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(1) With a cam action system, move the cam lever to the OPEN position (see fig. 8 a &
b). The lever should be on the side of the wheel opposite the derailleur and freewheel
sprockets.
(2) On a derailleur bike, make sure that the rear derailleur is still in its outermost, high
gear, position; then pull the derailleur body back with your right hand. Put the chain on
top of the smallest freewheel sprocket.
(3) On single-speed, remove the chain from the front sprocket, so that you have plenty
of slack in the chain. Put the chain on the rear wheel sprocket.
(4) Then, insert the wheel into the frame dropouts and pull it all the way in to the
dropouts.
(5) On a single speed or an internal gear hub, replace the chain on the chainring; pull
the wheel back in the dropouts so that it is straight in the frame and the chain has about
1/4 inches of up-and-down play.
(6) With a cam action system, move the cam lever upwards and swing it into the
CLOSED position (fig. 8 a & b). The lever should now be parallel to the seat stay or chain
stay and curved toward the wheel. To apply enough clamping force, you should have to
wrap your fingers around the fork blade for leverage, and the lever should leave a clear
imprint in the palm of your hand.
(7) With a through-bolt or bolt-on system, tighten the fasteners to the torque
specifications in Appendix D or the hub manufacturer’s instructions.
NOTE: If, on a traditional cam action system, the lever cannot be pushed all the way to
a position parallel to the seat stay or chain stay, return the lever to the OPEN position.
Then turn the tension adjusting nut counterclockwise one-quarter turn and try tightening
the lever again.
WARNING: Securely clamping the wheel with a cam action retention device takes
considerable force. If you can fully close the cam lever without wrapping your
fingers around the seat stay or chain stay for leverage, the lever does not leave a clear
imprint in the palm of your hand, and the serrations on the wheel fastener do not
emboss the surfaces of the dropouts, the tension is insufficient. Open the lever; turn
the tension adjusting nut clockwise a quarter turn; then try again. See also the first
WARNING in this Section, p. 18.
(8) If you disengaged the brake quick-release mechanism in 3. c. (2) above, re-engage
it to restore correct brake pad-to-rim clearance.
(9) Spin the wheel to make sure that it is centered in the frame and clears the
brake pads; then squeeze the brake lever and make sure that the brakes are operating
correctly.
B. Seat post cam action clamp
Some bikes are equipped with a cam action seat post binder. The seat post cam action
binder works exactly like the traditional wheel cam action fastener (Section 4.A.2) While
a cam action binder looks like a long bolt with a lever on one end and a nut on the other,
the binder uses an over-center cam action to firmly clamp the seat post (see fig. 8a).
curved toward the wheel. To apply enough clamping force, you should have to wrap your
fingers around the fork blade for leverage, and the lever should leave a clear imprint in
the palm of your hand.
(b) With a through-bolt or bolt-on system, tighten the fasteners to the torque
specifications in Appendix D or the hub manufacturer’s instructions.
NOTE: If, on a traditional cam action system, the lever cannot be pushed all the way to a
position parallel to the fork blade, return the lever to the OPEN position. Then turn the
tension adjusting nut counterclockwise one-quarter turn and try tightening the lever again.
(6) With a through-bolt or bolt-on system, tighten the fasteners to the torque
specifications in Appendix D or the hub manufacturer’s instructions.
WARNING: Securely clamping the wheel with a cam action retention device
takes considerable force. If you can fully close the cam lever without wrapping
your fingers around the fork blade for leverage, the lever does not leave a clear
imprint in the palm of your hand, and the serrations on the wheel fastener do not
emboss the surfaces of the dropouts, the tension is insufficient. Open the lever; turn
the tension adjusting nut clockwise a quarter turn; then try again. See also the first
WARNING in this Section, p. 18.
(6) If you disengaged the brake quick-release mechanism in 3. a. (1) above, re-engage
it to restore correct brake pad-to-rim clearance.
(7) Spin the wheel to make sure that it is centered in the frame and clears the brake
pads; then squeeze the brake lever and make sure that the brakes are operating correctly.
c. Removing a disk brake or rim brake Rear Wheel
(1) If you have a multi-speed bike with a derailleur gear system: shift the rear
derailleur to high gear (the smallest, outermost rear sprocket).
If you have an internal gear rear hub, consult your dealer or the hub manufacturer’s
instructions before attempting to remove the rear wheel.
If you have a single-speed bike with rim or disk brake, go to step (4) below.
(2) If your bike has rim brakes, disengage the brake’s quick-release mechanism to
increase the clearance between the wheel rim and the brake pads (see Section 4.C,
figs. 11 through 15).
(3) On a derailleur gear system, pull the derailleur body back with your right hand.
(4) With a cam action mechanism, move the quick-release lever to the OPEN position
(fig. 8b). With a through bolt or bolt on mechanism, loosen the fastener(s) with an
appropriate wrench, lock lever or integral lever; then push the wheel forward far
enough to be able to remove the chain from the rear sprocket.
(5) Lift the rear wheel off the ground a few inches and remove it from the rear
dropouts.
d. Installing a disk brake or rim brake Rear Wheel
CAUTION: If your bike is equipped with a rear disk brake, be careful not to
damage the disk, caliper or brake pads when re-inserting the disk into the
caliper. Never activate a disk brake’s control lever unless the disk is correctly
inserted in the caliper.
