What can I replace a rear Maxle with?

ilovedirt

Ah right.... is it possible to get regular 12mm dropouts for that frame? As the 12mm axle is only £15 and he can keep the hub.

Anonymous

Waiting for a reply from the importers on what dropout options are available.
I could probably get something made, but the cost of a single, or small run could be astronomical.

nicklouse

there are 12-10mm axles out there.

azonic for one.

Anonymous

Hang on Nick. Are you suggesting that the dropouts are smaller than the axle?
If that was the case, then I could not slide the axle through the dropouts.
Or have I misunderstood again?

nicklouse

the maxle has different sized drop outs RH and LH. see the drawings available on srams webby.

drive side is too big for a 12mm axle. non drive side could be drilled. but the drive side would be an issue.

Anonymous

I've not been able to find that on SRAM's webby before!

But, it looks as though all I'd need to do is drill out the threads on the drive side. Non drive-side is 12mm diameter, and the drive side is an M-12 thread.
That would then let me use a 12mm x 135mm thru axle!
Result!

nicklouse

http://www.sram.com/en/service/rockshox ... subcatID=2

scroll down to maxel frame...

Anonymous

I did, that's what I found, which I couldn't before (that was unclear, my articulation is not the greatest).

The image in the centre of the drawing is reversed, that is to say, the drive side is on the left of the image (threaded side). The non-drive side has a 12.05mm diameter.

nicklouse

yep and that id for the expanding bit to expand into.

then axle its self is 11,96 -0,07 so you would have lots of play on the drive side without the expanding bit to take up the play.

Anonymous

But a 12mm thru-axle would only have 0.05mm play. that's right isn't it?
Since the maxle's actual diameter is short of 12mm by 0.04mm, and that is not noticeable in the real world as play between axle and wheel bearings, does that mean that a mere 0.05mm play would not be noticeable in the dropout?


(hang, on, does some thinking...)

Hmm, I guess it's cumulative though, so it ads a total of 0.09mm play in the system between hub and frame.
Now I see what you mean. Dammit.

nicklouse

also considering that most through axles have pinch bolts to clamp the axle as well.

if it was that easy i would have said so.

Anonymous

Well you did say i needed nothing to make it work.

nicklouse

ohoo you untc.

Anonymous

You love it really!

Anonymous

Ah, another answer presents itself after hours of googling. PTFE tape on the thread, just to take up the excess slack.
Definitely sounds more user friendly than my plastic mallet, or threadlock technique.

nicklouse

yep an option.

but TBDH i am strugling with the actual problem.

i read the problem but.

not wanting to sound to .......

maybe take it to a shop for them to check that things are maybe not working correctly or are damaged?

Anonymous

I might take it in on Saturday, can't get any time before then.
In my extensive googling though, I did find that this problem comes up a lot.

See, the problem seems to be caused, as far as I can tell, because the cam that expands it reaches it's tightest point about halfway through the closing stroke.
This means that when the lever is fully closed, there is less expansion on the axle holding it in place.
Because there's a lack of expansion, the axle can rotate to slacken itself from the threaded dropout.
I also think it's exasperated by the fact that the rear wheel in forward motion tends to rotate the axle in a direction which loosens it.

By the end of a rough 20 mile ride or so, the maxle will have rotated about 45-60 degrees. By that, I mean the actual axle itself, not the cam lever, which is of course, free to rotate anyway.

benpinnick

yeehaamcgee wrote:

I might take it in on Saturday, can't get any time before then.
In my extensive googling though, I did find that this problem comes up a lot.

See, the problem seems to be caused, as far as I can tell, because the cam that expands it reaches it's tightest point about halfway through the closing stroke.
This means that when the lever is fully closed, there is less expansion on the axle holding it in place.
Because there's a lack of expansion, the axle can rotate to slacken itself from the threaded dropout.
I also think it's exasperated by the fact that the rear wheel in forward motion tends to rotate the axle in a direction which loosens it.

By the end of a rough 20 mile ride or so, the maxle will have rotated about 45-60 degrees. By that, I mean the actual axle itself, not the cam lever, which is of course, free to rotate anyway.

So the axle itself is unwinding in the frame? Thats a bit pants. I would have thought some one might have thought of that before....

joshtp

all sounds a bit crap to me.... i have no such issuses with me front one... im gona have a look at dif squewers today....

Anonymous

That's right, yes, the axle unscrews from the frame.
The front one isn't (wasn't?) as prone to this. I'm guessing that a big difference is that the front wheel rotates in such a way as to impart a small tightening load on the front Maxle, and a small loosening force on the rear.
Also, the front maxle being larger, it has a larger area to grip the fork with the compression.

Having said that, we did have a 'mare of a time in Morzine, with the Maxle on two forks needing to be tightened after every three or four runs.

benpinnick

It strikes me that the force required to unscrew the maxle should be considerably higher than the force required to turn the hub on the bearings.... does your hub run freely?

Anonymous

The hub does run freely yes, and the hub doesn't directly rotate the axle, BUT, any rotation in the right direction, coupled with vibration, will cause such a fastener to open if there isn't a means of keeping it closed which is sufficiently strong enough.

Anonymous

sounds like you are gonna need a little spot weld on there.

jon87uk

Has anyone got any experience with the Maxle Lite or DH, are these of any improvement or they just a bit lighter? At £50 quid for the 12 x 135 rear it aint cheap but to keep the rigidity if it has a better cam maybe? just throwing it out there.

Anonymous

Have you got a link to the rear Maxle DH? I've only ever seen Maxle and Maxle light for the rear end, and can;t find anything out about a amxle DH rear.

nicklouse

Maxle Lite is front only

Maxle Lite
The tool-free Maxle Lite brings exceptional stiffness and durability to your ride in the lightest, easiest-to-use thru axle system on the market. Now available in 20 x 110mm and 15 x 100mm sizes.

Maxle Lite DH is front only

Maxle Lite DH
Designed for the downhill crowd, this tooled version of our Maxle Lite is light and stiff and has loads of clearance.

as far as i can see there is only one standard for the rear (two length)

but they do say 2007-2009 so there may be newer.

Anonymous

I think there are two rear standards, Nick. There appears to be another 135mm, 12mm Maxle "light" on CRC anwyay. It has material shaved off to make it lighter.