80s racer axle sizes?

[semislickstick]

Is there a standard size for replacements ? The 27 1x1/4 Mallard wheel.

Taking mine apart I've found its bent, looking online for a replacement, The rough measurement I have for the old solid front axle is 130/135mm x 5mm on the axle itself. Do I measure the axle or the space it fits into on the bike to get the correct size?

Where the hub ball bearing sizes standard?

Thanks

 

[biggs682]

From memory the front should be 3/8 th's whilst the rear should be 5/8 th's
And measure the old axle from end to end

 

[midlife]

Companies like SJS do generic copies, or if you can make your way around the bankruptbikeparts site they can be a bit cheaper.

 

[rogerzilla]

I would check whether it's 3/8" or 9mm. 9mm is noticeably bigger (it won't fit into older forks until you get a file out). Maybe borrow a front wheel from a newer bike and (gently) try to thread your axle nut onto it?

 

[Nigelnightmare]

IIRC the bearings are 1/4" for the rear and 3/16" for the front.
The hub will be 120mm, 126mm or 130mm depending on the amount of gears.
Basically measure the old one and get a matching replacement + check the thread pitch (metric or imperial).

If you don't have a Vernier gage use an adjustable spanner then measure the gap on them to get the diameter.
The thread diameter is measured form the peak on one side to the though opposite.

If you have any trouble your LBS can help.
HTH

 

[rogerzilla]

Thread diameter is peak to peak (major diameter).

This is a front hub so will be 100mm or (if the OP is unlucky) 96mm.

Axle length is considerably longer than the spacing, for nutted axles. You usually need about 30mm more for the dropout thickness, nuts and washers. For QR axles the length is only slightly longer than the spacing; it is important not to be too long or the skewer will clamp the axle (uselessly) ather than the dropouts.

 

[mickle]

Forget about the axle length, the crucial measurement is OLND (over lock nut dimension) which corresponds to the measurement between the inner faces of the dropouts. Invariably 100mm on the front - variable on the rear depending on the age of the bike and how many gears it was designed for .

 

[midlife]

surely if the OP is looking for a replacement for his bent axle then all he needs is an identical rear axle (straight) to swap all the cones ,spacers , locknuts onto?

 

[mickle]

If the axle has been ridden on bent for a long time it's highly likely that the cups and cones have developed uneven wear. At the very least you'll want to replace the cones and balls. An Olde Worlde style bike shop is your best bet for a replacement. If you can find one. Take the old parts in for comparison to ensure you get a match on the axle length, axle thread pitch and very importantly, the radius of the ball track on the business end of the cones. Also the combined dimensions of the cones, washers and lock nuts needs to match. It's worth (if you haven't already dismantled it completely) leaving one side - usually the drive side - fully assembled on the axle. Less likely to have to retrace your steps trying to reassemble the washers/cones/locknuts in the right order on both sides to get the correct wheel alignment.

Also. If the axle is bent then I can guarantee that one or both of the drop-outs is bent. The drive side one invariably. Have the bike shop realign the dropouts so that they're parallel. If you don't, you'll be bolting your nice new straight axle into a pair of dropouts which will deliver a bending pre-load. This, combined with your fat arse and the next speed bump will likely bend the new axle and you'll be damned to repeat this same exercise over and over into eternity.

 

[Ajax Bay]

Also. If the axle is bent then I can guarantee that one or both of the drop-outs is bent. The drive side one invariably.

May I enquire why, and why? Although the OP's bent axle is a front one (surprised it's not 110mm long) for my question, assume it's a rear wheel axle.

 

[mickle]

On an old Maillard hub (or any old school hub which takes a screw on multi-speed freewheel) the drive side bearing sits inboard of the dropout, underneath the largest sprocket. So there's a much greater length of axle unsupported on the drive side compared to the nearside. When manufacturers were trying to cram in ever greater numbers of sprockets the modern cassette hub was the remedy to this recurring problem.

If the axle is bent it's inevitable that the drop out is also bent. You cant really have one without the other.

Front axle bends are very rare indeed. I'd guess that the dropouts are involved here too.

The axle itself may be +/- 110mm but the OLND is 100mm. Always. Except for Bromptons. And fat bikes.

 

[semislickstick]

Thread diameter is peak to peak (major diameter).

This is a front hub so will be 100mm or (if the OP is unlucky) 96mm.

Axle length is considerably longer than the spacing, for nutted axles. You usually need about 30mm more for the dropout thickness, nuts and washers. For QR axles the length is only slightly longer than the spacing; it is important not to be too long or the skewer will clamp the axle (uselessly) ather than the dropouts.

Yeap its about 94mm between forks! I looked on SJC and couldn't find anything similar to a solid front axle like this, there is mention of a QR that someone cut down to fit.
Does any one know of solid axles sold like this because I can't find one.

mickle, It's possible the front axle got some damage when I was T-boned by a car bumper,(rather than anything to do with a fat arse :-p) it was enough to put a ding in the metal chainring guard but the throw down after was pretty hard too. But rideable it was just when I changed tyre and screwed the nuts up, the axle kept jumping out of the fork, forks look ok.

 

[mickle]

Yeap its about 94mm between forks! I looked on SJC and couldn't find anything similar to a solid front axle like this, there is mention of a QR that someone cut down to fit.
Does any one know of solid axles sold like this because I can't find one.

mickle, It's possible the front axle got some damage when I was T-boned by a car bumper,(rather than anything to do with a fat arse :-p) it was enough to put a ding in the metal chainring guard but the throw down after was pretty hard too. But rideable it was just when I changed tyre and screwed the nuts up, the axle kept jumping out of the fork, forks look ok.

I'll bet you 50p the forks and/or dropouts are bent.

 

[rogerzilla]

Fork spacing probably wouldn't have been changed by a collision, with a hub in place. Forks can get bent fairly easily when lying around or (especially) in the post, if the dropouts aren't chocked with a suitable spacer.

What's the OLN spacing of the hub? A longer solid axle than strictly required is not a problem; it's only QR axles that mustn't be too long.

The simple test for fork alignment, which works with most forks (not unicrown) is to put the fork face down in a known flat surface, like a kitchen worktop or (better) a granite chopping board, so it rests on the corners of the fork crown and the dropouts. The steerer will need to be hanging over the edge of your flat surface.

If the fork is straight, it will make contact at all four points simultaneously. This doesn't check for side-to-side alignment, but popping a correctly dished wheel in there will show you how good/bad that is. Forks aren't especially hard to straighten; the one on my Holdsworth was wrong in almost every conceivable way, but it only took about 20 minutes' work to make it spot on.