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Front wheel falling out of forks?

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Andyb1:
Hi,
I have not had the front wheel fall off (yet) but the fork drop outs on my Sherpa are flat steel and would not retain the ends of the Q/R skewer if it came loose (and it is probably the same at the rear dropouts).
On other forks there is often a raised ridge around the skewer ends so that the skewer has to be undone a few turns in order to remove the wheel rather than just being loosened.
I am probably just being paranoid, but is this a potential problem or not?

JohnR:
See "lawyer lips" at https://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_l.html .

"The introduction of disc brakes has caused increased vulnerability of the front axle and skewer, due to the disc brake applying an ejection force that tends to pull the axle out of the fork." If you've got rim brakes then the risk of a slightly loose wheel self-ejecting is much lower. If it's loose enough to be able to fall out then you should notice.

Andyb1:
Thanks John, those Sheldon Brown articles made interesting reading.
My Sherpa has rim brakes and enclosed type over-centre locks - so should be OK - but something to keep an eye on.

Andyb1:
What was at the back of my mind was that I did have a rear wheel loosen last year.    The bike had security skewer ends which are done up with an allan key, and about 15 miles earlier I had swopped innertubes at the roadside after a puncture.   Probably I did not tighten the skewer enough when I replaced the wheel, but I got rid of the security skewer ends and fitted conventional over centre skewer ends which I am more used to.

Has anyone else had any problems with the allan key type skewer ends, or was it just me not tightening it enough?

PH:

--- Quote from: Andyb1 on October 04, 2023, 08:57:51 am ---Has anyone else had any problems with the allan key type skewer ends, or was it just me not tightening it enough?
--- End quote ---
Disc brakes or rim?  Sorry, but I think that was almost certainly user error, very slightly less certain with discs.  I've never heard of any wheel popping out of the rear dropout, it just isn't subjected to the same forces.
I use the security version of hex key skewers on all QR wheels, including two front discs.  Depending on the design of the cam, they can be better than QR levers, they're at least as secure as the best. Even so, I check mine whenever I'm also checking tyre pressures, so that's at least once a week on my most used bike. just back it off a turn, check the wheel is correctly seated and re-tighten.  I'm in no hurry so haven't put a stopwatch to it, but I'd be surprised if checking pressures, skewers and brake blocks takes more than five minutes.   
The examples of wheels coming out of the dropout are rare, but the idea has rightly gained a lot of publicity due to the potential consequences.  We have the development of thru axles thanks to that publicity and IMO they're a better design all round. Enough of an improvement that I wouldn't buy another QR fork, but not so much that I'd consider swapping the current ones.

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