Help with broken axle.

[Jacobe Hazzard]

Hi everyone, I am very new to DIY bike maintenance and could use some advice.

Yesterday the rear axle of my hybrid bike broke, snapping somewhere inside the hub. I'm wondering
what the common causes are for such a breakage?

I can think of a few things, not the least of which being the fact that I myself adjusted the
position of the rear wheel and 'eyeballed' an adjustment of the bearings, which I have since
learned is a critical adjustment :-( I am also not totally convinced that the rear dropouts are
porperly aligned.

I need help with what to do next. How do I determine the cause of the breakage, and how do I check
that the frame is OK for me to put in a new axle?

Thanks a lot,

Adam

 

[Ron Hardin]

Cheap rear axles used to break all the time, usually just inside one of the cones, from no obvious
cause. I rode such a bike across most of northern NJ one Sunday to get home; rain served to
lubricate the tire a little where it rubbed against the frame under pedalling load.

Just replace the axle, or the whole wheel for that matter; probably the bearings and cones are worn
too by that time.

I don't think there's any adjustment that will make them break or not break.
--
Ron Hardin [email protected]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

 

[Jacobe Hazzard]

This is very good news. What do I need to know about the axle to buy a correct replacement? (besides
showing it to the guy in the store). Are all axles created equal?

Thanks,

Adam

"Ron Hardin" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Cheap rear axles used to break all the time, usually just inside one of
the
> cones, from no obvious cause. I rode such a bike across most of northern
NJ
> one Sunday to get home; rain served to lubricate the tire a little where
it
> rubbed against the frame under pedalling load.
>
> Just replace the axle, or the whole wheel for that matter; probably the bearings and cones are
> worn too by that time.
>
> I don't think there's any adjustment that will make them break or not
break.
> --
> Ron Hardin [email protected]
>
> On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

 

[Phil Holman]

"Jacobe Hazzard" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hi everyone, I am very new to DIY bike maintenance and could use some advice.
>
> Yesterday the rear axle of my hybrid bike broke, snapping somewhere
inside
> the hub. I'm wondering what the common causes are for such a breakage?
>
> I can think of a few things, not the least of which being the fact
that I
> myself adjusted the position of the rear wheel and 'eyeballed' an
adjustment
> of the bearings, which I have since learned is a critical adjustment
:-( I
> am also not totally convinced that the rear dropouts are porperly
aligned.
>
> I need help with what to do next. How do I determine the cause of the breakage, and how do I check
> that the frame is OK for me to put in a
new
> axle?

I assume this is a freewheel setup and not a cassette hub. The distance between the drive side
bearing and dropout is large for a freewheel hub (esp. 7/8 speed) and was a major problem and reason
for the cassette hub design. The bending stress on a freewheel rear axle is excessive especially for
large powerful riders and has resulted in significant breakages. I tried higher grade axles but
still broke them. The axle deflection also puts additional load on the dropouts and I eventually
broke the frame at this location.

Phil Holman