Side to side movement in front wheel

[mouseymousey]

Morning all

I'm after some advice from you knowledgable chaps please.

I came off my bike recently and I've now noticed that there is a lot of side to side movement in the front wheel. Being a bit crap with all things mechanical I'm thinking I'll just take it to the local bike shop but I was wondering if anyone might know what the problem could be, and if there are any easy fixes.

Thanks in advance,

Matt.

[-C-]

Is it play in the hub? Or is it movement in the actual wheel rim?

Play in the hub = check bearings, hub fine, but wobbly rim = buckled wheel. Assuming the buckle isn't too bad, your LBS should be able to pull it out with a bit of time on the wheel stand

[mouseymousey]

Now that's what I call a quick response!

I don't think the rim is buckled so I guess it's the hub. Is checking the bearings a DIY job?

[-C-]

What hub is it?

It should be a DIY job, hub dependant. Easist way to tell is grab the wheel & try to waggle it side to side, there should be no play.

[mouseymousey]

If I waggle the wheel from side to side there is lots of play. That describes the problem perfectly.

I've no idea what hub it is though I'm afraid.

Thanks for your input on this.

[-C-]

Check the hub type, you should be able to tell if its a 'cup & cone' type or with sealed bearings.

Either way its fairly easy to work on yourself, have a look on the park tools site for a bit of step by step assistance. Or if all else fails, get down to the LBS & they should be able to sort it out

[mouseymousey]

Cheers, thanks very much for your help.

[Gooby]

Always start with the obvious.

Are the wheel nuts / quick release on and tightened up?

[mouseymousey]

OK, had a play around now and the problem was loose locking nuts on the hub. I've tightened those up and the issue appears to be solved.

Thanks.

[Parrot of Doom]

You should undo them, remove the bearings, clean everything, and grease them back up before you tighten it up again.

Edited by Parrot of Doom on Sunday 8th June 20:53