Nightmare with a happy ending!

scale20
scale20 Posts: 1,300
edited September 2009 in MTB general
Yesterday I had to repair a puncture in my front wheel, one of those jobs that you can't be arsed doing but it has to be done!

On putting the wheel back on the bike, pushing the axle through and tightening the dropout clamp bolts the worst thing happened, the thread on the bolt insert threaded :shock: :shock: :shock:

Panic came over me and all I could think was the worst, new lowers! On looking there is an insert that slips into the dropout clamp. Missing in the pic.

2009_09070008.jpg

2009_09070009.jpg

There was no obvious way of getting it out so a trip to the LBS was in order. Finally without having to resort to hammers and drills it poppped out. The insert is aluminium and softer than butter, on trying to pull it out with a pliers there were chunks coming off!

On looking too the bolt only went into the threaded insert about half way, if that, so not giving the bolt much to hold on to.

I've only ever tightened them hand tight knowing in the back of my mind that this was going to happen at some point. Anyway i have ordered a few of these inserts ready for the next time!

Thank god it all ended in costing a couple of quid rather than a couple of hundred!
Niner Air 9 Rigid
Whyte 129S 29er.

Comments

  • Chaz.Harding
    Chaz.Harding Posts: 3,144
    And the moral of the story is...

    Maxle is AWESOME for anyone who has to take they're 20mm front wheel out... EVER!
    Boo-yah mofo
    Sick to the power of rad
    Fix it 'till it's broke
  • scale20
    scale20 Posts: 1,300
    This isnt the best system, a bit of a faff on the trail, part of me wishes I had gone with the QR model.
    Niner Air 9 Rigid
    Whyte 129S 29er.
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    scale20
    who rebuilt your wheels?

    oh and i would get some bolts that are a better length.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • scale20
    scale20 Posts: 1,300
    Yeah a slightly longer bolt is in order i think.

    LBS recently built them onto new rims.
    Niner Air 9 Rigid
    Whyte 129S 29er.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    bigchazrocks wrote:
    And the moral of the story is...

    Maxle is AWESOME for anyone who has to take they're 20mm front wheel out... EVER!
    Meh, maxle is a faff as well. Best one I've seen is Marzocchi's built-in torque wrench 20mmQR.
  • grumsta
    grumsta Posts: 994
    How on earth is Maxle a faff?
  • nferrar
    nferrar Posts: 2,511
    Yeah maxle is as easy as QR, apart from when I clamped part of my palm into it as well when in a rush :(
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Maxle is still a faff compared to the Marzocchi QR. All you have to do on the zochis is turn it till it clicks.
    Don't knock it till you've tried it.

    My rear maxle is always trying to work it's way loose, even when I adjusted the tension to the point where I'd have to stand on it to close it :roll:
  • scale20
    scale20 Posts: 1,300
    Well, got my replacement inserts last night, stubborn to get back in but these new ones seem to be made of brass. A bit stronger than the butter the last ones were made of!

    Lets see how we go eh?
    Niner Air 9 Rigid
    Whyte 129S 29er.
  • Th3 Firestarter
    Th3 Firestarter Posts: 395
    yeehaamcgee wrote:
    Maxle is still a faff compared to the Marzocchi QR. All you have to do on the zochis is turn it till it clicks.
    Don't knock it till you've tried it.

    My rear maxle is always trying to work it's way loose, even when I adjusted the tension to the point where I'd have to stand on it to close it :roll:
    I've got said zochi QR on my 66's. It's a piece of p1ss.
    Used to have the maxle rear end when i had a marin rock springs, and that was forever coming loose, bloody thing.
    Th3+Firestarter.png
    My bike

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