How tight to close the front wheel quick release?

[connda]

Sorry for the ignorant questions, but I am ignorant about my bicycle. Ignorant is better than stupid. I'm always open to learning. Stupid is learning something, and then not doing it.

So, how tight should I close the front wheel release on my bike. Here's my problem: I had the quick release torqued down pretty tight. Call me paranoid, but having the front tire come off is not something I want to experience in this lifetime. But, my front disc brake rubs against the outside pad. I can see no way to adjust the brake laterally to move the pad away from the disk, so I loosened the quick release a tad. That seemed to give the disc a few thousandth of a inch needed to get it off the pad. By the way, this is not about the brake lever adjustment. That adjustment is set so the brake is fully open. So the only way I can see to keep the brake disc from rubbing the pad is to loosen the quick release. All I can think is that I have the release tightened way too much and I'm pulling the forks together.

Any advice on how to gauge the tightness? Thanks!

[moonoi]

For me, when you close the lever it should leave a light imprint on your palm. If you have a problem with the pads rubbing, then you do as you just did.

[villagefarang]

There are youtube videos which show you how to do it. That might be better than a written explanation.

[fdimike]

I'm not sure what kind of bike you have but as far as I know all disc brake calipers are adjustable. Look for 2 Allen bolts (1 towards the top of the caliper and 1 towards the bottom). Loosening those bolts will allow you adjust the caliper so your brake pads will not rub. Once you have the caliper where you want it then hold the caliper while slowly tightening the bolts. The caliper will most likely move if you don't hold it in place while tightening the bolts. You should be able to see some clearance on either side of the disc.

You can probably see all this on You Tube.

You can tighten the quick release enough so that you can also release it by hand.

I hope this helps.

[T_Dog]

Connda... Your quick release should be quite tight, and it should take a bit of force to open it back up. I disagree with the other poster that said loosen it to let the disk ride in the middle. Never loosen a quick release to solve the alignment problem. Some of the calipers need to be shimmed and your local bike shop will make quick work of it as they have wafer thin washers in stock.

Also be aware that some quick releases can go into your front disk and lock up the wheel as it causes severe damage. Many people have been severely injured over the last decade due to this problem. Replace your skewer if it can rotate into your disk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZkIV3y4Xwk

[moonoi]

Connda... Your quick release should be quite tight, and it should take a bit of force to open it back up. I disagree with the other poster that said loosen it to let the disk ride in the middle. Never loosen a quick release to solve the alignment problem. Some of the calipers need to be shimmed and your local bike shop will make quick work of it as they have wafer thin washers in stock.

Also be aware that some quick releases can go into your front disk and lock up the wheel as it causes severe damage. Many people have been severely injured over the last decade due to this problem. Replace your skewer if it can rotate into your disk.

Well that's what my LBS told me! Happy to be corrected though.

My MTB now uses a thru axle, which are much easier to get the right tightness in my opinion, and have a stiffer front end.

[connda]

Connda... Your quick release should be quite tight, and it should take a bit of force to open it back up. I disagree with the other poster that said loosen it to let the disk ride in the middle. Never loosen a quick release to solve the alignment problem. Some of the calipers need to be shimmed and your local bike shop will make quick work of it as they have wafer thin washers in stock.

Also be aware that some quick releases can go into your front disk and lock up the wheel as it causes severe damage. Many people have been severely injured over the last decade due to this problem. Replace your skewer if it can rotate into your disk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZkIV3y4Xwk

Yeah, I saw the post by umbanda about the Trek's front quick release. Like I said in another post, I just took my bike out of storage. I've been cleaning it today. It's a GT Avalanche All Terrain. I've not problem at all with the 'skewer' lever. When loosened, it get nowhere near the disc brake.

I unfortunately am no where near a bike shop. I live out in the middle of nowhere in Lamphun province. If you have every taken the BKK to CM train, I live near the Doi Kuntan train station and tunnel. It's rural.

I might have to take a picture of the brake assembly. I see two allen screws bolting it to the frame, and one allen screw 90 degrees opposite the other two. Maybe that's the adjustment. Getting too dark tonight to play with it, plus my allen wrenches seemed to have disappeared after we had some remodeling done at the house. I'll need to get another set and see if I can adjust the brake.

[tifino]

watching the YT video, the by-the-way idea at the end about Reversing the direction of the skewer - woo hoo so simple!!!

[T_Dog]

Connda... Sent you a PM regarding a rather large bike shop down there. Not sure how far it is from you but I see it is not far from the train tracks at least!

[StreetCowboy]

My axles have a quick release on one end and a wheel nut o the other.

I can wind the quick release off a couple of turns and take up the slack on the wheel nut if the brake disc is rubbing.

I keep the quick release as tight as I can, and still open it by hand. Probably too tight, but better too tight than too loose,I reckon

SC

[chiangmaiexpat]

The quick release has nothing to do with the break adjustment.

Tighten the quick release to a degree where you need to apply quite some force to reopen it. If you are on an MTB, it's a good idea to move the lever upwards to prevent flying stones from hitting and loosening it.

To adjust a rubbing disk brake, loosen the bolts that hold the calliper, then pull the brake lever and while the brake is closed, tighten the calliper bolts again. This should center the brake pads. If it's not working the first time repeat the procedure. Also check your rotor for dents.

Cheers, CM-Expat

[h90]

It should be a bit hard to close and open but needing real male power.

Actually there is a big margin from light to heavy where it works just perfect. I never heard about a problem.

Of course the position should be in a way that is safe from self opening. (common sense).

[impulse]

Also be aware that some quick releases can go into your front disk and lock up the wheel as it causes severe damage. Many people have been severely injured over the last decade due to this problem. Replace your skewer if it can rotate into your disk.

The lever can only rotate into the disk if it's all the way loose and just flopping around. That's an operator error and not a defect.

For most folks, it's a non issue. If you're riding with your QR flopping open like that, I suspect you're more likely to crash due to a lost or wobbly wheel than a skewered disk.

For US lawyers, insurance companies and the CPSC, it's a safety defect. I suspect Trek lost enough money on lawsuits from the 3 incidents (one resulting in a quadriplegic) out of the 990,000 units the sold in North America so it's more cost effective for Trek to recall them.

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2015/Trek-Recalls-Bicycles-Equipped-with-Front-Disc-Brakes-to-Replace-Quick-Release-Lever/

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/821320-if-you-own-this-bike-or-knows-somebody-who-do-pass-this/

Edited May 10, 2015 by impulse

[T_Dog]

There are two kinds of people that ride with loose quick releases: Those that have, and those that will.

Making the quick releases fool proof is a good thing as they do rotate into the disk quite easily.

[h90]

There are two kinds of people that ride with loose quick releases: Those that have, and those that will.

Making the quick releases fool proof is a good thing as they do rotate into the disk quite easily.

Over the may thousands of km I did on the bike, I never have seen or heard of a loose quick release.

Can't complete exclude on the MTB that you catch a wood exactly that way that it opens the release but I think it is very unlikely

[CNXBKKMAN]

Your want clamp your front QR with some strength especially if you are using powerful disc brakes. Like everyone says study some youtube vids on centering your disc calipers. Its easy. Loosing the QR to solve a disc rub is not the way to do it. If you doing any kind of downhill type stuff and with strong braking check your QR stays tight. I have a front QR release skwer on one bike that likes to work loose slightly when riding off road. I have to really clamp that one down. Its a lightweight titanium QR but i am going to change it Shimano tried and tested Steel QR.

[T_Dog]

h90... Years ago before they started adding the tabs to the drop outs that keep the wheel from coming out until the axle is extremely loose, losing a front wheel was all too common. I remember one race where they even had someone come by and check as it was happening so frequently. I myself was following an 18 year old Canadian pro rider when she lost the front wheel and hit the ground, breaking a jaw and losing a few teeth in the process. She had lots of energy and go, but she was too anxious when she took the bike off the car and mounted up. Now with the tabs on the drop outs, you at least get a lot of warning with the knocking sound before the wheel can fall off completely. The quick release falling into the disks is a rather new thing, but still all too common. Lots of people of all different personality types ride, and you can't expect every one of them to be diligent about this so I tend to check other riders bikes to make sure their quick releases are tight. I see one loose every other year or so.

[impulse]

The quick release falling into the disks is a rather new thing, but still all too common.

It's happened 3 times in the 998,000 units of that type Trek sold into N America.

http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2015/Trek-Recalls-Bicycles-Equipped-with-Front-Disc-Brakes-to-Replace-Quick-Release-Lever/

Still, it's a "high impact" occurence, with one case resulting in paralysis, so the economically prudent thing to do was to recall the units.

Edited May 10, 2015 by impulse

[StreetCowboy]

I got another bloody puncture today, and had both wheels off to get the bike in the car to get it home.

Anyway, I spent ages messing about to get the wheels re-centred within the disk brakes - not to adjust the brakes, but to get the wheel back where it was.

My front wheel nut and release are in couterbored wells, so they need wound off quite a log way to get the wheel out - if you run with your release undone that long, you're asking for trouble...

SC

[MaeJoMTB]

I've had 4 quick releases in the past three months on my Merida Matts 40D while riding (about 2,000Km 50/50 road/trail).

Two on the front, two on the back. I check them every time I get on the bike.

A riding buddy in front of me also had one release, I actually saw it go.

I guess you guys aren't riding downhill and jungle trails.

The wheels can't come off without you unscrewing the nuts another 4 or 5 turns, as SC says, they are in wells.

Edited May 10, 2015 by MaeJoMTB