Originally Posted by Nermal

I don't know the right answer, but I'll tell you how I handle the situation. I completely remove the nut and skewer before removing the wheel, and only replace them after the wheel is back in place. It just seems to make the whole removal/replacement a bit easier. Now, when you're finished, take a look at the amount of thread protruding from the nut. There must be at least 1 1/2 threads showing, or you won't get the full strength of the nut. If there is a whole lot of threads showing (ambiguous, I know) you might want to loosen the nut and tighten the lever side to make sure there is enough thread engagement on the lever side.

I love questions like this. I've just learned that I've been way overtightening the lever. I'm getting ready to fix this right now.