My bike's front wheel is quick-release (QR), but the rear has a traditional skewer (because of the hub gears). It also has disc brakes, and as you'd expect, there isn't a lot of clearance between the brake pads and the discs.
When removing and replacing the wheels, I find it easy to make sure the rear wheel is free of the pads: when I close one eye and peer through the brake calliper assembly, I can see light either side of the disc. If I can't see light on one side, I loosen the nut on that side of the axle, and tighten the other one. Then when I spin the wheel, it spins freely.
But when I replace the front wheel with the QR skewer, I find that as tightening the QR pulls the forks together slightly, I often end up with the disc touching one of the pads. I then have to undo the QR, loosen or tighten it by half a turn or so, and then try again. Usually it takes me two or three tries to get it right, and I don't think the QR is really tight enough when the wheel is free to rotate.
Is there an easier way to get it lined up? In case it makes a difference, the pads and discs are about 6 months old and I use them every day in all weathers.
