Front wheel pulls to left?

hammy7272
hammy7272 Posts: 236
edited October 2010 in MTB workshop & tech
Hello,

After some great advice on here about play in my wheel. I have taken off the cones etc, cleaned and re-greesed bearings. Sorted no more play in the wheel! Not quite, I align the wheel in the centre of the forks but after heavy braking it aligns closer to the left fork leg?

I have tried different strength of tightening but to no avail? :(

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated as usual.

Regards

Comments

  • drays
    drays Posts: 119
    If you're using disk brakes, the braking force could be pulling the axle out of the LH dropout slightly. I had this issue on a new rigid fork I bought.
    2014 Planet X Pro Carbon
    2012 Boardman Hybrid Comp
    2010 Boardman Pro Hardtail
    c1994 Raleigh Outland MTB
  • hammy7272
    hammy7272 Posts: 236
    Hi,

    Thanks for the reply. Yes I am using disc brakes they are new and very strong! How did you correct it?
  • drays
    drays Posts: 119
    The first time I fitted the fork, the front wheel pulled over so much under braking the tyre was rubbing on the fork leg. I got a friendly local machine shop to mill some lawyers lips in the dropouts!
    2014 Planet X Pro Carbon
    2012 Boardman Hybrid Comp
    2010 Boardman Pro Hardtail
    c1994 Raleigh Outland MTB
  • supersonic
    supersonic Posts: 82,708
    What fork, hub, wheel, bike, disc brake?!
    GT ZASKAR CARBON TEAM

    VOODOO CANZO

    Come and see me at https://www.facebook.com/biketyke/
  • hammy7272
    hammy7272 Posts: 236
    Hi,

    Bike is a P1 all mountain specialized

    Rims : Specialized/Alex HRD, 26", pinned, alloy double wall, 32h

    FRONT HUB : Specialized forged, double sealed, ground race, QR, 32h

    FORK : SR Suntour SF9-XCM-V2, 100mm, 1pc. alloy lower, 30mm Hi-Ten stanchions, coil/mcu spring w/ preload adj., spring assisted seals, disc only

    Brakes (upgraded) Avid Exilir 5

    Hope this helps
  • hammy7272
    hammy7272 Posts: 236
    When it does pull to the left the rotors do not rub either, if that helps at all?
  • dr feelgood
    dr feelgood Posts: 6
    I've got a 7 month old Commencal Meta 5.5.3 that has the same problem, it's under warranty but the shop i bought it from is 70 miles away so I don't want to return it unless its something serious - has anyone sorted this problem out at all yet and if so have you any hints or tips please?

    Thanks guys and gals,
    Phil.
  • coxy17
    coxy17 Posts: 401
    i had that problam its the force of the brakes on the wheel try doing your wheel up tighter that worked for me and stopped it moving
  • dr feelgood
    dr feelgood Posts: 6
    got the wheel in work with me now for a quick fettle and the play in the wheel seems ok - as in just enough play when the qr is undone, then no play once the wheel's in the dropout and the qr closed.
    I'll try tightening it up much more later on and see how I get on.

    Thanks for your reply Coxy, much appreciated mate!

    Cheers,
    Phil.
  • konadawg
    konadawg Posts: 447
    This happens, for the reasons previously pointed out. Make sure you have absolutely no lube anywhere near the dropouts or QR clamping faces, use some spirits or degreaser.

    Then, tighten the QR TIGHT.

    With a disc brake setup, due to the uneven twisting forces tending to lift the wheel out of the dropouts on one side, it is essential to tighten the QR as tight as reasonably possible, which is TIGHT - when done correctly it may be quite stiff to release. The grip-notches (??) in the QR faces dig into the fork dropouts ensuring the wheel won't go anywhere.

    Since you have played around with the cones/bearings/etc, because a QR type hollow shaft flexes when you tighten the skewer, it is very important that out of the frame there is a very tiny bit of play in the bearings when correctly set up. When in the frame this play will disappear due to aforementioned shaft flex and effective shortening.

    If you set up the bearings to what appears to be just perfect (or even worse, slightly tight) then your bearings/races won't last more than a couple of rides.
    Giant Reign X1
  • konadawg
    konadawg Posts: 447
    dr feelgood wrote:
    got the wheel in work with me now for a quick fettle and the play in the wheel seems ok - as in just enough play when the qr is undone, then no play once the wheel's in the dropout and the qr closed.
    I'll try tightening it up much more later on and see how I get on.

    Thanks for your reply Coxy, much appreciated mate!

    Cheers,
    Phil.

    You may have misunderstood. Your bearings seem to be set up perfectly. DONT tighten them! It's the QR skewer that needs to be tight, not the bearings.

    What is happening is that when you apply the brake, the wheel is attempting to come out of the left dropout (downwards) resulting in the tyre/rim visibly shifting to the left at the fork arch. If it returns to position without you even having to reposition manually then the QR is horribly loose.
    Giant Reign X1
  • dr feelgood
    dr feelgood Posts: 6
    that's great, thanks Konadawg!
    sorry if my post came across as me having misunderstood how to set the cones etc up - not the case I assure you, I was just having a fiddle with them to ensure they weren't "over" slack rather than set up just right as you've pointed out - I understand it's the QR that needs to be tightened sufficiently now - probably harder than I had been doing previously judging by the sound of things.

    I've also taken note of your words of wisdom concerning degreasing the dropouts to ensure a good grip - I'm pretty sure I've not contaminted them with anything but it's always worth giving them a wipe down with a bit of IPA to make sure.

    I think my problem stems from me only being used to tightening qr's mainly on my hybrid or my previous mtb which both have much smaller rotors and so have less of a drastic brkaing force than the large rotor on the front wheel of the Commencal. I've obviously not been tightening the qr enough to compensate for the force applied when braking and as such the wheel is trying to escape.
    I wouldn't say the qr has been horribly loose but it must need to be much tighter than I'd had it previously.

    Can't wait to get home tonight now, sort it out and then get out for a test ride and see!!!

    Thanks very much to everyone who's replied!

    Phil.
  • stu8975
    stu8975 Posts: 1,334
    edited October 2010
    Get your spoke tension checked, your non disc side spokes will prob be under tensioned causing the pull when your brake. If your wheel was trying to come out of the drop out when braking as suggested, your brake rotor would be fairly warped/bent by now as it would not be aligned in the caliper under constant braking (would be pushed to one side).
    ANTHEM X
    Youth
  • dr feelgood
    dr feelgood Posts: 6
    hmmm, that sounds like a good call too - just to be sure!
    I'll do that myself to save messing about with my LBS but could you tell me roughly how tight I should be tensioning the spokes to please?
    I'll be using a spokey and the wheel is true by the way so I won't be having to try and adjust any misalignment.
  • stu8975
    stu8975 Posts: 1,334
    You will need to get the LBS to check the tension with a spoke tension meter, unless you have one or special tension meter hands/fingers.

    Recommended tension for your rims is 110-130 kg/f. (From Alex rims webby)
    ANTHEM X
    Youth
  • dr feelgood
    dr feelgood Posts: 6
    no worries, looks like a trip to the shop is for the best then.

    Cheers for your advice mate :)
  • konadawg
    konadawg Posts: 447
    stu8975 wrote:
    If your wheel was trying to come out of the drop out when braking as suggested, your brake rotor would be fairly warped/bent by now .

    It wouldn't (necessarily). There is a fair bit of spring in discs, (as you undoubtedly know) - certainly a hell of a lot more than the misalignment induced when the hub moves in the dropout.

    Besides, wheels trying to get away are relatively common! Been there, done that too, in the early days of vee to disc conversion, and seen it happen on others' bikes too.
    Giant Reign X1

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