Bicycle Mechanics - Disc rubs on brake pads each time I remove the tire and put it back

Hi there!

I'm completely new at this and I need your help. I'm using the Hayes HFX-9 hydraulic discs. Each time I remove and put back the front wheel the disc rubs with one of the pads. Sometimes after working with the quick release system for a long time, I can "center" the wheel so the disc doesn't rub, but this bothers a lot. At the LBS they told me that you are not supposed to remove wheels from bikes with disc brakes, but that's ridiculous. Possibly I'm doing something wrong when putting the tire back but I don't know what. Can you please tell me what to check or if there is a proper way to put the wheel back? I'm taking a lot of care not squeezing the brake levers during removal and re-insertion.

Your help will be appreciated.

At the LBS they told me that you are not supposed to remove wheels from bikes with disc brakes, but that's ridiculous. Possibly I'm doing something wrong when putting the tire back but I don't know what. Can you please tell me what to check or if there is a proper way to put the wheel back?


That is ridiculous because they are totally wrong. If your quick release is all the way in the drouput and the caliper is centered right and if you dont squeeze the lever ever, then there shouldent be any problem. Put the wheel all the way in perfectly aligned, and then loosen the 2 bolts that hold the caliper on and center it by either looking at the pads to make sure they arent touching the rotor. You shouldent have any more problems after that.

That is ridiculous because they are totally wrong. If your quick release is all the way in the drouput and the caliper is centered right and if you dont squeeze the lever ever, then there shouldent be any problem. Put the wheel all the way in perfectly aligned, and then loosen the 2 bolts that hold the caliper on and center it by either looking at the pads to make sure they arent touching the rotor. You shouldent have any more problems after that.

Hey thanks!

That's exactly what I told them, each time that I want to move the bike I have to remove the fromt tire to put the bike in the car rack.

By the way I forget to mention that the disc is not warped or bent.

Hey thanks!

That's exactly what I told them, each time that I want to move the bike I have to remove the fromt tire to put the bike in the car rack.

By the way I forget to mention that the disc is not warped or bent.


In any case its fine to take the wheel off. You could take the wheel off "just for the hell of it" if you wanted too, and it would be fine.

P.S. Fatman,

You are never supposed to remove the wheel, right?
So next time you visit your LBS, ask them what is their recommended technique to repair a flat, or change the tire...

If they can do it quickly without removing wheels and getting dirty, I'd like to know. Just make sure they don't cut your frame!

just don't squeeze your brake lever because that will close up the pads. i had it happen today on my hope mini's. i just use a screwdriver to pry them back open slowly. you can try a small piece of plastic to put between the pads when you have to remove the pads so they don't get stuck.

just don't squeeze your brake lever because that will close up the pads. i had it happen today on my hope mini's. i just use a screwdriver to pry them back open slowly. you can try a small piece of plastic to put between the pads when you have to remove the pads so they don't get stuck.

Thanks for your warning. As I wrote on the original post that's one of the thing that I pay a lot of attention and care when removing and re-inserting the wheel.

at the shop i work at we have run itno similar problems with the 03 HFX-9 brakes. some of them seem to have a sticky piston so it pushes the brake out of adjustment when you brake really hard. hayes never seems to be much help. all they seem to want to tell you is "your not getting a quality bleed" i dicthed my pair of hayes and just switched to avids because this whole thing just put such a bad taste in my mouth. the mags seem to work great but the hfx9s don't seem to be the best choice. we had 5 customers have problems with them and my boss and myself both had major problems. the people at avid are always nice and helpful on the phone and i feel like they treat we well so I will continue to support them

Not to worry. My Avid mech's rub to. Not enough to create any drag to speak of, but I hear it all the time. Sometimes it will stop if I grab the brake lever, but the next drop or jump and they start rubbing again.

DON'T GO BACK TO THAT LBS

Make sure the brakes are tight in the frame, if they are not, you are leaving a little space between the brakes and the frame, this can be the problem.

Hope this helps!

If they can do it quickly without removing wheels and getting dirty, I'd like to know. Just make sure they don't cut your frame!

Ha!!! You are funny.


at teh shop i work at we have run itno similar problems with the 03 HFX-9 brakes. some of them seem to have a sticky piston so it pushes the brake out of adjustment when you brake really hard...

Ouch! Those are bad news. I have no choice those brakes came with the package and are hard to replace them when the bike is no more than 2 months old. Do you have the service manual in electronic format?


Not to worry. My Avid mech's rub to. Not enough to create any drag to speak of, but I hear it all the time. Sometimes it will stop if I grab the brake lever, but the next drop or jump and they start rubbing again

Well this is exactly what's happening to me, after lot of trouble getting the disc not to rub the pads, some rough running or wheel extraction/re-insertion and I got the problem. You say that in your case there is no drag but in my case I can see the tire stopping abruptly when I spin the wheel.


DON'T GO BACK TO THAT LBS

Make sure the brakes are tight in the frame, if they are not, you are leaving a little space between the brakes and the frame, this can be the problem.

Hope this helps!

You are right, well not exactly with the pad enclosure but with the disc in the rear tire. I will check the front.

The problem could be caused by the fact that dropouts and axels are not perfectly straight or square. Not a problem with rim brakes where the pads are several mm from the rim. With a disk brake where the pads can be fractions of a mm from a disk it can cause a problem.

Rotate the axel in the dropout, close the qr and check for pad rub. When you find the optimum axel position mark the bottom of the axle with tipex or anything else. Then when you next remove the wheel you can put the wheel in with the same allignment and it won't rub.