Alpal

Hi all, first post here so apologies if this has been covered before.

​​​​I've just picked up a vintage road bike fitted with nuovo record throughout. The only issue is there's a slight bend in the quick release skewer just at the lever. Is it possible to replace just the skewer rod and retain the campagnolo end caps or am I better off grabbing a complete replacement off eBay?

Any help would be much appreciated. Cheers

dedhed

Take it apart and straighten it or

https://www.ebay.com/itm/27541186434...xoCh3oQAvD_BwE

Alpal

Thanks for the help! Wasn't sure if it was advisable to start trying to bend it back but I guess I have nothing to lose - can't use it as it is anyway!

Andrew R Stewart 

You do know that the later years (1978?) of NR QR production used a curved lever? Andy (thanks to the CPSC for this and other forced changes to Campy stuff).

dedhed

I believe he meant the axle rod itself was bent at the end the lever is on. A lot easier to bend the rod accidentally than the lever

Andrew R Stewart 

Ah, I see now. Rear skewers are often enough bent due to a freewheel hub's axle bending. I've seen many broken rear axles only held "together" by the skewer's not also having broken. (and most of these times the rider doesn't know anything is going on). I often just use the axle as the "vise' to hold the bent end while straightening, sometimes a real bench vise is needed. But the skewer will work with a mild bend. Pretty much if you can insert the skewer into the axle it will hold the wheel in place. I've broken the skewer rod only a few times myself, and that's after 45+ years of daily shop work (and tens of thousands of QRs), I've seen a few handfuls of others having broken theirs. Not at all common but can happen. Andy

Alpal

Thanks for that Andy, it is indeed the skewer rod itself that's bent but only at the very end at the barrel where the QR lever feeds through. The bike is currently in pieces and I'll be bringing it to the local shop for a rebuild and tune up so I might just leave it up to them to straighten it out if they think it's needed.

jccaclimber

Funny story about this. 20+ years ago when I was in middle school my dad helped me fix up his long since parked 1970 Raleigh so that I’d have a road bike. After a couple months the rear hub was loose and I couldn’t get the cones adjusted. I took the skewer out and had half an axle come out with it. Just what you said, a broken rear axle held together by the QR. I got a strong tongue lashing about abusing the bike and was sent to the basement to salvage an axle from my dad’s old wheel pile…where I discovered all three of his spare rear wheels already had the same condition. I had to go buy a new axle, but it was worth it for getting to ask my dad why he had been ‘abusing’ more wheels than he accused me of.

CliffordK

I broke one a few years ago. Caught the lever end of the skewer with my trailer while moving the trailer. Pow... About 15 miles from home

Since then, I started putting the skewer levers to the left side (around the derailleur).

As far as the OP, I'm not sure if I'd try bending it back hot or cold. The skewers should be moderately high tensile steel. If not too bad of a bend, it should be able to be straightened cold.

I think I have Campy skewers with both nuts and lock rings on the lever. I like the idea of taking the skewer apart before straightening, but it might work while together too.