When I put my front brake on and rock the bike back and forwards there seems to be some play, but I cant work out where it is. The headset is tight, the disk is tight as is the brake calliper onto its mounts, but the wheel appears to rotate slightly. I have tried tightening everything and it is still there. I have GT rigid forks in but can't believe that they are deflecting that much under such a small load.
Anyone have any idea what it might be before I head down to the LBS defeated?

Your brake pads are probably moving in the calliper. Try squeezing the brake harder and see if it goes away.

bearings?

how much play exists……small amounts (mm) or larger?

sounds as if it is your brake pads moving.

i have rigid forks and get something similar.

Doesn't help sadly

Turn the sterering 90 degrees and try again – that eliminates wheel moving.

it will probably be the pads moving in the calipers – they must have a clearnce to move in the calipers and all bikes do this – its only a few mm at the wheel rim

Could be fork bushes

The wheel rotates I guess 5mm.

I had a similar issue on my Rocky Vertex.

I kept getting play in the front, and it turned out that there was a fault on my Shimano disc.

When I put on the front brake, I was able to rock the wheel forwards and backwards around 5mm

I think it was the rivets that hold the actual disc to the carrier. They kept developing play.

The problem was sorted through madison under warranty with a new centre lock disc.

Not a Shimano centre lock disk by any chance?

Check if the disk is moving slightly (it will be very slightly) where it is rivetted to the carrier.

If it's a new disk take it up with the shop, otherwise a bit of centrepunching the rivets may fix it.

I've seen similar problems on a centrelock rotor. The chap whose bike it was reckoned it was perfectly normal. Never seen play like that on a bike using 6-bolt rotors

epicyclo – Member
Not a Shimano centre lock disk by any chance?

Mine was a centre lock.

Must be a bit of problem as the 1st replacement Madison gave me had the same fault.

Not centerlock either. will have another close look at the pads moving and will try rotating the bars to see if it is the wheel

Pretty sure here it will be the pads moving.

Though worth checking the caliper bolts and disk mount bolts.

Had a think and all the things that It could be: stem (inc bars), headset, steerer tube, stanchions in seals/lowers, initial suspension give/movement, bearings, QRs etc, brake disk bolts/spline (on Shimano), caliper, pads moving in housing….. any others?….

What sort of brakes are you running and whose pads?

Lionheart – Member

worth checking the caliper bolts and disk mount bolts.

Ah yes, I remember MartynS complaining about something like this on a ride, I had a look at his brakes and the lower caliper bolt was so loose as to be about to fall off!

They are Hayes 9's but no idea what pads as they came in the brakes I got from here 2nd hand

definitely not the mounting bolts though

Was wondering about the spokes or would the wheel be REALLY wobbly if I could get that much movement due to lose spokes?

Almost certainly the pads. It won't be the spokes unless they're really loose.

Try rocking your bike back a forwards holding certain parts (crown, uppers, capliper) and do the same with the wheel turned at right angles.

Does sound like it's most likely the pads, or could be hub bearings.

If the spokes were that loose I doubt you could ride the bike.

It could be just the wheel rocking on and off the tyre tread. put it this way, if it's NOT the headset, or something loose in the fork, and you've checked the stem bolts, and brake mounting bolts…then does it really matter?

It does appear to be in the brake itself – thanks everyone. Never had it in my Hopes or Sole's (well prob did but less noticeable when the suspension compresses – really obvious with a rigid fork). It doesn't really matter now I know it is not important