Help with lateral movment on my front wheel...

[the_ryder]

Hey All -

I was wondering if I could get a bit of help with my bike...

After I fasten the quick release on my bike securely I am getting quite a bit of sideways movement on the wheel - I can take my hand and move the wheel sideways. I imagine this play with the wheel could be potentially dangerous at high speeds - can anyone help me out with what is going on?

By the way - I ride a Scattante R550.

Thanks

 

[Insight Driver]

Hey All -

I was wondering if I could get a bit of help with my bike...

After I fasten the quick release on my bike securely I am getting quite a bit of sideways movement on the wheel - I can take my hand and move the wheel sideways. I imagine this play with the wheel could be potentially dangerous at high speeds - can anyone help me out with what is going on?

By the way - I ride a Scattante R550.

Thanks

I think you should take the wheel off and check to see if the axle is loose. Sounds to me that you may have to adjust the bearing pre-load. Do you have experience with maintaining your bike? If not, take the bike to a shop to let an experienced person look at it. What you have is dangerous to ride and if left alone will also damage your wheel to the point it is not worth fixing.

 

[dhk]

I think you should take the wheel off and check to see if the axle is loose. Sounds to me that you may have to adjust the bearing pre-load. Do you have experience with maintaining your bike? If not, take the bike to a shop to let an experienced person look at it. What you have is dangerous to ride and if left alone will also damage your wheel to the point it is not worth fixing.

Insight covered what to do if the movement is caused by loose bearings in the hub. If there is play in the hub, that certainly needs to be corrected. But the play could also be normal flexing of the rim.

Some degree of lateral flex in the wheel isn't dangerous because bikes corner mostly by leaning. They don't put lateral stress on their wheels like car tires do when cornering. By pushing with the palm of your hand, say with at least 20 lbs force, believe most front rims will touch the brake pads.

If you can easily push the rim side-to-side until it touches just with your thumb, that could indicate you have really loose spokes. If so, suggest you take the wheel to your LBS to be checked out and re-tensioned if necessary.

 

[Retro Grouch]

It sounds to me like your hub bearings are loose. If you want to fix it yourself you need the right size cone wrench for your hub, probably 14mm, and a 17mm end wrench for the lock nut.

 

[artmichalek]

A quick way to check the bearings is to pick up the front of the bike, then push the rim side to side. If you hear a rattle or knocking sound coming from the hub area something is loose. If not it's most likely just the wheel flexing.