Bicycle Mechanics - rear wheel, chainstay seriously bumming me out

If I don't cinch down the rear QR as tight as I can, the rear wheel will drift into the left chainstay before I can even clip in. I know I'm not suppose to be tightening the QR that much either, but if I do, it will behave itself. The wheel isn't terribly out of true, and I don't think anything's out of whack on the frame either. I can line up the wheel perfectly in between the stays, lock it down with the QR, but as soon as I go it drifts on me.

Additionally, now even when it doesn't contact the stay, I feel like the wheel is "dragging" itself on something: slowing itself down. I guess I feel like there's a little friction still, but not sure of the source.

Help me :(

Dax

Is the axel too long and sticking out beyond the drpout?Did you mess with the hub and maybe put the outer locknut on wrong? You are using a skewer that gets a good grip and not some POS. Could the skewer be at fault

road bike or mountain bike.. road bikes have two screws that you can use to adjust the "centerness" of the wheel. The axle may be shot though (thats just a guess)

Are the dropouts vertical or horizontal ?

road bike, horizontal dropouts, mavic wheelset, with mavic QR. I got this excerpt from a site:

"With horizontal dropouts, it is possible to mis-align the wheel in the frame if it is installed carelessly. The axle nuts or quick-release must be tightened quite securely, or the chain tension may pull the axle askew."

This is what's happening, I'm almost certain. It is possible then that I need to tighten the quick release very tightly? I remember reading somewhere that excessive tension could cause damage.

EDIT: when I secure the wheel, I can center it just right, but as soon as I get going, I believe the chain tension is causing the wheel to twist. The problem does go away when the QR is very tight - is this necessary?

Dax

like i said.. maybe the skewer or something on it is shot

Put the wheel in without a skewer and make sure the axle does not extend beyond the dropouts.
A QR skewer should be tight enough, but you dont need to force it. Have you used them before ? For my first QRs I got the bike shop to show me how much force is required.

You may have a skewer that is not getting a good enough grip.Mavic skewers work ok on my semiverticals,but have not tried them on horizontal.Rule of thumb is to use palm pressure and have the lever make a good impresion on the palm when closing.

Also, if the axle has done this a few times (sounds like it has), it's possible that it's worn a groove that helps it slip. My old Fuji had that unfortunate problem after I yanked the rear wheel forward on the drive side a few times, and I ended up having a framebuilder buddy stick some vertical dropouts on it. Some locknuts with fresh, sharp teeth and good skewers may be enough... good luck. :)

What you could try is some BMX chain tensioner's. They work great.

Check the alignment of your dropouts, theyr'e probably not parallel to each other. It does take some special tools.

Ride Wright
Pat