Tips on not breaking Axles

[marinyork]

I've gone through a second rear axle in a year (that's still 4000 miles). I was wondering if anybody had any suggestions as to what on earth I could have been doing to it to break another one. Anything I haven't been doing? Could be doing to prolongue the life?

 

[jimboalee]

Your dropouts might not be parallel.

 

[RedBike]

Don't use 7 speed hubs.


4000miles is nothing. A wheel should last a lot longer than this.
I would challange you to break a Hope hub.

 

[marinyork]

So what are you saying, when I upgrade the wheel going along to a cassette and freehub would be a good idea?

 

[RedBike]

I don't know what sort of wheel you're currently using. 7 speed freehub was just an educated guess. The bearings on these are rather poorly positioned so the axle is highly stressed. Combined with the fact most of these wheels seem to be cheap Taiwanese crap and you've got a recipie for disaster.

 

[mearle]

I used to suffer regular rear axle breakages back when I used screw on freewheels, and I could never understand why, as I'm not heavy.
Since moving to freehubs and cassettes, I've not had a similar breakage.
As ever Sheldon Brown explains why:
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/freewheels.html#speeds

 

[PatrickPending]

yep redbike is right there its to do with the bearings on frewheels being closer to thew middle - explained far better than I can here:-

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html

4000 is a bit low - when I had a freewheel on my commuter I only broke 1 in about 8000 miles but then again I didn't go over too much rough ground. I replaced this with a quick release hub which worked fine - but did eventually go 9 speed (with a freehub) on that bike (with STI shifters) so can't comment on the durability

sorry no solution offered but at least you know why its happening

 

[marinyork]

I have a 7 speed freewheel. When I go through the next chain and replace the 7 speed I was thinking of getting a new wheel and going freehub and cassette instead. I suppose this is all quite interesting.

 

[jimboalee]

Yes, I remember screw-on hubs. I've still got a couple. The long spacer nut between the cone locknut and the dropout.

You just have to face facts and accept components today are not the same quality as years ago.

Find a really, really good LBS and get a Cro-Mo axle.

I did the swap on my Pug, although its a six speed, as soon as I could.

I will repeat about dropout parallelism. Any out-of-alignment will put a bend on the axle. Not good.

 

[marinyork]

Yes, I'll have to have a look at that, although I'm sure I've replaced the wheel in the same place on the drop outs, perhaps they aren't parallel after all. Still at least I have a working wheel for the present, can get the power down .

 

[fossyant]

It's those free ride stunts mate...cut it out....

My guess - get better wheels..... any freehub willl take a 7 speed cassette - I have 7 speed cassette on my Ksyriums, and 7 Speed cassette on my Deore hubs - you just need a few more spacers next to the hub.