[Closed] Front QR, how tight?

As tight as you can! My Hope QR's are a bit poor I think, to get good tightness without the front wheel shifting from side to side I end upo with a Hope logo imprinted in my hand for days

If you over tighten your skewer you run the risk of over-tensioning. As OP says, stretching the skewer potentially leading to breaking it.

you should get a mark on your palm from the force needed to shut it. But it should only last for a few seconds!

Resistance at 50% of the lever's "swing" (i.e. inline with the skewer itself), and from then on tight enough to require that you have to brace your fingers against the fork leg, and have it leave an impression in your palm afterwards.

Scientific!

PJay you're doing it as per Shimano instructions, that's what I do its always worked for me.
(I wouldn't trust a Hope QR though).

I do it as tight as I can without hurting my hand on the rear (internal cam shimano one)
Up front use one of these (not technically a quick release):
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Then postition the lever under the fork leg so that it cannot undo on the lever side

Bought after seeking and reading too many articles on QR, vertical dropout and disc system flaws and the russ pinder incident. My front QR was developing some play too

James - I've was going to get one of the DT jobs for my front wheel, but then read in one of the mags (WMB I think) that they'd had problem with the ratchet system mangling (or something like that).

Have you had any reliability issues with yours?

No problems no
The lever feels a little flexy when its getting really tight, but I just stop tightening then. I can tighten it up a lot more anyway

I've not had any mud in the internals I don't think (its sprung so the only time its exposed is when you pull it apart (So the 2 sets of connecting teeth detach from one another)

I use Hope skewers and just tighten them the old fashioned ringle way. Never had a problem with loosening.

OK James, thanks for the info. Must admit, I was a bit surprised when the mag said they had problems ('cos other DT stuff I own has been absolutely bomb-proof for years) - I guess the magazine journo's might be swapping wheels & taking them on & off bikes a lot more often than 'normal' owners.

Perhaps, but I have to take my front wheel off to put in the car (or usually both if its one of my mates cars)
I change tyres, have punctures and attempt to sort out brake squeal often enought that I'd have thought its had enough chance to go wrong from going in/out often enough by now

I went out with a group last November and one guy had his front skewer really loose. A bit concerned, I asked him why, he said his local LBS had said not to over tighten it too much as it would cause the wheel bearings to wear (or something like that). I tried to politely tell him he was taking it a bit to extreme and it was dangerous. Anyway, on the trail he tried to do a small drop, crashed into a tree stump and the wheel fell off.

i find that a small bit of lube on the qr (hope ones) makes it a lot easier to get it tighter.

Perhaps, but I have to take my front wheel off to put in the car (or usually both if its one of my mates cars)
I change tyres, have punctures and attempt to sort out brake squeal often enought that I'd have thought its had enough chance to go wrong from going in/out often enough by now

That's good to know. I think I'll get one.

p.s. apologies for thread hi-jack!

Am using Shimano Deore and Bontrager QR's at the moment. Never had problems with Shimano's (apart from normal wear), and seem to be able to get more clamping force on them than Bontragers. Normally tighten them so that very strong resistance is met just after lever is closed half way.

I use the 'resistance halfway' rule.

In 15 years MTBing I've used many different QR and only ever had two problems. For 6 months I used Hope QR on one of my bikes. In that time I had both the front and rear come loose. (Front on stanage Causeway - those will know it will know it's not a good place to have a flappy front wheel). I took the Hopes off and everything's been fine since.

Just get a Maxle!

I bought some Hope QR's to bling up my bike but had probs with them coming loose on more than one occasion even when done up really tight? I thought it was just me but after reading others have had the same issue maybe not. Went back to the OEM ones & everythings been fine.

I do sometimes find that if I over tighten them then I get disc brake rub/squeal so back them off a touch & no probs.

As with virtually every other mtb component, I think you need a really good reason not to use Shimano. esp true of QRs. Just normal plain vanilla Shimano ones. If you can open it with one finger its not tight enough.

Cheers all. Sounds like I'm doing it right then. I've not really thought about it until, after bedding in some pads down a long hill, I was left with a lot of brake rub and wondered whether the wheel might have shifted under braking - it may not have though, I didn't think of the possibility until later after removing and refitting the wheel to check that the pistons were in. I've got nice solid Shimano skewers too.

don't use QR on mountain bikes.....bolt thro on them all

Mostly what other people have said, about 50% before it bites and then you should be pressing reasonably hard to close it. Normally takes 2 fingers to open them.

In general for most uses I think there is no problem with QR. Thousands of riders must use them never to experience any problems.

bowglie/James: I went through this thought process a few months back and asked on here about DT skewers following the numerous threads about the court case ( arghhhh can't remember the guy's name )when a front wheel popped out. I had possibly 2 people say they'd had problems with the DT version, because of ratchet failing. In the end I thought it wasn't worth the £30+ for one up front and I decided to stick with my Shimano qr done up properly until my next fork - then will see what maxle things are around!
Q

ps.... just remembered, Brant posted that he wrecked one on rocks too!
There were a few mutters about them.

Christowkid - thanks for the info. Main reason why I've delayed getting one of the DT's is the cost. Having said that, I can appeciate that they are stronger and safer than even the best QR's. Maybe the ratchet problems are just down to some people being a bit mechanically hamfisted, rather than a fundamental design problem(?)

"Just get a Maxle!"

If only, but my frame and fork and wheels take QR 🙁

The only "safety" probs I've had with QR skewers are with the bog-standard DT ones that came on the bike - they didn't tighten progressively so were difficult to get "just-so". And then the front would work loose during the ride.

I switched to Shimano Deore skewers and they hand-tighten really progressively and so far have never loosened during a ride.

The only "safety" probs I've had with QR skewers are with the bog-standard DT ones that came on the bike - they didn't tighten progressively so were difficult to get "just-so". And then the front would work loose during the ride.

I switched to Shimano Deore skewers and they hand-tighten really progressively and so far have never loosened during a ride.

Hmm..interesting that you've had problems with DT's standard skewers, which begs the question - when DT quote say their RWS skewers have up to 50% higher clamping force than common quick release system, whose QR's are they comparing against - their own or Shimano?

(all this looking for evidence behind manufacturers claims..er...you'd never guess I was a grumpy old scientist!)