Scratcher09

I just bought a Raleigh Clubman and the rear wheel will not stay aligned no matter how tight the axle is. When I push hard on the pedals, the chain pulls the wheel out of alignment till it rubs the frame (at the bottom). What could be causing this?

Jeff Wills

How are you tightening the quick-release? Are you swinging the lever closed to lock it in place or are you turning it like a wingnut?

Since you just bought it, you should take it back to the store and have them look it over and correct the problem.

SkyDog75

One possibility is that the quick release lever isn't tight enough. When you flip the lever to lock it, it should be pretty darn tight. One common 'rule of thumb' is that if closing the lever doesn't leave an imprint on your palm, it's not tight enough.

Another possibility, although I don't think it's likely, is that the axle extends past the face of the dropout (frame) on one side of the bike so that when you close the quick release, it's clamping down on the end of the axle and not the dropout.

Yet another possibility is that your skewers simply don't "bite" enough. A large majority of new frames have vertical dropouts, unlike your Clubman, so newer skewers generally don't have to be strong enough to resist the force of the chain. The frame keeps the axle in place and the skewer simply keeps it from falling out. There's some criticism out there claiming that newer-style skewers with exposed cams or aluminum serrated teeth can't resist slipping well enough when used in horizontal dropouts. The solution is to use an internal cam skewer with steel teeth. Campagnolo and Shimano skewers are well-regarded. Velo-Orange also offers skewers that fit the bill.

Rowan

As issue I had on one of my bikes was that over time, the QR had gouged a depression in the dropout, so that the serrations on the acorn nut weren't sitting and getting full "bite"; when torque was applied to the wheel, it would pull the whole thing sideways.

If the bike isn't new, as in used, check the dropouts to make sure they are smooth. If not, they need to be filed smooth again.

Sheldon Brown also was not enamoured of some types of acorn nuts used on QRs. I think he particularly disliked the ones with the plastic outer, and he much preferred the solid metal ones.

Or it could be that you aren't using the QR properly, as pointed out by previous posters.

garage sale GT

Don't overtighten the skewer. That will quickly ruin a hub.

I think I know your problem. Your bike has a different width hub than it was designed for. Or, it could have been converted properly to take a different width hub, and is now unable to hande the right hub.

The problem is the dropouts don't bear squarely on the ends of the hub.

I put a modern 130mm hub in a 126mm '85 Schwinn and it pulled out of alignment. I had spread the rear of the frame to take the wheel. It didn't work until I permanently bent the dropouts inward again with a large wrench so they'd bear squarely on the ends of the hub.

Take the skewer out of the wheel and put it in the bike in order to try to determine if the dropouts are bearing squarely on it. If the wheel has a few millimeters of clearance or if you have to wedge the frame apart a few solid millimeters in order to get the wheel in the bike, then the dropouts won't be parallel even if they are parallel without the wheel in the bike.

Too much skewer pressure can ruin a hub and if the frame is misaligned it will be even worse because the axle will be slightly bent. The axle can't handle the job of acting as the fulcrum. It will flex slightly and the ball bearings will be too tight at one spot and too loose on another. They will not carry the weight of the bike and rider properly and will quickly wear out.

This thread is for a Raleigh Clubman which is a steel bike. Some sources warn against ever trying to modify an aluminum frame by bending it to take a different width hub.

garage sale GT

If you put any miles on it at all with the wheel clamped in a misaligned frame or clamped in too firmly (or both,) the axle cones may already be toast. The cups in the hub last longer than the cones so there's still a chance to save your hub. Changing the cones and bearing balls is not so expensive and requires only two inexpensive special wrenches.

SkyDog75

We'd agree that too much compressive force on the hub bearings is bad, but I'd argue that it's too-tight cones, not skewers, that are the problem. Properly-adjusted cones allow for tight skewers without excessive load on the bearings.

Of course, this assumes traditional loose bearing hubs with cup-and-cone.

Unless it's a new bike, in which case a hub width mismatch is unlikely. Maybe the OP can confirm if this is a new bike. If it's an older one with non-original parts, there are obviously more variables.

garage sale GT

There should be a little slack in the cone adjustment to allow for proper skewer tension but if you make it extra tight to correct a misalignment issue, then the slack is not enough.

Also, if you do, you're using one end of the serrated locknut on the end of the hub as a fulcrum to straighten out the dropouts. If normal skewer tension can compress the axle, then excessive skewer tension applied to one edge of the serrated locknut on the end of the hub can probably both shorten the axle too much and bend it, so the bearings at three or nine o'clock are much too tight and the bearings at twelve o'clock (where the weight of the rider is carried) are leaving their track a bit then being squeezed diagonally back in line.A Clubman is definitely a classic Raleigh model from the days they were built in England, though I guess they could have carried the name over.

SkyDog75

Fair enough. I believe a tight skewer is a good thing, but not "extra tight to correct a misalignment issue".

The Clubman name was being used for new Raleigh bikes as recently as the 2013 model year.

laifer_69

Hello all,

I had the same problem some time ago. I just couldn't keep the rear wheel centered.

I discovered that the wheelset i was using had a loose right hub lock nut. This allowed some lateral play to the freehub body which caused the wheel to be 'pulled' to the left as evidenced by the rub marks on the left chainstay.

Please excuse my imprecise description but that's my best guess at a potential cause of this problem. Hope this is of some help.

Laifer

pumabicycle

I've had this problem. The cure was a visit to a framebuilder who aligned the frame and the dropouts. $20

Andrew R Stewart 

We're all shooting in the dark as to reasons for the OP's problem. Some have said situations that are really pretty off in their likely hood or just not experienced in real life. But some have mentioned actual reasons that could contribute. Without more detail all we can do is to list possibilities. But if some of us hand a few minutes of hands on we'd go right to the real issue. The OP needs to get this bike in a pair of hands. Andy.

garage sale GT

True, the dropouts or rear frame could simply have been accidentally bent out of whack.

A lot of bikes like vintage Clubmans were converted in the past decade or so to take a 110 or 120mm track hub, though; the bike could be a reconverted fixed gear conversion. And road bike rear wheels changed from 120 to 126 to 130 (and some others; ) you can put a 126mm 6 speed in a 120mm 5 speed frame and it will seem to shift fine with a few adjustments to the friction shifters. They look the same and a person restoring a bike may not even be aware that it needs a different wheel.

ksisler

OP; Time to take the bike to a shop or a friend who has a drop-out alignment tool and knowledge on how to use it.

garage sale GT

It's not just the alignment but the width because if the dropouts are too wide or narrow for the current hub then they won't be aligned when the skewer is tightened even if they are now. Then when it's opened they can flex back into alignment depending on how bad the difference in width is.

Scratcher09

I apologize for taking so long to respond. I went camping in New Mexico and got back last night. I bought the bike used. Is there a way for me to determine what year it is from? I don't have alot of knowledge regarding bicycle mechanics, but I work on motorcycles for a living so I'm sure I can figure out bicycles--especially with some guidance. I looked at the dropouts and they seem to be square. The paint is worn but the metal surface is undisturbed. The hub fits easily into the dropouts without having to bend the frame. I understand how to tighten the quick releases, but when I put alot of pressure on the pedals, the chain still pulls the wheel out of alignment.

cny-bikeman

A used bike could well have too long an axle protrusion for the dropout. I agree a pair of mechanic's hands is the most reliable fix, but see the pic below for the proper setup. Note that the axle does not protrude past the dropout's outer face. Remove the skewer and check to see if that is the case on your bike. If the axle end does reach the face of the dropout the skewer will tighten against the axle end instead of the dropout face. Careful grinding will resolve the issue, or if the problem is on the drive side only one can sometimes add a washer.


P.S. One other cause not mentioned is stripped threads on the q/r skewer or end nut.

Scratcher09

I checked to see if the axle protrudes on either side, but it does not. I also checked to see if the skewer/nut threads are stripped,but they look fine.

JTGraphics

I had this issue if you have no luck fixing it as others have mentioned on what to look for, I had this issue with my Easton wheels and the skews that came with them. I bought some Shimano DuraAce skews and it stopped.
They are not cheap but they do have the best clamping power of any skews as far as I'm concerned with smooth and easy action to them.

Scratcher09

If I need new skewers, do they come in different sizes?

cny-bikeman

Skewers vary only in length generally. You need to get ones with internal cams, but to confirm the skewer is the problem first swap with a known good skewer - another bike of yours or a friend's.

garage sale GT

I would measure before giving up on the wrong hub width issue. It can be a difference of 2-4 mm. 8 speed cassette hubs came in 126 and 130 mm wide and maybe some others.

It may not be the stock rear wheel. The wheel looks a little more modern than the frame but I don't know my components year by year.

I had problems with a coaster brake cruiser getting misaligned because I got some molybdenum disulfide lube on the dropouts. Maybe cleaning the lube off carefully with a solvent would help.

One thing, though. Adjust the skewer for proper clamping force and stop there. Too much can ruin a hub. There's a problem elsewhere.

Sixty Fiver

This is a good reason to support your local bike shop.

Scratcher09

I figured it out. (Thanks to advice provided here). I inspected the skewer and noticed the teeth on the quick release and the nut are almost flattened out and smooth. I took the skewer off my Cannondale mountain bike and installed it on the Clubman. Problem solved. The smoothed surface was not able to bite onto the dropouts causing the slippage. The skewers on this clubman have no writing on them other than "open" and "close". Could these be cheap aftermarket skewers? So now I know I need new skewers. To get the size, do I measure only the shaft or is the quick connect included in that measurement?