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Frequent front wheel removal/replacement w/ disc brakes

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Frequent front wheel removal/replacement w/ disc brakes

Old 05-09-22, 09:26 PM
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Specialized88ds
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Frequent front wheel removal/replacement w/ disc brakes

Hello. New to this community. I have a Specialized Crosstrail I use for commuting to work in Chicago. Brakes are stock mechanical disc brakes. I driving to the city and ride the final 20 minutes. I remove the front wheel each time to fit it into the trunk.I've noticed my brake pads rubbing. Pretty sure this is because of the constant removal/replacement of the wheel, though I did not check/adjust the pads after winter storage a few weeks ago. Is a simple adjustment needed once or will this issue persist and reoccur? Any tips on how to avoid it once fixed? Should I just remove the pads altogether and rely on the rear breaks only?
Thanks in advance!
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Old 05-09-22, 09:33 PM
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You might consider a proper bike rack so you don't need to remove your wheel. If you are stuck on shoving it into a trunk make sure you are putting the wheel in the right position. It is easy to not put a QR wheel in correctly but if you put it on relatively level ground and keep the bike properly upright you are likely to not have as many issues.
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Old 05-09-22, 10:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Specialized88ds
Should I just remove the pads altogether and rely on the rear breaks only?
No.
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Old 05-09-22, 10:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Specialized88ds
Hello. New to this community. I have a Specialized Crosstrail I use for commuting to work in Chicago. Brakes are stock mechanical disc brakes. I driving to the city and ride the final 20 minutes. I remove the front wheel each time to fit it into the trunk.I've noticed my brake pads rubbing. Pretty sure this is because of the constant removal/replacement of the wheel, though I did not check/adjust the pads after winter storage a few weeks ago. Is a simple adjustment needed once or will this issue persist and reoccur? Any tips on how to avoid it once fixed? Should I just remove the pads altogether and rely on the rear breaks only?
Thanks in advance!
You are probably experiencing a couple of different problems. Disc brakes are closer to the rotor so there is little room for error. If the wheel isn’t in the fork tips (assuming quick release wheels), the rotor will probably rub. Set the wheel on the ground before you tighten the quick release. Visually check to see if the wheel rubs and adjust as necessary.

You may also have a poorly aligned brake caliper (the part attached to the frame). If the wheel was installed incorrectly when the caliper was aligned, you may never find the proper place for the wheel to seat. Insure that the wheel is completely engaged in the fork tips and check to see if you are rubbing. Readjust the caliper if necessary (this is a pretty good guide for most mechanicals).
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Old 05-09-22, 11:40 PM
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Like others, I'm assuming the bike has a quick release. I'd start by checking the brakes since you said you have not checked/adjusted them since last fall. My guess is that is the reason for the rubbing, especially if you have a thru-axle hub. Because.....

I take the front wheel (thru-axle) off and on my disc brake bikes all the time and the pads never rub. The thru-axle keeps everything aligned, unless something gets knocked while you put it in and out of the trunk.

A bike carrier is a good idea since you're transporting the bike every day, A good investment for the use you'll get from it. But make sure it's one you can lock in place so it doesn't get stolen. It would be a big hassle to have to remove it, stash it in the car, and replace it every day.

Last edited by Camilo; 05-09-22 at 11:44 PM.
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Old 05-10-22, 06:06 AM
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There is no reason “frequent wheel removal” should affect brakes if it’s done properly.

Resolving this issue sounds well above the OP’s experience level, so just taking the bike to the shop is probably the best way to go.

If that’s not possible or preferred, as mostly has been said above:

1. confirm wheel alignment in dropouts (does not apply to through axle)
2. confirm proper caliper alignment to disc rotor
3. confirm proper pad adjustment
4. confirm rotor is true

There’s not much else likely beyond that; a bent or misaligned fork is a remote possibility.

Once fixed, take care when handling the bike and wheel not to knock, drop, shove, or otherwise manhandle the bike when removing the wheel, placing it in the car, or reinstalling the wheel. Take particular care to protect the rotor from being bent, as it’s very easy for a wheel to be set down carelessly and the rotor to be bent from a fall or being crammed in the car.
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Old 05-10-22, 07:48 AM
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Is this a standard QR? Assuming everything is aligned and rub free, the issue is made worse by the lawyer tabs and the varying amount of torque placed by the skewer. Count the number of full revolutions needed to clear the fork tabs, when re attaching the wheel use the same number of revolutions with the skewer in the same position. If it rubs, try releasing the skewer, turning it about 1/8 rev in either direction and try again.
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Old 05-10-22, 07:59 AM
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My bike with Tektro Hydraulic disc brakes often has rubbing that occurs off and on even without wheel removal. I believe it caused by uneven, unpredictable pad retraction. The bike is starting it's second year of use, and is only used in fair weather. I just live with it after painstakingly tweaking caliper position to eliminate any rubbing every month or so.
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Old 05-10-22, 08:06 AM
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If you don't have thru axles, you might consider buying a new/used a new front fork with them.

I used to have rear car racks for my bikes, a hitch mount on my Mustang, then a trunk mount for my Subaru. Having just spent two weeks back home in Chicago I think the chances of having another car bumping into a bike hanging on the rear of a car is pretty good, as well as some one grabbing the bike at a stop (unless you lock it to the carrier.

My current car is an SUV bought specifically so I could lay my bike in the back without removing the front wheel (just have to remember not to lay it on the drive side to avoid bending the rear dreailler).

Last spring I bought my first folding bike (a 20"), and with some modifications it rides almost like a standard DF bike. THere are also 26" and 700c folders like the ones from Montague which would be most like a "regular" bike.

Finally, for all the cheap component complications I've had with my 2015 Charge Plug mechanical disc bike, the quick release front wheel seems to go into the front fork exactly right every time, something none of my rim-brake bikes do.
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Old 05-10-22, 01:47 PM
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Originally Posted by BobbyG
If you don't have thru axles, you might consider buying a new/used a new front fork with them.

I used to have rear car racks for my bikes, a hitch mount on my Mustang, then a trunk mount for my Subaru. Having just spent two weeks back home in Chicago I think the chances of having another car bumping into a bike hanging on the rear of a car is pretty good, as well as some one grabbing the bike at a stop (unless you lock it to the carrier.
Same here - sort of: multiple racks collected over the years: hitch mount for various cars, fork mounts for the pickup bed, three different types of roof rack mounts (based on what I've picked up over the years on sale or craigslist), and plan to pick up a rear rack for my wife's car which doesn't have a hitch and she is too short to heft a bike up to the roof rack. FWIW, with the exception of the proposed rear rack, they all lock onto the car and the bikes lock onto the rack (reason I stick with Yakima, to match the keys to my Rocket Box which set the precedent years ago)

My current car is an SUV bought specifically so I could lay my bike in the back without removing the front wheel (just have to remember not to lay it on the drive side to avoid bending the rear dreailler).
.....
FWIW, you don't need a SUV to fit a bike into the back without taking off the wheel. We've been doing it with Subarus for many years, currently with the tiny Impreza and an Outback. A road bike fits fine with the wheel on in the Impreza with the front passenger seat moved and tilted a bit forward, the Outback (and a past Forester), room to spare. When I shopped for my Impreza, I took my bike with me and field tested it in every small car I looked at. Just so you know I'm not anti-SUV: a Suburban used to be my daily driver, and we currently own two 3/4 ton pickups! (long story, low usage, specific purpose for both). But I love driving the Impreza - easy to maneuver and park!
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Old 05-10-22, 02:11 PM
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Thru axles really helped complete the picture with disc brakes. I’m a huge fan of disc brakes, but what the OP is experiencing is clearly one of the weak points with disc/QR configurations. Fiddling around lining up the rotor and QR hasn’t been much more than a minor annoyance for me, but I don’t miss it with my thru axle bikes.
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Old 05-10-22, 02:36 PM
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How bad is it rubbing? You probably just need to ride away and activate the brakes a few times and it'll figure itself out.

If all you are hearing is when you roll it around with the handlebars flopped to one side.... well you don't ride it that way do you? The cable is stretched a little at that point and pulling the brakes closed slightly.

If indeed your brakes are rubbing constantly while you are riding and have activated the brakes a few times, then I'll agree that something need to be done.
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Old 05-10-22, 04:19 PM
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IF it isn't a both pad moving caliper, then get one. You can have a bigger gap. The best is the cable TRP Spyre.
Mine is with a Rohloff in homemade track ends. Never rubbed once or squealed since I installed it. It stops on a dime every time.

Last edited by GamblerGORD53; 05-10-22 at 05:40 PM.
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Old 05-11-22, 01:00 PM
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Thanks for all of the responses!

Yesterday in life, I learned my brakes are actually hydraulic disc brakes. First assumed, then didn't look closely when taking apart the assembly. Removed the pads, saw a silver shiny ring pushing the pad out and pushed it down. Squirted myself with the fluid. I'm a dummy. I did then replace the pad and put the wheel back on, and have done a couple removals since then without rub. Granted, my brake has no fluid pressure and is useless until I do a flush. But I wouldn't have learned this if I hadn't dived in to do it myself, so I don't regret it. I'm new to most bike mechanics, so every screw up is a learning experience .
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Old 05-11-22, 02:04 PM
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Specialized88ds - there are youtube videos to explain almost any aspect of bike maintenance.
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Old 05-11-22, 02:14 PM
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Something you may not know is that the front brake is responsible for the vast majority of your stopping power.

Using only the rear brake in a panic stop will take you 2x - 4x longer to stop than the front brake because of the dynamics of weight shift under braking. In fact, the maximum possible braking force you can use, which will result in the quickest stopping, is when the front brakes are engaged to the point that the rear wheel is just barely unweighted and providing zero braking force. It takes practice to find and hold this point, but that is practice going towards making you a better and safer bicyclist.
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Old 05-11-22, 04:28 PM
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For what it's worth, the Park Tool videos on various topics of disc brakes are excellent.
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Old 05-11-22, 05:59 PM
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If you don't have thru axles, you might consider buying a new/used fork with them.
Best solution, there. Even a cheap caliper used with thru-axle is more dependable than a high-end caliper is with QR-disc.


We all need to agree to not buy any QR-disc bicycles/frames/forks. Let the inferior technology rot on the showroom floor so that retailers get the message that the only acceptable disc brake is with thru-axle frames/forks. In my two most-recent bicycle purchases - a folding bicycle and a mini-velo - I deliberately chose models with V-brakes instead of what I see as downgrading to QR-disc. Rim brakes might not be as effective in the rain/snow, but at least they are relatively trouble-free.
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Old 05-11-22, 08:13 PM
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The actual very very BEST front brake is SA XL DRUM brakes. ZERO adjustments ever. ZERO worries ever. ALWAYS works.
EASY to take the wheel off and with air in the tire. Mine has 29,000 miles with one bearing crumbled.

Last edited by GamblerGORD53; 05-12-22 at 07:03 PM.
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Old 05-14-22, 07:55 AM
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The key to installing a front disc brake quick release wheel is repeatability. My mountain bike has hydraulic disc brakes and a quick release. When installing the wheel I always do it with the bike upright. I lean over the handlebars to use my weight to fully seat the axle in the dropouts and then close the quick release. I do this the same way every time. I never have problems with brake rub on the front wheel.
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