Quick release wheel question?

[Slick]

I had the bike on the stand on Sunday afternoon to give it a good clean before the salt from the morning commute ate it. I took both wheels off so I wouldn't get any detergent on my disc brakes, but as I went to remove the rear wheel I realised it was seized. I got it off easy enough, and took apart the skewers and greased them. As I put it back together, I realised that the springs were now quite pronounced and fouling the wheel from sitting in the dropouts? Are the springs supposed to be lose like that or should they be attached to the quick release lever allowing the wheel to seat itself in the dropout? I hope that makes sense.

 

[MiK1138]

mine are loose, have you maybe put them on the wrong way round?

 

[Threevok]

Do you have the springs sitting the correct way around ?

The widest part of the springs should face outward

 

[Slick]

I'm assuming both of you can't be wrong.

 

[Threevok]

I'm assuming both of you can't be wrong.

Believe me - I am speaking from experience.

I still do it now and again, especially with the single speed, where I am constantly changing the rear spocket

 

[MiK1138]

There must be something hard wired in the brain that tells us the widest part to the inside is more aesthetically pleasing because as Threevolk says I do it 3 times out of 4

 

[Slick]

Oh well, every day is a school day. Thanks for the tip, I'll change them round tomorrow.

 

[Smokin Joe]

Oh well, every day is a school day. Thanks for the tip, I'll change them round tomorrow.

You don't actually need them at all, they just make it easier to wiggle the wheel into the dropouts.

 

[NickNick]

You don't actually need them at all, they just make it easier to wiggle the wheel into the dropouts.

^This, I lost the spring from one of the sides a few months back when doing a roadside puncture repair in horrid conditions and not having it on hasn't made a bit of difference.

 

[Slick]

They will maybe make more sense to me tomorrow when I turn them round but at the moment I have to try and retract them myself whilst trying to seat the wheel. It's one of those things that I just did before without really thinking or noticing what goes where.

 

[Slick]

I've turned the springs round but it seems to make no difference, for some reason I still have to retract the spring whilst getting the wheel seated. Am I as well bining the springs?

 

[Slick]

I was planning on doing a 50 miler on my own tomorrow and I don't fancy a mechanical on the way.

 

[Threevok]

Springs have probably been damaged. Just bin um

As mentioned previously, you don't really need them once the QR is secured

 

[Slick]

Springs have probably been damaged. Just bin um

As mentioned previously, you don't really need them once the QR is secured

Yeah, I think they have. I've got them fitted correctly now but next time the wheel is off I'll bin them. Cheers.

 

[Ajax Bay]

The OP has likely damaged the springs by having them in the wrong way round. Removed they should look like (little) frustum.

Am I as well bining the springs?

Bine and replace them.