Equinox

Greetings. When I have my front wheel secured to my fork with the QR skewer it does not spin freely. It's as if a brake was rubbing, but that isn't the case. When I remove the wheel and spin it while holding the skewer, it seems to spin freely. What does this mean?

Andrew R Stewart 

The two common reasons that fit your description are: the wheel is rubbing on something (like a brake pad) and the axle bearings are being compressed beyond their preferred preload.

Wheels can shift slightly as one secures the QR and it only takes a few mms of off center to touch a brake pad sometimes.

The clamping force the QR skewer puts into the axle can result in the axle bowing or bending. This shortens the distance between the axle cones (or the shoulders that locate the cartridge bearings) resulting is significant added load that the bearings have to work with. A common way to avoid this is to adjust the bearing preload so that after the QR is applied the preload is proper. This usually means that one has to trial and error that adjustment to have a freely spinning wheel but with no slop/rocking detected at the rim. There's a tool that one can use to allow cup and cone bearing adjustment with the QR clamping pressure being applied if one isn't able to do the trial and error than try again routine. Andy

Hub Axle Vises – steintool.com

smd4

Andy pretty much summed it up.

Iride01 

Was there some reason you took it out and put it back in the fork? Or is this a new build from a recent online purchase?

It might be important for us to know if this wheel has cup and cone bearings or cartridge bearings.

Equinox

The bike is a seven year old tandem with Rolf wheels. I personally don't know what type of bearings they are. I take the front wheel on and off frequently for transportation. I think I use a lot, but not excessive force when I secure the wheel. I was told that was OK by a technician.

smd4

A lot of us take the front wheel off for the same reason. When you are installing the quick release, it should start to tighten about half-way closed (when the QR lever is sticking straight out from the wheel).

Iride01 

It's certainly okay to take it out and put it in. It's just that you'd be surprised how many seemingly innocent posts like yours eventually end up finding out that the OP did more than just remove and re-install. Some leave off the fact they re-built the hub and lost a few bearings in the process. So many of us are suspicious. <grin>

Not familiar with your bike, but check to see if there are thin lock nuts on the axle that might have gotten loose and the bearings are now out of adjustment. Still depending on what your hub model is, the fix might be slightly different.

Pics always help. Particularly if someone can recognize and is familiar with all the pieces parts involved for that particular bike.

sweeks

+1 !
A very handy tool.

Andrew R Stewart 

As the OP's wheel has cartridge bearings and doesn't have a threaded (thus adjustable preload) axle design I suspect the bearings are getting worn. A new (or in good condition) cartridge bearing will roll smoothly and easily even when the preload is way too high. That same bearing won't spin nicely when well worn and given the same way high preload. The method of checking a bearing's spin that we most all can do is not truly duplicating the conditions when secured in the frame/fork, we spin the axle with our fingers, but with no QR loading.

If this wheel is treasured and if the lack on in fork spin is aggravating enough, the cost to replace the bearings is a bargain. Andy