Squeeze my forks !

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Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
I have, for the many years which I have been cycling, always put the front wheel back in by lifting the forks onto the wheel, leaning over & tightening the QR bolt, eyeballing the wheel for centrality and tightening the QR. (Obvs with the bike upright).

However, the past few times I have had the front wheel off my disc-braked Giant Revolt, (less than 2 years old) it's been an absolute bugger to get the wheel back in straight. Performing all of the above I find the disc edge would go ding-ding-ding against the back of the caliper when the wheel is turned. Releasing the QR, adjusting the fit & tightening it again has little effect.

I think that the (carbon) forks have splayed a little. I tentatively conclude that when the wheel comes out they are springing open a bit. When I come to put the wheel back in, as well as holding the bike upright, twiddling the QR nut, I now have to pinch the forks together to get the wheel properly aligned. Popping the wheel back in the forks there is oodles of free play which I have not had with any other bike. It makes it awkward when I want to change a tyre or put the bike in the back of the car.

The disc is now rubbing the pads a bit when I go round a bend as well.

Does anyone else have this problem ? I think I will drop it into my LBS for a going-over. It has not had any sort of impact, and the forks look and feel normal.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
Put some weight on the front as you tighten the QR. The disc calliper could have moved - have you adjusted that ? Are the bearings OK in the wheel ?

Some of my forks are slightly wider than the 100mm (by a couple of mm), but when you put weight (i.e. the bikes weight) on the wheels and then tighten up, all sits centrally.
 
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Arjimlad

Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
Thanks - I checked the wheel recently, the bearings are good, the grease is like new and they run true. Leaning on the bars doesn't seem to do much good sadly.
 

fossyant

Ride It Like You Stole It!
Location
South Manchester
You're only other issue is the fork's drop outs aren't properly aligned. I've always had forks that sit correctly, even if the drop outs are slightly wider. Having some eight usually sorts out any alignment issue. Have you checked there is no dirt build up on the axel and drop outs ? Possible bent axel ?
 
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Arjimlad

Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
I cleaned the dropouts carefully last time it happened and this seemed to sort things out. However, with clean dropouts, last night I had the same problem. Hard to see how such a short axle could get bent but I will check that out. Thank you for your ideas :okay:
 
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User33236

Guest
Check your brake disc is true or go through the process for re-centering the calliper for your particular model of brakes. I presume you have cable operated disc brakes where only one pad moves?
 

Scoosh

Velocouchiste
Moderator
Location
Edinburgh
A trick I was introduced to some time ago was, after putting wheel in forks and just before tightening the QR, lock the brakes on the wheel and hold them while you tighten the QR, This helps to centralise the wheel in the brake gap. Works OK for my hydraulic discs on the 'bent too (where both pads are moving on braking). :okay:
 
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Arjimlad

Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
A trick I was introduced to some time ago was, after putting wheel in forks and just before tightening the QR, lock the brakes on the wheel and hold them while you tighten the QR, This helps to centralise the wheel in the brake gap. Works OK for my hydraulic discs on the 'bent too (where both pads are moving on braking). :okay:

Thanks - tried this to no avail.. mechanic will check it out this evening.
 
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Arjimlad

Arjimlad

Tights of Cydonia
Location
South Glos
Well, my chap took out the pads, gave them a good scrub, realigned the caliper and adjusted it and all seems to be well. Guaranteed to the end of his drive !

It's brilliant having a bike mechanic literally at the end of my road for vexing problems like this. @User33236 seems to have nailed it.
 
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