start with but I'm wondering if the torque action of the disc brake has pulled the wheel out slightly? The disc is mounted on the left and the wheel was tilted slightly to the left. I've tightened up the QR but I'm curious and a little concerned. Is this normal?

Any ideas or comments?

Cheers,
Chuffy
 

hulver

Fat bloke on a bike
Location
Sheffield
http://www.ne.jp/asa...ease/index.html

Is it a quick release skewer? Quite possible. Make sure it's done up very tight.
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
very tight means just that. If you are not having to use the fork leg as a lever to open/close the quick release it just isn't tight enough. and you need to check it every ride.

You do an M check every ride or at least once a week right?
 

GrumpyGregry

Here for rides.
What's a M check? Well, this is. So called because side on you trace a letrer M from front hub to headset/handlebars down to BB and cranks up seat tube and back down to rear hub.

A very good habit to develop if you ride off road regularly.
 
OP
OP
Chuffy

Chuffy

Veteran
What's a M check? Well, this is. So called because side on you trace a letrer M from front hub to headset/handlebars down to BB and cranks up seat tube and back down to rear hub.

A very good habit to develop if you ride off road regularly.
Ah, right. Never heard of that before, you learn something new every day.

Another good reason never to ride off-road. :thumbsup: :biggrin:
 

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
TERROR! :eek:
Thanks for the link. I'll apply mongo force to tighten and if I'm feeling extra speccy I'll blob on some nail polish on to mark the positions of the QR ends. Hopefully that should reveal whether the QR is actually unscrewing.
I suggest positioning the QR lever so that it hits the disc caliper if it it starts to unscrew. That should stop it coming loose too quickly.
If you can't do that (eg front rack/mudguard stays getting in the way), position the lever so the end is just in front of the fork blade, where you can easily see if it's moved.
 

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
Big discs are less of a problem than small ones.
Consider rim brakes as being disc brakes with a disc the same size as the wheel.
 

Steve Austin

The Marmalade Kid
Location
Mlehworld
http://www.ne.jp/asa...ease/index.html

Is it a quick release skewer? Quite possible. Make sure it's done up very tight.


That link/article comes up all the time when ever this issue is discussed. That nutjob has been completely discredited, and if you read it carefully its based on his 'musings' on this alleged issue.

In 15 years of riding MTBs with guick release skewers, i have never ever had the wheel move in the dropouts due to braking forces, and neither has anyone i know, or have heard of. There was a rumour that ti skewers would 'stretch' and occasionally cause movement under braking, but i have never seen any evidence of this, or met anyone who has experienced it.
Its bunkum. Pure speculation by a crackpot looking to make some money.

IMO If your wheel moved, its because your skewer wasn't tight enough, or it was tightened not straight in the first place.
 

GrasB

Veteran
Location
Nr Cambridge
I've had a few QR pop open &/or loosen off (with rim brakes!) & every time they've been cheap unbranded items. These will come lose as no matter how tight you do them up the camming on them is just wrong! I'm sticking to Shimano & DT Swiss QR skewers now & not having any problems
 

andrew_s

Legendary Member
Location
Gloucester
That link/article comes up all the time when ever this issue is discussed. That nutjob has been completely discredited, and if you read it carefully its based on his 'musings' on this alleged issue.

In 15 years of riding MTBs with guick release skewers, i have never ever had the wheel move in the dropouts due to braking forces, and neither has anyone i know, or have heard of. There was a rumour that ti skewers would 'stretch' and occasionally cause movement under braking, but i have never seen any evidence of this, or met anyone who has experienced it.
Its bunkum. Pure speculation by a crackpot looking to make some money.

IMO If your wheel moved, its because your skewer wasn't tight enough, or it was tightened not straight in the first place.

That link/article is entirely correct, and it is obvious to anyone with a modicum of mechanical intelligence that it is correct. Respected authorities who agree include Chris Juden, Jobst Brandt & Sheldon Brown.
Fox settled out of court rather than face the judgement in Pinder v Fox (Russell Pinder ended up in a wheelchair after his wheel came out & sued Fox for damages).

I have seen someone else lose their front wheel. The wheel had been correctly installed in the first place (by Longstaff's, back when George was still in charge), but the bike had been ridden for too long without the wheel being removed or the QR checked - something like 500 miles. Doubtless a plummet and brake hard descending style off the Galiber immediately beforehand had provoked matters somewhat.
 
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