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Proper way to position the wheel when closing a thru axle QR

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ToiletSiphon

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
So I have a fox 34 fork with a thru axle which has quickrelease-like cam system to close it. I know how tight it needs to be (resistance when parallel to the axle), what I don't know is how should I position my wheel when closing it.

You see, there seems to be a very small amount of play on that system, which results in a wheel position that isn't exactly the same every time I remove and reinstall the wheel. Sometime I get brake rub after reinstallation, sometimes not, seems pretty random. Is there a "correct" way to do it? Should I flip the bike upside down and let the weight of the wheel center it by itself? Should I install it with the bike upright, wheel hanging in the air? Or upright with the wheel touching the ground?

I'm tempted to say there is no right answer but since I can't get a consistent result, I'm hoping there is one!

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#2 ·
I usually will just tighten the lever with the bike on the ground. I've also tightend the axle off the ground while on the bike stand. I've never had rotor alignment issues with thru axles...only with the old quick release axles.
 
#3 ·
^^^^^^^this
 
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#7 ·
Get yourself a screw-in thru-axle from Robert Axle Project and be done with that QR nonsense.
=sParty

P.S. In the meantime, here's the proper way to tighten the one you've got (any QR, actually.)
Have the wheel standing up on the ground.
Bring the fork over the wheel and settle the "dropouts" over the axle.
Insert the TA. You might have to wiggle the works a bit to get it started.
Once started, push the TA through to the threads in the opposite fork leg.
Let the weight of the fork/bike settle on the wheel.
Tighten the TA.
Work the QR if you have one but life's better if you don't.
Don't have a QR, I mean.
 
#8 ·
It might be your hub. I had a similar experience and checked the bearings - DTSwiss 350. They were fine so I reinstalled them and the problem went away. I think a bearing/endcap was very slightly out of alignment.
 
#9 ·
Sparticus said:
Get yourself a screw-in thru-axle from Robert Axle Project and be done with that QR nonsense.
=sParty

P.S. In the meantime, here's the proper way to tighten the one you've got (any QR, actually.)
Have the wheel standing up on the ground.
Bring the fork over the wheel and settle the "dropouts" over the axle.
Insert the TA. You might have to wiggle the works a bit to get it started.
Once started, push the TA through to the threads in the opposite fork leg.
Let the weight of the fork/bike settle on the wheel.
Tighten the TA.
Work the QR if you have one but life's better if you don't.
Don't have a QR, I mean.
Click to expand...
Not 100% behind this "ditch the QR" sentiment. I had an MRP thru bolt that no matter what I did, it'd either creak or pop (sometimes loud enough it sounded like it broke). The threads and length were right (per Robert Axle website). I eventually found a Shimano QR/e-thru that'd fit, but really I mostly go by the old saying of "if it ain't broke".

Also, I always flip my bike upside down - for whatever reason it's easier for me (plus I can lube the chain at the same time). I heard a rumor you can also lube the chain with the bike upright, but old habits die hard. :)
 
#10 ·
I have qr bikes and thru axle bikes. I always tighten with the bike standing vertically on the ground. The weight of the bike kinda forces the axle to sit properly in the dropout. If doing work in a stand, I’ll loosely install the wheel, take the bike out of the stand and set it on the ground. Tighten the qr or thru axle, then put it back in the stand. Takes only a minute.
Nothing wrong with qr. DT Swiss rws qr skewers are nice because you just get it plenty tight then put the lever where you want it. No faffing around trying to get it just right. Better than the cam style for sure (as I look over at my campy record skewers. Don’t you worry guys, you’re not going anywhere).
 
#13 ·
With most TA hub/fork/brake combos it does not matter how you do it - it lines up close enough same every time to avoid rub. For some combos it does not. Sounds like you have the latter.

I think the method you use itself is less important than that you do it the same each time, especially that you do it that way when you set up the brakes.

I do my final tightening with the wheels on the ground, and just a little bit of weight on them (like amt0571 describes above)
 
#14 · (Edited)
kapusta said:
With most TA hub/fork/brake combos it does not matter how you do it - it lines up close enough same every time to avoid rub. For some combos it does not. Sounds like you have the latter.

I think the method you use itself is less important than that you do it the same each time, especially that you do it that way when you set up the brakes.

I do my final tightening with the wheels on the ground, and just a little bit of weight on them (like amt0571 describes above)
Click to expand...
Yeah, I have this issue with a Pike and Guide R brakes. I suspect that getting the QR tightness exactly as it was when I set up the brakes is the biggest piece of it for my bike, and I haven't solved how to do this, other than eyeballing it and trying again. The problem is mostly the low tolerance between the pad on one side and the rotor in my case (due to a chronically sticky pistons/piston advancement imbalance)

But I do feel like the hub/maxle interface has some play in it too.

I could see abandoning QR if I could use a torque wrench to make sure the tightness similar enough each time that I could be done with some of these issues.
 
Discussion starter · #16 ·
Could a bolt-on thru axle like the OneUp F axle help with this problem? I think that it would be much easier to tighten consistently to the proper torque wit a torque wrench instead od the QR.

Envoyé de mon SM-G973W en utilisant Tapatalk
 
#17 ·
Put your bike on the floor and tighten the axle...then align the brake caliper and reset the pistons. See if that helps.

Using a caliper alignment tool can help too.

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#18 · (Edited)
ToiletSiphon said:
Could a bolt-on thru axle like the OneUp F axle help with this problem? I think that it would be much easier to tighten consistently to the proper torque wit a torque wrench instead od the QR.

Envoyé de mon SM-G973W en utilisant Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I have used Robert Axle Project bolt-on axles on three different thru-axle rigid forks and when I switched my Kona Unit's rear dropouts from 135 to 142. I really like the Robert Axle Project stuff, a small USA company that has always promptly replied to any questions I have asked and makes a quality product. A bolt-on axle looks really sleek on a rigid fork. On that note, the axle that came with my Fox 34 fork works fine. I am not sure how you could be having trouble with inconsistent torque when closing the lever. Unlike the old QR setups, with the Fox thru-axle axle nut adjusted properly, it is pretty easy to get consistent torque when closing the lever. Have you made this adjustment?
 
#19 ·
I have a fox 36 with QR Axle, which I remove and install before every ride twice (bike in car). I always put it back when the bike is upside down, so I guess it goes the same way.

Upside down the wheel naturally falls into place as deep as it can go in the dropouts. This is the position that gravity will push it to when it's right side up.
 
#20 ·
I was promised I would never had rotor alignment issues with thru-axels.

At best, I have had.... less of them?
 
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