20mm Maxle Tightness?

Johnny Napalm
Johnny Napalm Posts: 1,458
edited July 2011 in MTB workshop & tech
Hi.

With regards to the 20mm Maxle - how tight should they be? I have noticed that over the last couple of months the Maxle has worked slightly loose on a couple of occassions...nothing too bad, but a bit loser nonetheless.

I screw the Maxle into the forks until it is fully engaged and then tighten the cone end until there is some resistance when closing the lever. How much resistance should there be when closing the lever? Should it be as a normal QR and leave a slight imprint in your palm when closing the lever?

I realise that it is no good without any resistance or the lever stands a very good chance of snagging on something while riding and opening. It is worth noting that the lever has not opened during a ride, but has it worked loose because I haven't tightened the cone mechanism enough before closing the lever? Or, is it just the case that over bouncier stuff it will do this?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marin
SS Inbred
Mongoose Teocali Super

Comments

  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    which version of the maxel.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • Johnny Napalm
    Johnny Napalm Posts: 1,458
    Err, it's not the light version, so I think it's just the standard one...second one from the bottom looks like it.

    rockshox-new-maxle-lite02.jpg
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Marin
    SS Inbred
    Mongoose Teocali Super
  • Almightydutch
    Almightydutch Posts: 264
    I've always done mine up so I can feel the resistance on the QR lever. Mines never come undone/loose so I presume its about right.

    Have you taken it apart recently and made sure its clean inside? maybe dirt lodged in somwhere and causing the loosening.
    4 wheels bad
    2 wheels good
    1 wheel for fun
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I had problems with a front maxle in the alps, which we never did quite sort out. It was fine otherwise though.

    My REAR maxle was loosening itself, but I found that the cause of that was totally, utterly, seized hub bearings :lol:
    I was WONDERING why I was struggling up hills until I sussed that one!
  • Johnny Napalm
    Johnny Napalm Posts: 1,458
    I'll give it the once over to see if there is any crud in there...always worth a look, Almighty.

    I bet you were like lightning up those hills afterwards, Yeehaa. :lol:

    I don't want to over tighten it, but I'll add a bit more oomph to see if that helps in future.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Marin
    SS Inbred
    Mongoose Teocali Super
  • nicklouse
    nicklouse Posts: 50,675
    http://www.sram.com/_media/techdocs/95- ... ev%20C.pdf

    taken a guess on the fork but the Maxle info is the same.

    hand tight and when operating the Qr lever it is just like any other Qr. resistance should be felt at 90 degrees.
    "Do not follow where the path may lead, Go instead where there is no path, and Leave a Trail."
    Parktools :?:SheldonBrown
  • Johnny Napalm
    Johnny Napalm Posts: 1,458
    Cheers, Nick.

    This is what I've been doing so I'm not sure why it has loosened slightly on a couple of occasions. :?

    I'll keep an eye on it.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Marin
    SS Inbred
    Mongoose Teocali Super
  • *AJ*
    *AJ* Posts: 1,080
    Will more than likely be dirt..... A maxle has to be totally clean/greased to operate correctly.
  • The manual says to insert a 2.5mm hex wrench in the qr end of the axel and tighten the screw in one click increments; apparently this moves a tapered slug and causes the axle od to expand more into the fork id. it says the QR lever should leave an impression in your palm. Hope this helps.