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My rear wheel isn’t properly spinning. How can I tell whats wrong?

5 min read

Asked by: Dan Glass

My rear wheel isn’t properly spinning. How can I tell whats wrong?

  1. The wheel itself is bent. …
  2. The wheel is attached to the bike at an angle. …
  3. The wheel isn’t fully ‘screwed in’ (not sure what the proper term is) to the bike frame. …
  4. The brakes are messed up and the closer-farther effect is just an optical illusion.

Why does my rear wheel not spin freely?

It might be that the hub is seized up from rust. You can check if it is the brake or not by loosening the caliper and spinning the wheel. If it spins freely it is the brake not the hub. If it is the hub you might need to get it regreased.

How do I fix my bike wheel not spin freely?


Quote from video: The the quick release lever. And try to push the wheel all the way up.

Why is my rear wheel wobbly?

Wobbling wheels are most commonly caused by unbalanced wheels or suspension issues. Wobbling wheels are bad signs on any car. If the wobble can be felt through the steering wheel and you’re having trouble keeping your car pointed straight, the issue is even more serious.

How do you know if your bike wheel is out of round?

“An out-of-true wheel will be wobbling laterally, from non-drive side to drive side,” says McCloud. Lift up your bike, spin a wheel, and take a look at it from the front or rear. If you can see it wobbling more than five millimeters left to right, it’s time for a wheel true.

Should car wheels spin freely?

If you are in neutral then it would spin freely. Typically a stuck brake will pull to the opposite side when you hit the brakes from it, then when you go you will pull to the side of the stuck brake and smell it for a few miles.

How long should a rear wheel spin?

You should be getting more than 10 seconds. One test for excessive drag is to watch the wheel as it stops spinning. It should oscillate back and forth two or three times as the heaviest section of the wheel settles to the bottom.

Why does my bike back wheel lock up?

Sounds like you may have a bad set of bearings. You will need to: remove the rear wheel from the bike by loosening the axel nuts and the coaster brake. then remove the axel from the wheel, there should be a retainer clip that can be removes from a groove in the axel, once removed, the axel should slide out.

How do you tighten a rear hub on a mountain bike?

Quote from video: Screw the cone in or out to tighten or loosen the bearing on the freehub. Make small adjustments and check the bearing between.

What is a wheel bearing?

What is a wheel bearing? And what does it do in a car? A wheel bearing is a crucial part of the wheel assembly that connects the wheel and the axle. It is a set of steel balls (ball bearings) or tapers (tapered bearings), held together by a metal ring. It enables the wheel to rotate smoothly with a minimum of friction.

How do I know if my wheel bearing is bad?

Top Warning Signs Your Wheel Bearings Need Replacement

  1. Humming Noise. The most easily identifiable and common symptom of bad wheel bearings is audible. …
  2. Squealing, Growling. …
  3. Clicking Sound. …
  4. Wheel Wobble. …
  5. ABS Failure. …
  6. Uneven Tire Wear. …
  7. Vehicle Pulls to One Side. …
  8. Steering Wheel Vibration.

How do you check wheel bearings?

Quote from video: And give it a little shake. If there's any play or any kind of clunkiness. That's kind of one step further towards that is a bad wheel bearing.

How expensive is it to replace a wheel bearing?

The national average is about $350 to fix the wheel bearings at one wheel. As you might imagine, however, luxury brands cost more. Please note: If the wheel bearings need replacing at one wheel, you don’t necessary need to replace the bearings at the other wheel on the same axle. It’s not like matching a pair of tires.

Does the wheel bearing spin?

Along with grease, the bearing rotates in-tandem with the wheel’s rotation, the rolling motion of the balls allowing the wheel hub to rotate as freely as possible.

Should wheels turn in park?

Whether you park your vehicle facing uphill or downhill, the rule of thumb is to turn your wheels so that the weight of the car will roll them towards the curb.

Does wheel hub rotate?

The hub and drive shaft rotate inside a cast hub carrier which is turned left or right to steer the car. Driven rear hubs with independent suspension do not need a steering mechanism but sometimes self-steer.

Do both rear wheels spin?

The differential is what allows the wheels to turn at different speeds. The vast majority of rear-wheel drive cars have an open differential. This means that the rear wheels can spin independently of each other.

How do you straighten a bicycle tire?

Quote from video: The best way to fix this is on a truing stand you can do it on your bicycle. And we're using your brake pads but it's a little bit more harder.

How can you tell if your rim is bent?

4 Signs That Your Tire Rim Is Bent – And Needs To Be Replaced

  1. Vibration And Shakiness When Steering. …
  2. Your Car Isn’t Handling The Way It Used To. …
  3. There Is Visible Damage To Your Wheel. …
  4. Your Tire Keeps Deflating.


What does a bent rim sound like?

Common symptoms of a bent rim include: Vibration in the steering wheel at moderate & high speeds. A thumping sound that gets faster when you accelerate.