# Adjusting QR lever. Disk brakes rubbing.



## Original T-RO (Nov 12, 2010)

In order to transport my bike i have to remove the front wheel. Last weekend when i put it back on and started riding i started to hear an occasional squeek. Like every now and then it would happen when the wheel was turning.
Also I noticed my disk brakes rubbing (mechanical disks) intermittently while the front wheel was turning.

Its a brand new bike so i think its operator error.
I think its because im adjusting the front wheel incorrectly when I put it back on.

I have been adjusting the QR lever so it leaves a mark on my hand when i push it like everyone suggest. What about threading the nuts though? Should i only thread the non lever side, or both? How much do i adjust them? I think maybe the wheel is too far to one side if possible, maybe thats causing my issues?

Thanks


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## mimi1885 (Aug 12, 2006)

This could simply be that you did not insert your wheel all the way. It may have slight tilt.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

If you've been messing with the lock nuts, your hub may be out of adjustment. Which nuts are you talking about? The two that sit inside the dropouts, or the on the quick release skewer on the right?

Fixing a hub that's out of adjustment is no big deal, but you shouldn't ride the bike until you do it.

The way hubs are built, your wheel can only be too far to one side if the whole thing was built wrong. While that's possible, it's very unlikely. It's more likely that your axle isn't fully seated in the dropouts when you tighten your quick release. I usually either push down on my top cap with one hand and tighten with the other, or sometimes even lean on the handlebars.

Don't worry too much about your disc brakes rubbing if it's intermittent. If you're not actually squeezing the brake and it's not way off, it doesn't create much drag. So center them as well as you can and call it good.


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## rlouder (Jun 26, 2007)

You are doing the right thing by trying to be consistent when closing the qr lever. It doesn't matter which side of the qr you turn. I usually spin the qr lever because it's easier, then fine turn with the other side as I adjust for pressure to close the qr. As AS mentions, you probably don't need to mess with the axle nuts. You can make sure by checking for side to side play when the wheel is installed.

The rotor touching a pad is called brake drag. While it may not cause enough friction to be noticeable, I don't like it either. Intermittent drag, as you describe, is due to the rotor being warped. It's not uncommon for them to warp a little, and it's easy to fix. 

Truing a Rotor: Look through the caliper while you turn the wheel to locate where it touches. Then rotate the wheel enough to move the bad spot out of the caliper and use a thumb wrench (crescent) to gently bend it a little. It doesn't take much to move it, so be gentle with it and expect to repeat a couple of times.


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## Original T-RO (Nov 12, 2010)

Yes I was talking about the qr nut (and the one on the other side). Like i said its a brand new bike and I dont remember any brake touching when i 1st got it. Ill take the wheel off and reinstall it today and see if i can get it perfect. Hopefully i dont have to start bending my brake disk.


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## antgrave (May 8, 2006)

make sure you clean out the dropouts for any paint debris or dirt...and then push the wheel down into the dropouts tight and evenly....i feel your pain, this is a constant problem of mine.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

My mechanic says that rotors warping is something that happens when they get wet, and then the brakes are applied. I'm not sure if they also have to get heated. Rotors sometimes get hot enough to turn funny colors or burn someone's skin. That's enough of a temperature difference to make the metal expand too, and I'm willing to bet that it doesn't happen at an even rate.

I wouldn't worry about minor warping. Fix it and it'll just happen again.


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## William_Cannon (May 5, 2009)

The problem could be the QR tightness is different each time you put the wheel back on, which causes the frame or fork to shift enough to change the positioning of the brake.

I just picked up some of these to remedy this problem and so far so good.
http://www.1upusa.com/quicknuts.html

Sometimes a cheap hub (not true all around) can also make a wheel sit differently, which can lead to brake rub.


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## hazdxb (Oct 11, 2008)

AndrwSwitch said:


> My mechanic says that rotors warping is something that happens when they get wet


Weren't disc brakes designed to handle wet weather, because V-brakes would be completely useless in that situation?
To the OP, sorry this is kinda off topic


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I'd rather have a slightly warped rotor than chew through a set of rims every season. My disc brakes get wet routinely, and the rotors have yet to warp enough to effect function - I've actually never even heard them ping when I wasn't actually braking.

So maybe it's just Roundagons or Tektro rotors or whatever not being that well made.


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## equalme (Sep 8, 2010)

William_Cannon said:


> The problem could be the QR tightness is different each time you put the wheel back on, which causes the frame or fork to shift enough to change the positioning of the brake.
> 
> I just picked up some of these to remedy this problem and so far so good.
> http://www.1upusa.com/quicknuts.html
> ...


The quicknuts from 1upusa works perfectly. I used it for a while and just got tired removing/installing the front wheel all together and picked up a Kuat Sherpa.


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## b-kul (Sep 20, 2009)

if they are avid (maybe other brands too) you should be able to take off your wheel, spread the pads all the way, put the wheel back on and tighten it, give the lever a couple squeezes, and you are all set.


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## Crosstown Stew (Aug 16, 2008)

Original TRO, if your bike is new, I can bet almost 100% the rotors are not warped so don't start bending on them. It takes a lot of heat then rapid cooling, water usually, to do this over time. 99% of rotor warps are from people banging the rotor on something when taking the wheel on or off or wrecking their bikes. 

If your wheel was working fine before you took it off the bike, it is simply not setting right when you put it back on. The easiest way to set it in is flip your bike upside down, reset wheel, spin wheel to make sure it is not rubbing, then re-tighten skewers. Or reset wheel with bike upright and with the skewer loose, press firmly on your handlebars and cycle the fork several times then tighten skewers and spin wheel to see if it;s rubbing. 

If that doesn't work, you can re-align your calipers by, with the skewer tightened, loosen your two allen bolts for your caliper mounts to the fork so that your caliper can move, float, and spin the tire then pull brake lever and hold it tight. Retighten the caliper mounting allen screws while keeping the brake levers pulled tight. 

If none of this works then you might want to bend your rotors as a last resort but for most people, I would recommend this as a last resort unless you can visually tell the rotor is warped.


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## paulrb02 (Aug 3, 2009)

Yeah when you keep your bike upright and put a wheel on that way its hard to tell, but you can have a slight angle from that. Best way is to flip the bike upside down and push down on it from the hub. 

Also watch on how tight you do the lever. I how have a 20mm thru axle (mostly because I hate doing QR too) I can tighten that harder than normal and get the disc to rub, but if I use the same pressure each time I'm good. 

All in all it is a pain, take some practice runs at home for a little while, and see what different variations you get and you will figure out a method. After you find a consistent pattern then set you break to that position. Or do like me and get a hitch rack that doesn't require you take off the wheel. Its expensive but very effective.

Also: your wheel gets aligned from the inside of the fork, so the position of the nuts on the outside doesn't matter(but the pressure from the QR might).


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