Bicycle Mechanics - quick release problems?

i have an old 76 grand prix raleigh. the problem with that bike is the rear wheel. when i ride the bike, the rear wheel moves to the left, sometimes enough to rub the tire against the frame. i looked at the bike and later found out that the quick release is a little bent. could this be the source of my problems and easily fixed with a new quick release?

It's certainly worth the $5 to try. ;)

More likely the quick release skewer is bent because the wheel shifted, because the QR wasn't tight, or the axle is long on at least one side. The bend in the skewer will be pulled out when the QR is tightened.

i have an old 76 grand prix raleigh. the problem with that bike is the rear wheel. when i ride the bike, the rear wheel moves to the left, sometimes enough to rub the tire against the frame. i looked at the bike and later found out that the quick release is a little bent. could this be the source of my problems and easily fixed with a new quick release?

Go pick up a good internal cam shimano quick release skewer:

http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product_images/Medium/M970_QR_SKEWER%3BWarehouse%3BWarehouse.jpg

Shouldn't run you more than $5.

Go pick up a good internal cam shimano quick release skewer:

http://www.ukbikestore.co.uk/product_images/Medium/M970_QR_SKEWER%3BWarehouse%3BWarehouse.jpg

Shouldn't run you more than $5.

I wanna know where you are getting XTR skewers for 5 bucks, even wholesale!

question, i have bent the quick release again, think it was too long. but just making sure is there anything else that can cause the wheel to shift to the left where its close enough to rub the frame? or is it only the quick release causing the problems?

question, i have bent the quick release again, think it was too long. but just making sure is there anything else that can cause the wheel to shift to the left where its close enough to rub the frame? or is it only the quick release causing the problems?

Bent or non-parrallel droppouts will cause the wheel to slip, can even cause the quick release to bend.
Is the bend outside the droppouts or inside the droppouts?
An impact can also bend the quick release.

Assuming the bend is inside the droppouts, the entire rear axle is likely bent. The temporary fix is to rotate the axle at the cone retaining nuts (the entire axle not the cones & nuts on the axle) in whatever position aligns your wheel best, most likely with the bend downward. Even then, it is going to slip occasionally. The bend would be a precursor to breakage so you will eventually need replace that
axle.

I think your problem was more likely to be a not-tightly-enough-installed quick release. You really need to honk on it, especially with semi-horizontal dropouts on a Varsity. You should feel resistance at the halfway point of the QRs travel, i.e. when it's in line with the skewer itself.

I think your problem was more likely to be a not-tightly-enough-installed quick release. You really need to honk on it, especially with semi-horizontal dropouts on a Varsity. You should feel resistance at the halfway point of the QRs travel, i.e. when it's in line with the skewer itself.

It wasn't a Schwinn Varsity it was a Raleigh Grand Prix. The heavy hi-tensile Schwinn Varsity's had bolt on axles holding their steel wheels in place in those days. The Grand Prix was slightly upscaled from the chromo Schwinn Super Sport.