Big Ed's Workshop - Front wheel change
Being able to whip your front wheel in and out can save you money on labour costs when getting tyres changed or brakes serviced, here's my guide to getting them off and on again.
Front off
Get your bike up on a stand. Paddock stands for front and rear are pretty useful but you can put it on the centre stand and jack up the front. There are a number of different set ups for front wheels. Usually it will be either a spindle all the way through with a nut on the end or pinched in at the fork end with a few bolts. Either way start by taking your caliper/calipers off. Undo the bolts that hold them to the fork and then slide them off the disk. Once they are hanging off you can make a start on getting the wheel off. Undo any bolts or nuts holding the wheel in place and tap the spindle at the small end with a hammer, it will start to pop out, take the weight of the wheel and hammer it through. Once it's out the wheel will be free to take off. You may have to remove the mudguard depending on model.
Front on
Take the wheel and hold it in position, grab your spindle. Now it's worth applying on some grease at this point to keep corrosion from getting in. Slide the spindle back into position and replace any mounting bolts on the forks. Now refit your calipers, can be a squeeze if the brakes have been applied so use a screwdriver to gently prise the pads apart until you can slide the disc between them. Make sure all the pipes are going in the right direction and in a good position and do up the caliper bolts. Job done.
I hope this guide helps with any maintenance you may have coming up, stay tuned for the rear wheel guide coming soon!
29.04.14 - Big Ed
