Cycling UK Forum

Hi, when riding over severe bumps there seems to be an unsettling clunk coming from the front wheel area.

I have checked all spokes and the headset for tightness. The hub appears to have no play either.

However, I have noticed that the fork dropouts are wider than the hubs I'm using. So when they are tightened by the QR lever it pulls the forks together slightly. There seems to be some play in the skewers inside the hub.

Am I way off with this? Is the solution greater diameter skewers?

Matt

It may be that the solution could be found by using Shimano or Campag QR skewers which are more efficient than the internal cam type.

Of course,the dropout diameter fits the axle, not the skewer. Are you sure the skewer is tight? If the skewer is tight it will take a force of several hundred kg to get the wheel to move.

Noises could be coming from several other places, too.

cheers

I suppose that the axles are not to long to prevent the skewers from tightening correctly ?

George, brucey, I have now seen my error, yes the dropouts rest on the axle not skewer, I have edited my question accordingly, which now presents a different problem I guess.

Tighter qr levers may help though. I have checked most areas I can think of but only seems to happen over pot holes etc. It sounds like there's a gap there somewhere that's crying out for a washrr!!

I have a couple of bike with a 1to2mm gap between dropouts and locknuts when the q/r is slack.The gap is taken up by tightening the knurled knob at the threaded end of the q/r with the q/r lever in line with the hub spindle then I close the q/r.
It should be able to be closed without too much pressure.
If the q/r is tightened correctly there should be no movement of the hub in the d/outs.
As someone else has said,it could be coming from elsewhere.

Sorry to ask a stupid question, but I have seen other cyclists do this and it still amazes me that they are alive, but are you closing the QR properly? The lever should be opened and closed like a door, not spun around and tightened like you would a nut.

IrishBill76 wrote:Sorry to ask a stupid question, but I have seen other cyclists do this and it still amazes me that they are alive, but are you closing the QR properly? The lever should be opened and closed like a door, not spun around and tightened like you would a nut.

I have seen this too.
I remember helping a chap on an MTB who had no idea it was a quick release mechanism,he was totally surprised when I showed him how it worked

Is your headset adjusted correctly?

welshman - if I were you, I'd go to a bikeshop and let the mechanic see this. It all sounds dodgy to me. Don't delay.

If the drop outs are a tad thin (=pressed steel) the QR may tighten up on the end of the axle, not the drop out. If its boarderline, it may feel OK, but shift a tad under force (pot hole etc). Cure would be a washer between wach cone/lock nut, or if you want the simple way, a washer under each end of the QR (outside the drop out), or a washer slipped on each end of the axle (more fiddle to put the wheel in as the washers move about until you have got everything in place.
Re headset, may be well adjusted, but check
1. The cup(s) or crown race are not a slightly loose fit in frame/on fork. Put F brake (not rear) on hard and push handle bars back and forth as hard as you can, look closely at the interfence fit of headset parts/frame/fork to see if any movement (can be very slight). If you bike is grubby (perish the thought), you will see a slight crack/line in the grubby stuff.
2. Check the headset is not pitted - sometimes adjusting leaves it well adjusted between the pits, but will be loose when all is lined up (exactly) with the pits. if you get it all lined up with the pits AND you hit a hole etc, the headset can knok as its loose.
If its pitted, new headset, or the economy method (ie, not paying someone to do the work) remove 1 cup and rotate before pressing back into the frame. Suggest do lower cup as the pits won't line up with the crown pits any more.
If you look at pits, it doesn't take much (visually when looking at said pits) to make a headset feel pretty poor.