Oldairhead 

What is the proper way to measure the length of a quick release skewer? Is it the overall length or the distance between the clamping surfaces or something else? Asking for a friend.

Schweinhund

They are one size fits all, 37mm but you have to buy a skewer stretcher.
Then you customize to fit

Schweinhund

Measure your axle

SJX426 

You need to take the "nut" into account. What is the oal of the frame (inside)?

SurferRosa

I'm no skewer measurement engineer, but I would consider the length only the headless rod portion, like this one that measures 13cm.



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Oldairhead 

I know it sounds like a stupid question but a 120mm spaced rear hub has an axle length of 127mm and an overall length (as per your measure example) of 147mm. Looking on eBay there seems to be no standard technique used to measure them but axle length seems most commonly referred to. So, a 135mm skewer (as advertised) actually might measure 162mm by your method and might be used on a 142mm length axle.

I made a recent eBay purchase which turned out to be wrong because of this confusion.

Prowler 

Another notta skewer engineer here, but I slept last night in a very old house: but this is much like asking “how long is a 2x4? I’ll suggest - how long is the useful length of a QR skewer. I’ll suggest that the useful length keys on two points. A) the untightened clamp head and b) the length of the threaded portion of the skewer. So, with the clamp head loose the QR useful length is Min = from the clamping face to the face of the nut with the nut screwed on to within a turn or two of the unthreaded part of the rod. Max = from the clamping face to the face of the nut with the nut screwed on to just where the rod end protrudes the nut.

I doubt you’ll ever get an used parts seller to measure those two for you, let alone get them to measure them accurately. Caveat emptor.

masi61

New sets of road and mtb skewer sets hopefully say on the package if they are for 130mm or 135mm spacing. I’ve seen new Dura Ace and Salsa skewers give the terminal length on the package (a bigger number). For C&V I just know which ones are for 6/7 speed and which are for 8/9/10 speed rear spacing. The fronts are always for 100mm spacing.

But I will subscribe to this thread for further discussion of the ultimate length of skewers and how they are typically measured.

is there a particular hub or frame you are seeking a good fit on?

SJX426 

@Oldairhead - Not a skewer engineer either but I can say that as an engineer, I have been skewered.
Looked at a number of bikes and they are pretty consistent except the last one, whose skewer is too long.
10 speed spacing - 135?
P1050091 on Flickr
Same
P1050201 on Flickr
126 spacing - 6/7 speed
PA241415 on Flickr
120 spacing. This one so long I have to move the loop over to keep the rod from impinging on it. funny thing is that this skewer has a Campagnolo flat handle. They didn't make skewers for larger than 120 spacing back in its day.
71BianchiDone3 on Flickr

Get a long one and cut to length.

jadmt

maybe shops are just ordering extra long ones to reduce inventory or something. I ordered one in 135mm and they sent a 173...measure 2X and cut once I guess.

Pompiere

From what I've seen, they are sold as the axle size they are supposed to fit, not the actual measurements. I have ground off the tip when the skewer was too long for an older axle.

Oldairhead 

If only it was that simple. Most of the skewers I have seen have just enough threaded length to do their job. Cutting the excess off would not leave enough threading to be functional, and cutting more threads is not an option without special tooling.

On Ebay many of the sellers put a tape measure along the item for scale, but with the nut on you can't tell how far it is threaded in. So if it is just on a thread or two, or fully threaded on the difference could be 20mm.

Buying in person is best but the Co-ops in my area are in crappy parts of town. I don't want to "get skewered" trying to buy a skewer!

Thanks for the responses. I'll either get lucky and find one or end up with a large collection of wrong length skewers.

SJX426 

Another thing to consider is the length of engagement witn the "nut," Most of them have a locking like feature to them so the don't unthread, as you may know. you really don't want one that is too short to engage the feature in the nut.

Classtime 

A couple folks just recieved skewers in the "What came in the post..." Ask them?
Rear skewers are the longer ones.
Slight drift: Many modern boutique hubs don't come with skewers but I'm pretty sure old hubs came with matching skewers. Where do they go? Are they with the socks?

SurferRosa

Yes! And those 10mm wrenches!



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Oldairhead 

Well, as a matter of fact one of those was mine which prompted the original question. A skewer said to be 137mm actually measured at 157mm which I now know means that it fits a hub with 130mm spacing. Makes perfect sense now!

Classtime 

Buying a new 10mm wrench helps the missing one find its way home. 👍