UKC

Hi

So I finally got out on a proper trail with my shiny MTB (Trek Xcaliber 8). Part way round I began to notice an awful sound whenever I used the front brake properly. After a bit of investigating I noticed that when pulling the brake the tyre seemed to get pulled into the fork and was rubbing.

I have played about a bit and wondered if it was because the QR skewer was tightened too much on one side. Does this sound at all likely? Anyone had a similar problem or any idea what the cause could be?!

Thanks!

In reply to Whitters:


No, very unlikely, a skewer passes through the hollow axle and the tension on each side will be exactly the same as the other, however if the skewer is not tight enough and you have disk brakes then the offset braking force (on just one side of the hub) could cause the axle to move. It is also possible there is a problem with the forks (I assume suspension forks) if one leg is not compressing at the same rate as the other that may cause a problem, but if it still happens when applying the brake whilst the bike is stationary or the wheel is off the ground then neither of these suggestions could be the cause.

In reply to Whitters:

You don't say what sort of brakes - but essentially check that nothing is seized and pulling the wheel over when the brakes are applied. The other thing is check that your bearings are OK and not trashed on one side

Finally, check that your spoke tension is even

In reply to Whitters:

This bike has disk brakes doesn't it? The new ones definitely do.

As someone's said; not the QR - they should give even tension.

Have you ever changed the tyres? Perhaps I'm missing something but I don't see how a tyre gets pulled into the forks as there should be clearance within the frame.

If you've not had it long, return it for investigation to the store you purchased it at.

In reply to EddInaBox:

Check that the QR is tight; you should have to force the toggle clamp lever fairly firmly to get it to lock. If it's loose, it's possible that the wheel is shifting under braking, but if the tyre is hitting the fork, there is something wrong. As said above; if it's a new bike, take it back and get it checked/sorted. You really don't want to suddenly lose a front wheel...

In reply to Whitters:

My guess is that the qr is not tight enough or the wheel isn't sitting in the dropouts correctly.
If heard the rule used that the qr lever should leave a mark on the palm of your hand when closed securely.

In reply to Whitters:

Snapped axle? Take the wheel out, remove the skewer and check that both sides of the axle are attached to each other, ie pull one side.

In reply to gethin_allen:

I did wonder about not sitting in the dropouts properly, but I think that would be obvious from the disk brake binding; there's very little clearance on a disk, so even the slightest misalignment will cause binding.

Thanks.

It has disc brakes.

I'll have a look at what has been suggested and then take it back to the shop for them to have a look at.

Cheers everyone!