Bicycle Mechanics - Front quick release bracket thingys

What are the screw on brackets (screw to the front fork) on front quick release wheels (late 80's early 90's) really for and tell me why I shouldn't take them off my $30 yardsale Schwinn 564 (was a good day). Would be a downer tohave to take these off as well if/when I flat out on a long ride...

z

I think I know what you mean but a pic would help...

yeah... find camera, take pic, resize... I think I'll get a ride in on her instead. But, yeah, you know what I mean. It like an arm that is on the axle of the wheel and attaches to the fork via screw. Weird. Its like it is to keep your wheel on when you do wheelies after forgetting to tighten the QR.

I know what they are. Junk them. Pull them off, replace them with a similar thickness washer and ride off into the sunset. Lawyers thought they were a great idea. Evidently, lawyers do not fix their own flats.

jim

What are the screw on brackets (screw to the front fork) on front quick release wheels (late 80's early 90's) really for and tell me why I shouldn't take them off my $30 yardsale Schwinn 564 (was a good day). Would be a downer tohave to take these off as well if/when I flat out on a long ride...

z

They're the safety clips that Schwinn put on their front QR hubs to prevent the wheel from falling off if you left the QR undone. They spring on/off with light finger pressure. You shouldn't have to unscrew anything. Schwinn put those on bike from the mid-'70's until they were bought out.

Yep, lawyer tabs. You can live quite happily without them.

That is, unless you're the sort who forgets to tighten your QR!

I bought a used mid-80's Schwinn Traveler frameset on eBay a few years ago the the seller included those brackets. I never installed them.

yeah... find camera, take pic, resize... I think I'll get a ride in on her instead. But, yeah, you know what I mean. It like an arm that is on the axle of the wheel and attaches to the fork via screw. Weird. Its like it is to keep your wheel on when you do wheelies after forgetting to tighten the QR.

Exactly

Supposedly there was a consumer that decided to reattach their quick release by using the lever as a thumb screw, and did not tighten their front wheel properly. They then proceeded to have some sort of accident in which the front wheel came off of the bike. Supposedly they then sued the manufacturer and won. I say supposedly because I do not know who the injured party was, nor the manufacturer that was sued.

The manufacturers came up with different methods to keep the front wheels on the bikes should the quick release lever be attached incorrectly. Some other methods were washers with tabs that wrapped around the stays. Another was built up material on the bottom of the fork stays so that you had to unscrew the quick release lever almost all the way to get it to clear. Also around this time, dealers had a form that consumers were asked to fill out that they had been instructed in the proper procedure of removing and reinstalling quick release front wheels.

If you know how to properly tighten a quick release skewer, these tabs are completely a waste of time. Although I will say that out of all the different methods of adding these tabs, Schwinn's was the nicest because you did not have to unscrew the skewer all the way to get the wheel off.

I do pull wheelies. Big wheelies. And I am forgetful.

Thanks everyone.

I think a class-action lawsuit against Campagnolo is in order. After all, they did invent this diabolical and obviously dangerous device. My life is so much better knowing that lawyers are out there performing their life saving services.
:D