Can I convert to a skewer on rear axle?
#1
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Can I convert to a skewer on rear axle?
I have a 35 yr Raleigh MTB and would like to be able to remove the rear wheel so it fits in my car.
It has a 5 speed freewheel and requires a wrench to remove the rear wheel.
Do I just have to swap the axle that is fixed with nuts for a hollow axle that has a skewer or do I have to respoke to a new hub?
It has a 5 speed freewheel and requires a wrench to remove the rear wheel.
Do I just have to swap the axle that is fixed with nuts for a hollow axle that has a skewer or do I have to respoke to a new hub?
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All you need is a new axle w/ the proper length and thread pitch. Swap axles, throw in a q/r and you're done. The q/r axle will NOT be the same length as your current axle, it will need to be a bunch shorter.
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I'll add that with an older bike the chance it has horizontal rear drop out slots is likely. So the current crop of QE skewers with an exposed cam lever riding on a curved bit of plastic might not be enough to positively secure the rear wheel in place. A more classicly designed QR with it's cam enclosed in the cap will offer greater clamping pressure. Andy
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Take care to exactly match the the axle thread to your cones and nuts. Your bike might have a 3/8" (9.5 mm) x 26 TPI. Most hollow rears are 10 x 1 mm.
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Also, pay attention to the thickness of the dropouts of the frame. Many bikes have thin stamped steel dropouts that require very short amounts of axle protruding from the locknut so the quick release can move far enough in to clamp the dropouts. If the axle is too long it will impede the travel of the QR. It might feel like the QR is tightening against the dropout but it will only be pushing against the axle.
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#6
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I've done that in the past. I replaced the axel, and the cones/locknuts. It fit, but the ball bearings rode in a different part of the cups. It rolled fine, but it never felt as secure as it should have been.
Good luck.
Good luck.
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It might help to post a pic of the rear dropout so people will see what you have, thin stamped or thicker forged.
John
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Check posts 3,4,5 & 6. It can be done, but there are a lot of details to check for. Since your purpose is to carry the bike in the trunk of your car, it might be simpler, cheaper and more reliable to toss a 15mm wrench into your car and be done with it.
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Thanks guys!
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Don't forget, you'll need it along if you get a flat. A couple of my bikes have gear hubs or coaster hubs, so I've always carried an axle wrench in my sag bag.
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Flat tires are just about the most common repair that needs to be done on a bike, so you should carry with you whatever you need to fix a flat wile riding. IF you have nutted axles, bring a wrench along with your spare tube/patch kit, and pump. If you're lucky you'll seldom need it and will forget it's there.
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This
Flat tires are just about the most common repair that needs to be done on a bike, so you should carry with you whatever you need to fix a flat wile riding. IF you have nutted axles, bring a wrench along with your spare tube/patch kit, and pump. If you're lucky you'll seldom need it and will forget it's there.
Flat tires are just about the most common repair that needs to be done on a bike, so you should carry with you whatever you need to fix a flat wile riding. IF you have nutted axles, bring a wrench along with your spare tube/patch kit, and pump. If you're lucky you'll seldom need it and will forget it's there.
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I shudder to post this as I fear I will be banished from the BF Bicycle Mechanics subforum. I happened to see this and, now for the banishing part... on Amazon. It is a quick release adapter for solid axles. I appears to be a 2 piece device with a threaded internal cam, a good thing, and a sliding collar. It uses the same principle as a standard quick release skewer. albeit it, one is needed for each axle end for each wheel. I have never used this product and can't guarantee that you won't be stranded miles from you car. Which means having to carry axle nuts and a wrench as a backup. That said it is an interesting approach.
You need to watch the video through to the end.
https://www.amazon.com/Axle-Release-.../dp/B004Y97ZLK
John
You need to watch the video through to the end.
https://www.amazon.com/Axle-Release-.../dp/B004Y97ZLK
John
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Agree heartily. I replaced a QR on a Deore hub with a nutted axle for an e-bike (reverse of what you're considering) and it was easy, then back to QR when I used the wheel on a cruiser with no motor, but would carry a wrench rather than consider what you're thinking about.
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I shudder to post this as I fear I will be banished from the BF Bicycle Mechanics subforum. I happened to see this and, now for the banishing part... on Amazon. It is a quick release adapter for solid axles. I appears to be a 2 piece device with a threaded internal cam, a good thing, and a sliding collar. It uses the same principle as a standard quick release skewer. albeit it, one is needed for each axle end for each wheel. I have never used this product and can't guarantee that you won't be stranded miles from you car. Which means having to carry axle nuts and a wrench as a backup. That said it is an interesting approach.
You need to watch the video through to the end.
https://www.amazon.com/Axle-Release-.../dp/B004Y97ZLK
John
You need to watch the video through to the end.
https://www.amazon.com/Axle-Release-.../dp/B004Y97ZLK
John
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Slightly different but same mental exercise. I was given a fairly decent rear wheel with a freewheel hub. I wanted to use it as a spare for my Asian steel bike. My dropouts measure 126mm the new wheel was for I think 130mm maybe wider but it wouldn't even come close to fitting my bike. I didn't want to cold set the frame.
I spent weeks trying in my head to come up with a solution. Two issues, the axle is too long and the lock nuts and spacers too long. Finally I told myself this is a bicycle not the space shuttle. I measured the length of the original axle and the distance from the lock nut on the freewheel to the end of the axle on the drive side. Took the long axle to work and had the machine shop trim it. I next through trial and error removed spacers and mixed and matched spacers and nuts and used some 2 and 3 mm spacers I had. After a bit of tinkering and swapping of nuts and spacers I got the thing to fit the bike and shift perfect without having to adjust the RD. The last thing I had to do was dish the wheel. That was actually the hardest part of this particular job. If I can do this anyone can my advice is just do it it's a bicycle not the space shuttle. Or carry a wrench around with you to remove the wheel.
I spent weeks trying in my head to come up with a solution. Two issues, the axle is too long and the lock nuts and spacers too long. Finally I told myself this is a bicycle not the space shuttle. I measured the length of the original axle and the distance from the lock nut on the freewheel to the end of the axle on the drive side. Took the long axle to work and had the machine shop trim it. I next through trial and error removed spacers and mixed and matched spacers and nuts and used some 2 and 3 mm spacers I had. After a bit of tinkering and swapping of nuts and spacers I got the thing to fit the bike and shift perfect without having to adjust the RD. The last thing I had to do was dish the wheel. That was actually the hardest part of this particular job. If I can do this anyone can my advice is just do it it's a bicycle not the space shuttle. Or carry a wrench around with you to remove the wheel.
Last edited by Thomas15; 09-30-20 at 05:50 AM.
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Slightly different but same mental exercise. I was given a fairly decent rear wheel with a freewheel hub. I wanted to use it as a spare for my Asian steel bike. My dropouts measure 126mm the new wheel was for I think 130mm maybe wider but it wouldn't even come close to fitting my bike. I didn't want to cold set the frame.
I spent weeks trying in my head to come up with a solution. Two issues, the axle is too long and the lock nuts and spacers too long. Finally I told myself this is a bicycle not the space shuttle. I measured the length of the original axle and the distance from the lock nut on the freewheel to the end of the axle on the drive side. Took the long axle to work and had the machine shop trim it. I next through trial and error removed spacers and mixed and matched spacers and nuts and used some 2 and 3 mm spacers I had. After a bit of tinkering and swapping of nuts and spacers I got the thing to fit the bike and shift perfect without having to adjust the RD. The last thing I had to do was dish the wheel. That was actually the hardest part of this particular job. If I can do this anyone can my advice is just do it it's a bicycle not the space shuttle. Or carry a wrench around with you to remove the wheel.
I spent weeks trying in my head to come up with a solution. Two issues, the axle is too long and the lock nuts and spacers too long. Finally I told myself this is a bicycle not the space shuttle. I measured the length of the original axle and the distance from the lock nut on the freewheel to the end of the axle on the drive side. Took the long axle to work and had the machine shop trim it. I next through trial and error removed spacers and mixed and matched spacers and nuts and used some 2 and 3 mm spacers I had. After a bit of tinkering and swapping of nuts and spacers I got the thing to fit the bike and shift perfect without having to adjust the RD. The last thing I had to do was dish the wheel. That was actually the hardest part of this particular job. If I can do this anyone can my advice is just do it it's a bicycle not the space shuttle. Or carry a wrench around with you to remove the wheel.
The mix-n-match spacer/washer is a good way to go. The key is to get the 1st position cog as close the the DS dropout without the chain rubbing on it. This minimizes the amount of re-dishing.
Re-dishing is always a hope and prayer since you are working with spokes that were not spec'd for the new rim centering. So far I have been lucky to not run out of threads when re-dishing. Keeping the amount you have to move the rim over to a minimum is probably a big factor.
John
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One thing to remember about a nutted rear axle is that while tightening the nuts, the drive side tends to slip forward . Make sure when tightening that when done the drive side is all the way back in the dropout and the wheel is centered in the frame. I find it is easiest to tighten the drive side first, then pull the wheel into the centered position and tighten the non drive side.