Front wheel nut

[Willj90]

Hi,

I just had delivered a Falcon monza hybrid bike partly assembled.

I'm trying to remove the front wheel nuts in order to put the front fork in place but they seem locked extremely tight and the other side just turns also when I try and loosen it.

Here is a picture of It http://i63.tinypic.com/eg9t0y.jpg

Is there a standard procedure for doing this as I am completely stuck?

Any help would be appreciated.

[freiston]

To me, that looks like the locknut (which keeps the cone from moving) and so, if the bearings are adjusted and greased correctly, shouldn't need undoing. Strange thing (if it is a solid axle) is that there doesn't seem to be a lot of axle left over to slip in the forks and put the axle nut onto. Is it a solid axle or a QR hub?

[cycleruk]

Do these not suit quick release skewers?
If so there should be two in the box.
Something like this:-
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/bran ... prod128226

Yep' Just checked and uses skewers.

[Brucey]

your picture is of a quick release axle. You do not need to take anything off that axle to fit the wheel; you need to find and fit the quick release skewer. The following link tells you how to use a QR skewer

http://www.bicyclinglife.com/HowTo/UseAQuickRelease.htm

The nuts on the end of the axle in your photo are locknuts to retain the bearing adjustment. If you have loosened even one of these your hub bearing adjustment will be lost. I'd suggest that a trip to the bike shop is probably in order, to set your bike up properly.

cheers

[Willj90]

I don't know what kind of axel it is but there's a hole that runs all the way through it to fit a quick release system that I've also been provided with.

Even so, you rightly pointed out that the forks will no way fit there's just no room.

The instructions say to loosen the wheel nut as seen in this diagram:

http://falconcycles.co.uk/wp-content/up ... 00x350.jpg

It seems to refer to the nut that I took the picture of.

It surely can't be a design fault?

[Brucey]

I daresay Falcon supply bikes with both nutted axles and QR ones. Possibly their instructions are bad or cover both eventualities.... regardless of this, you definitely have a QR hub so you need to proceed accordingly.

BTW if the hub bearings are not correctly adjusted, one possible outcome is that the front hub will seize up as you ride and propel you over the handlebars. There are very many hazards associated with the brakes too. Hence my suggestion that a trip to the bike shop is probably in order, if you don't know what you are doing.

cheers

[Willj90]

Update:

I have put the automatic release system in place and attached the wheel to the forks and have clamped it shut as seen here

http://i67.tinypic.com/141m890.jpg

They also provided me with 2 washers but I assume this is for another type of axel because there is just no room for them....

Does this set up look safe?

Thank you all for your help on this matter.

[531colin]

It appears to be assembled in the correct order.....however, we can't tell by looking if it is tight enough. Set it up so it needs full hand pressure to close the lever. As you close it, you should feel the lever go tight and then fractionally easier as it "goes over" past the tightest point. The lever should be "difficult" for a man of normal strength to open with his hand. The wheel and its release should be tight enough to mark the paint on the frame.

[cycleruk]

Those washers are a wheel retention device if the axle nuts come loose.
The large hole obviously fits over the axle and the little tab locates in a small hole in the fork end.
As you haven't got axle nuts then these are not needed.
What you probably have, although hard to tell from the photograph, are "Lawyers Lips".
These are small protrusions at the fork ends making it that you have to unwind the quick release even after it has been opened.

wheel107.jpg (12.98 KiB) Viewed 1365 times

[JohnW]

...............Is there a standard procedure for doing this as I am completely stuck?..............

Go back to the bike shop from where you bought the bike, and ask their advice - all the local bike shops in our area give a free service anyway, after the first few miles or weeks. They'll advise you.

[drossall]

Make absolutely sure that you close the quick release by flipping it over. I see so many where it has just been screwed up until tight (i.e. do the right way, not the wrong way, in Brucey's link). That's why the lawyers' lips are there; because so many people do it wrong, and it can come unscrewed if you do, whereupon the lips are needed to stop your front wheel coming out as you ride along, and you doing a face plant.