I took the rear wheel out of OHs road bike to replace the tyre to a 28. Putting it back in was tight through the brakes, but pushed it through. It now seems to be sitting squint and it tight against the non-moving brake pad, no matter how many times I’ve tried it doesn’t want to move and practically binds the wheel. It looks like one of the brake pads are sitting slightly higher than the other and the tyre is definitely rubbing on one side of the frame.

Any suggestions? It’s driving me nuts!

Most likely explanation is that you haven’t seated the wheel into the dropouts correctly. It’s possible there is excessive paint stopping one end of the axle going in properly.

Thanks scotroutes.

That’s what I thought too but I’ve taken it out and looked really closely at the drop outs and it seems fine. It’s a new bike bought two weeks ago. If I put pressure on the wheel to one side I can get it to sit in the middle of the rear triangle but when I clip the brakes back in, they are tight against the wheel on one side binding the wheel and preventing it from turning.

Is the wheel equidistant from the seat stays ? Assuming rim brakes, are they a bit squint and needing pushed round a bit ?

As Iain says, forget the brakes for the moment, just make sure the wheel is seated so that it’s central.

If it is then you need to adjust/rotate the brakes.

Is the brake off centre?

Is it possible to have nudged the brakes whilst I was pushing the tyre through them? And in doing so knocked them out of alignment?

Not got a clue about Road bikes but this seems to be something really stupid, and I can’t figure it out at all. I’ve checked the drop outs numerous times and can’t see why it won’t sit equally. When I have had it equal, as soon as I flick the brakes back on its out again.

Yes, very easy to nudge the brakes out, they rotate on a central bolt. Suggest you seat wheel (bike right way up, QR undone, then tighten QR, push whole brake assembly round a bit till same clearance each side, check in correct gear. Then undo QR, check seated, do up again, check brakes, check wheel alignment in seatstays, hopefully all is good 🙂

Suggest for your OH’s safety you let someone who knows what they’re doing have a look!

Assuming rim brakes; have a look at the brake blocks. If you pushed hard enough to get the tyre through you can push them partially out of their shoes (if they have shoes?)

did you remove the wheel skewer? its easy to put the quick release springs in the wrong way round, which will stop the wheel sitting square in the dropouts once tightened

the springs are conical, the larger diameter end always goes up against the inside of the quick release mechanism and wheel nut (on the other side) with the smaller diameter end sitting on the quick release shaft

The caliper is on the piss.
(One pad higher than the other is a good give away)
And wtf do you mean by “non-moving pad”.
They aren’t cheap avid discs, both pads move.

It’s quite normal for the brake to swing to one side if the fitting bolt isn’t really tight. Just replace the wheel, make sure it’s central in the frame, tighten the QR and swing the brake back, going a bit further than you need to so that it settles right.

The springs are in correctly. I checked that.

The “non moving pad” is the one that moves the least – they’re tektro (or something).

Someone (who’s a roadie) said to me today check the QR is equal on both sides, I.e. It’s not screwed in more on one side than the other. Sort of checked that but only one side unscrews so can’t see how it would be that.

I do 95% all my own mechanicing on the MTBs so fairly capable on this side of things but there is clearly something that I just don’t know or get about this and it’s gotta be something so simple that I’m being extremely stupid.

I’ll go back to basics and get the wheels centred then sort out the brakes. Failing that it’s going shamefaced to a LBS

😳

Thanks for all the advice – appreciated as always.