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Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 6:50 pm
by freddy_tanner
I've just built up a really great sonder broken road. Rides really well and I'm a big fan. However, on today's ride I had the through Axel on the rear come loose a couple of times, which I found pretty scary. Its the style of Axel which has an external nut you screw on, instead of the thread being built up to the frame. Its also not a camming type attachment, just an Allen bolt which I'm not so familiar with

Should I be really torquing that bolt up very hard? Or should it be staying put with a fairly modest amount of torque? Or is there something else I could be doing wrong?

Oh and its a v1 broken road, ie. Non boost, not that I think that'll change anything.

Cheers!

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:02 pm
by fatbikephil
If its just a nut and bolt then sounds like you just need to crank it up more. Is there a torque setting on it, is it a steel bolt or alloy?

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:08 pm
by freddy_tanner
Its not got a torque figure on it. And I'm pretty sure its steel holding it. It came with the frame.

I guess I'm just so used to the idea of not over tightening anything on a bike so probably being a bit wussy with it

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:27 pm
by johnnystorm
My front Allen bolt-thru says 15nm max iirc and that's alloy into carbon. Felt tighter than it needed to be when I used the torque wrench to get a feel for it.

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:46 pm
by freddy_tanner
That's quite a bit of torque! Cool, I'll find how that feels on a torque wrench. :)

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 7:50 pm
by macinblack
I'm pretty sure my Broken Road is 12nm at the rear. I'll double check later.

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 9:12 pm
by freddy_tanner
Just gave it a shot with the torque wrench. Looks like the calibration in my arm is a little low, 12nm feels hella tight! :o

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 9:43 pm
by fatbikephil
:-bd Nah 100Nm is tight, 12 is barely trying :mrgreen:

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 9:43 pm
by Bearbonesnorm
Looks like the calibration in my arm is a little low, 12nm feels hella tight! :o
Give over, it's just under 9ft/lb - honestly, it's nowt. However, it might feel like more if the threads / head are dry.

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 9:53 pm
by whitestone
As Phil and Stu say 12Nm isn't much - if your torque wrench had a 1 metre handle it's just over 1.2kg hanging on the end of it.

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 10:10 pm
by ScotRoutes
Can you put it in from the other side?

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Fri Sep 27, 2019 10:15 pm
by Bearbonesnorm
Can you put it in from the other side?
Has he died?

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 8:24 am
by wriggles
The V2 (cant remember if V1 the same) Broken road rear through axle comes with the nut loose, but the nut should be fitted under the little steel plate which holds it in place and helps it stop loosening. Let me know if you want me to put a pic up.

Also a good dollop of grease on the shaft and threads helps you insert it (oer!) and tighten.

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:42 am
by FLV
Bearbonesnorm wrote: Fri Sep 27, 2019 10:15 pm
Can you put it in from the other side?
Has he died?
:lol:
Very good stu...

Re: Thru Axel not playing nice

Posted: Sat Sep 28, 2019 1:09 pm
by freddy_tanner
Thanks for making me feel really manly there guys! Had a moment where it was touch and go but I'm still alive!

Had a ride this morn and it was grand, I think the drop outs were maybe slightly out of line which could have meant it was moving about a touch.

Gonna point out, was tightening it with a tiny multi-tool... Don't think I could go too much above 15nm on it without it exploding

Cheers for all the comments!