Quick Release Skewer Loosening

[oldjc]

Hey Fellow Cyclists,

I have a decent Diamondback hardtail that I've been very happy with for a year or two. Yesterday, I noticed the front wheel shifted sideways when I braked. Somehow the quick release skewer had come loose. I tightened it and everything seems fine. Obviously, I'll keep an eye on it.

In the meantime, maybe you can help me figure out what happened.

I've thought about someone trying to take the wheel and maybe running out of time or loosing their nerve. The skewer was fully clamped, though. Is there a mechanical explanation for this?

 

[Sharky]

Happened to me once. My qr was of the type where the cam bit is seperate from the lever and I didn't check it properly. It worked loose after a few miles, but didn't spot it until I got to the finish of the 10 I was riding.

One occasion to be thankful for lawyers lips.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Disc brake or rim brake?
What type of skewer? Let's see a photo of the cam.

 

[oldjc]

Disc brake or rim brake?
What type of skewer? Let's see a photo of the cam.

Disc brakes and a quick release skewer.

 

[oldjc]

I'm thinking there's the possibility that someone meant me harm.

 

[azbikes]

Hey Fellow Cyclists,

I have a decent Diamondback hardtail that I've been very happy with for a year or two. Yesterday, I noticed the front wheel shifted sideways when I braked. Somehow the quick release skewer had come loose. I tightened it and everything seems fine. Obviously, I'll keep an eye on it.

In the meantime, maybe you can help me figure out what happened.

I've thought about someone trying to take the wheel and maybe running out of time or loosing their nerve. The skewer was fully clamped, though. Is there a mechanical explanation for this?

My husband and I owned a bike shop and our specialty was doing overhauls. My guess is that it was over tightened several times and actually cracked the inner workings. The shaft enters the head. The head has a larger hole for the lever and then a smaller hole where the nut would be. If people take that nut off and clean it they have to be careful reinstalling as it only goes one way. You have to move the lever to make sure you have it set right. But I've seen several ends of the shaft head that goes into the body become cracked/split which prevents it from holding the tightness you need. Sorry I don't have an example to take a picture of.

 

[oldjc]

My husband and I owned a bike shop and our specialty was doing overhauls. My guess is that it was over tightened several times and actually cracked the inner workings. The shaft enters the head. The head has a larger hole for the lever and then a smaller hole where the nut would be. If people take that nut off and clean it they have to be careful reinstalling as it only goes one way. You have to move the lever to make sure you have it set right. But I've seen several ends of the shaft head that goes into the body become cracked/split which prevents it from holding the tightness you need. Sorry I don't have an example to take a picture of.

OK, I get that over tightening can damage the skewer, but would it still be able to tighten back up as mine did?

As an afterthought, it is conceivable to me that I've over tightened.

 

[Punkawallah]

Could the original skewer have been tightened on the ‘rim’ of the ‘cup’, rather than ‘inside’ it, and later worked itself loose?

 

[Drago]

That type of skewer with an external cam are far more likely to undo themselves than the enclosed Shimano type, particularly cheaper ones.

 

[oldjc]

Could the original skewer have been tightened on the ‘rim’ of the ‘cup’, rather than ‘inside’ it, and later worked itself loose?

No cup, so no rim.

 

[ColinJ]

No cup, so no rim.

I think that @Punkawallah meant that if you had rotated the skewer slightly you might have tightened it with the cam pushing against the raised part ('rim') rather than where you should do in the lower part ('cup'). If the cam then slipped off the raised part then the QR would be loose(r).

That argument makes sense to me .

 

[oldjc]

That type of skewer with an external cam are far more likely to undo themselves than the enclosed Shimano type, particularly cheaper ones.

What differentiates enclosed from external?

 

[C R]

What differentiates enclosed from external?

I have the same question. I've read in here many times that external cam skewers are more likely to loosen themselves than the internal cam types. @Drago could you explain why?

 

[ColinJ]

What differentiates enclosed from external?

Take a look at this article.

 

[C R]

Take a look at this article.

But that just says that you need the concave washer to be metal, as the plastic washer will be mashed and eventually break, not that the design itself is more likely to come undone on its own.