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ive got a slightly strange problem with the setup on my hardtail. If you brake hard the wheel slightly moves in the dropout of the forks (98 Bomber Z1’s) - it’s the left hand side dropping slightly whilst tenrode hand side stays in he correct place.
I’ve tried nipping up the qr really really tight and that hasn’t helped. It’s an old Sachs hub that seems ok and a fairly new qr lever.
I don’t think t used to do this until I put a decent disc brake on - a Sram Guide r. It’s centred correctly over the disc and all 4 pistons are moving fine.
Any ideas before I lose it with this setup? Thinking about a new wheel set for tubeless (26” with 9mm qr front and rear, but with the ability to change the front to 15mm bolt through). Ideally don’t want to throw a lot of money at this bike though.
Loose bearings.
Have you got a steel shimano qr? They are usually the best for clamping force. Some of the others can be a bit woeful. Any play in the hub?
Yea, Shimano QR or maybe a Halo Hex.
+1 for trying a Shimano QR.. had a similar issue on my old Scott and that solved it.
+1 for a Shimano QR. I had a creaking on my CX bike that I eventually traced to the wheel moving slightly in the dropout. Even done up painfully tight, none of the external cam QRs I had stopped it. A Shimano QR done up much less tight stopped it immediately. I knew they were better, but I was still surprised at how much better.
If a Shimano QR doesn't fix it, Hope Pro hubbed front wheel will work with a 15mm or 9mm QR, but you can also fit a DT Swiss RWS 9mm through bolt and use it with your existing fork with the correct hub adaptor. Holds things very tight and the latest alloy versions seem pretty reliable and don't strip teeth like the early ones.
I had a friend who had this problem but on the front axle of his CX bike which would move the disc out of alignment during the course of a race. he solved his by swapping to a DT Swiss QR which could be cranked up much tighter than a conventional cam lever. I've not heard him moan about it since, so I assume it's still working fine.
Ah, loads of replies! Thanks guys. Maybe I’ll pop out and try to get a Shimano qr lever at lunchtime. Seems the cheapest option as a first fix. True current qr levers are just some I got for a tenner in the local bike shop. Quite generic cheap things really.
I don’t think the bearings are loose in the hub that I’m aware of - but I’ll also check that. I think they are cartridge bearing (the rear wheel definitely) so if there’s play in the bearings it’s new bearing time if they are replaceable.
What sized disc are you running?? I'd be reluctant to run more than a 160mm on those forks. I ran a 180mm on mine and snapped the entire dropout plus disc mount bulge off the leg (while going doing steps, snapped as I hit the brakes!). I think that they were known to break there back in the day.
Still haven't found those heavy springs!
Make sure the brace is tight, also worth taking it off and checking for trueness. I bent a few back in the day.
If you can find one, blackspire did an upgraded brace, gives more clearance and a stiffer fork, assuming the bolt threads aren’t borked.
I still have a set, with 185 rotor. I did snap a shimano axle once when the brace was slightly loose.
current qr levers are just some I got for a tenner in the local bike shop
Yep, that's the most likely cause. Shimano QRs can be quite pricey - might be better off putting a WTD ad in the classifieds - there will definitely be some languishing in spares boxes now all (most) forks are no longer QR. (Might even have one myself)
I do crave some better forks - keep seeing some manitou forks for sensible prices with a straight steerer for either 9mm qr or 15mm bolt through. Can’t really justify the cash on new forks at the moment though.
Maybe I’ll whip the brace off the forks and check them with a straight edge to check it’s not bent. I had a similar pair of these forks about 18 years ago and I bent a brace quick impressively in a crash. Even with a new brace they were never quite the same though (didn’t have an issue with wheels coming loose though).
It didn't happen it was all your fault and it doesn't matter anyway. Ask Russ Pinder for details.
This is a well known problem and hot topic a few years ago due in part to a rider who was paralysed after his wheel ejected from a QR fork (Russ, as mentioned above). I think it may have even been the catalyst for the 15mm axles now found on most forks as manufacturers became wary of QR's and lawsuits.
For a realistic view on whether to be worried about it there's good information here from Ben @ kinetic bikes -
http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/technical-info/disc-brake-safety-issues/
Summary - use a good QR and make sure it's done up tight and you will (probably) be fine.
What SteveT said.
I've got a Shimano QR you can have for nowt if you sling a few quid in a charity tin. PM me.
A word of warning - back in the day I had a good friend, and some more (Russ ?????) who had really nasty accidents when front wheels on QR managed to pull out of dropouts.
There is much debate about this - is it possible? do the lawyer tabs work? was it combination of QR/worn dropouts/big disc etc? had the qr been done up? was is a specifit combo of fork/hub/qr that caused it?
From my point of view I saw a front wheel pull straight out of a fork when braking hard - the resulting crash had my friend in a coma for 2 weeks, and he has never fully recovered.
If you have slipping QR's and wheels, please be very, very cautious, especially with the front one.
There is a good couple of reasons we now have bolt through forks as standard - and wheels popping ou
FWIW i've had similar issues on the rear with hope skewers.. sometimes funny squeeky noise until sorted
I’ve got a 160mm Disc on the front, and wasn’t planning to go bigger as this bike doesn’t see high speeds / a huge amount of off-road time.
I didnt realise there was such a huge thing about it back in the day - I’m going to potter home on my bike very gently tonight and try not to use the front brake.
People are talking me into a new fork and front wheel here.....
If your brace is bent, I may have a Blackspire replacement brace kicking around (you know, used to replace the OEM one I bent - were those things made of cheese?).
The blackspire brace was really nice. I had one of those.
OP, If you do look to change your forks the existing ones are still reasonably sort after. If you can find a set you can also swap through axle lowers onto them from some of the later fork models.
This was a big deal back in the day, from memory there was also something about the difference in the clamping actio/forces between a Shimano-type skewer (which have internal cams) and nearly all others (which have external cams) meaning that the Shimano-type ones were less likely to come loose.
I've always used Shimano for that reason.
Hi IHN - you have PM 😃
Check the serrated face of the hub as well. These I think are supposed to bite on the inside face of the fork. Some hubs I have are made with a softer metal in this place and are less serrated / bitey after a bit of use. Same on teh inside surface of the QR.
People are talking me into a new fork and front wheel here….
Again, classifieds, if budget is tight 🙂
Thanks to IHT for sending me a nice black Shimano quick release for the front wheel. Fitted it this afternoon and playing about in the garage I can’t get the front wheel to move in the dropouts. If I get over my man flu before tomorrow I may ride it to work and see how that goes.
99% of the time a decent QR lever clamped properly tight will solve the problem.
For the 1% of the time it doesn't, it might be an idea to change to a bolt-thru axle/fork/wheel.
You won't be able to load it in the garage anywhere close to the sort of loads during a hard stop.... so don't assume it's OK... I hope it is but think of the dynamic forces involved in stopping you and the bike from say 15/20mph.
The shimano cams are the best but I could not get these tight enough to stop the front wheel on my cx from moving slightly in the dropout.
Tried loads multiple shimano / hope / ss jobbies and the only thing that stopped the movement dead was the Dt Swiss RWS skewer. Expensive but better than death.
If this doesn’t work then it’s new wheel time and see how that works with the Shimano skewer. Will get something with a hub that can be converted between 9mm and 15mm bolt through to give me the option of then moving to a bolt through fork if it’s still moving in the dropout.
Not really got the cash to justify a new fork at the moment - would just have to avoid using this bike for a while. I’ve got a 160mm travel fs and a racer so I’m not without other bikes!
Changing to Shimano QR will probably fix it but, it may also be worth checking the alignment of your axle, with respect to the locknuts.
If the axle is not centred - i.e. one end is sticking out further from its locknut than the other end - then there could be too much axle protruding, and this may prevent the QR from clamping down properly.
There are two separate and linked issues - one is that precessional forces from braking can undo the qr and the second is that the braking forces can pull the wheel out of the fork.
Good QR done up tight and checked regularly deals with the first, lawyer lips are supposed to top the second.
Check the QR for tightness before every ride
This is why Cotic made the Roadrat forks with the caliper mounted on the front of the RH fork leg - so that braking forces would tend to push the axle up into the dropouts, rather than try attempt rip it out.