WR426 Front Axle Tool?

[mweitz]

What do you use? I just went down and got a Motion Pro Axle Tool and the 17 is too small and the 19 is too big. I guess it is an 18? Not having much luck finding an 18....

Thanks,

Mark

[GCannon]

Why do you need one?

I would think if you have to have one you should try one of these:

http://www.ziptyracing.com/products/product_detail.aspx?id=MTczNg==

works in the shop and on the trail. once the axle nut is off don't you just tap out the axle?

[mweitz]

Why do you need one?

I would think if you have to have one you should try one of these:

http://www.ziptyracing.com/products/product_detail.aspx?id=MTczNg==

works in the shop and on the trail. once the axle nut is off don't you just tap out the axle?

I'm looking for the tool to hold the axle while I tighten the nut. It would be like a large Hex.

Something like this:

[grayracer513]

What do you use?

Uh,...?

A 3" long 1/2" bolt welded at its nose to a piece of 3/4" tubing in a T shape. Works perfect, cost me nothing (made from junk).

Otherwise, snugging the right side pinch bolts works.

[mweitz]

Uh,...?

A 3" long 1/2" bolt welded at its nose to a piece of 3/4" tubing in a T shape. Works perfect, cost me nothing (made from junk).

Otherwise, snugging the right side pinch bolts works.

I've been snugging up the pinch bolts as well. I would guess this isn't the proper prodedure though, and could cause some fork weirdness?

Mark

[CORider63]

A 1/2" Bolt with a washer and a 1/2" nut with Loctite. Stick the bolt head into the axle up to the washer then use a 19mm wrench or socket on the protruding nut. ?

[grayracer513]

I've been snugging up the pinch bolts as well. I would guess this isn't the proper prodedure though, and could cause some fork weirdness?

Mark

Here's what I do:

1. Snug the axle nut (~5-10ft/lb)
   
2. Snug the left, or brake side pinch bolts (~1-6 ft/lb)
   
3. If you have no axle holding tool, tighten the right, or open side pinch bolts, otherwise hold the axle and...
   
4. Torque the axle
   
5. Loosen or leave loose the right side pinch bolts, and bounce the front end vigorously against the brake to force the left fork to center itself on the axle.
   
6. Tighten all four pinch bolts.
   

You can also get the fork to center by letting the axle spin, which will let the fork drift into position. With your own bike, you should make a note of where the right end of the axle sits in the fork, so you can readily return it there with less hassle.

[mweitz]

Misquote deleted.

Edited March 4, 2010 by mweitz

[GCannon]

Here's what I do:

1. Snug the axle nut (~5-10ft/lb)
   
2. Snug the brake side pinch bolts (~1-6 ft/lb)
   
3. If you have no axle holding tool, tighten the left side pinch bolts, otherwise hold the axle and...
   
4. Torque the axle
   
5. Loosen or leave loose the left side pinch bolts, and bounce the front end vigorously against the brake to force the left fork to center itself on the axle.
   
6. Tighten the pinch bolts.
   

You can also get the fork to center by letting the axle spin, which will let the fork drift into position. With your own bike, you should make a note of where the left end of the axle sits in the fork, so you can readily return it there with less hassle.

As your facing the front of the bike (not sitting on the seat)

[grayracer513]

As your facing the front of the bike (not sitting on the seat)

Uh, it's simpler than that.

Won't that in essence "untorque" the axle? If the axle moves towards the brake side once you loosen the left pinch bolts it would allow more thread to pop out the other side?

RIGHT side (see corrections). The reason the LEFT side is just snugged before torquing the axle is that you want the clamp on the fork lug to be closed, but loose enough to let the axle nut draw the axle over against it.

Never let an old flat tracker try multi-tasking when there's a left and a right involved. I turn left so habitually I'm surprised I'm not a Democrat.

[pscook]

Won't that in essence "untorque" the axle? If the axle moves towards the brake side once you loosen the left pinch bolts it would allow more thread to pop out the other side?

When you tighten the axle nut, you are clamping the axle around the wheel and up to the left fork bottom. The pinch bolts keep the axle from rotating inside the fork bottom as well as keep the right fork bottom from sliding along the axle. The pinch bolts have no effect on axle torque.

[mweitz]

When you tighten the axle nut, you are clamping the axle around the wheel and up to the left fork bottom. The pinch bolts keep the axle from rotating inside the fork bottom as well as keep the right fork bottom from sliding along the axle. The pinch bolts have no effect on axle torque.

As you are facing the front tire:

The left pinch bolts if tightened will keep the axle from sliding to the right. As you tighten up the nut, you are torqueing against the pinch bolts, not the flange inside the fork. Does that make sense?

If you loosen the pinch bolts after you torque the front wheel down, it seems to me it would allow the axle to move towards the nut (which is "pulling" the axle) which would in effect lessen the torque.

From my limited understanding, you are supposed to torque the axle first, then tighten the pinch bolts. This allows the axle to position itself properly between the two forks, correct?

In the real world, I didn't need to hold the axle very much to get it to stop spinning. I think the best thing is to tighten the pinch bolts, then put some pressure on the axle via the axle nut, loosen the pinch bolts, torque the axle down then go back and torque the pinch bolts.

#4, 5 and 6 from what grayracer said would in effect cause the axle torque value to be less once the axle seats itself, right, since it can only move to the "right".

[grayracer513]

As you are facing the front tire:

Wrong.

Go back and look at my corrected post again, and then at my response to you. You actually had a good point in a way, but you seem confused now.

All of the references in my post were to the right and left side of the bike, facing forward

1 Snug the axle nut (~5-10ft/lb)

2 Snug the left, or brake side pinch bolts (~1-6 ft/lb)

Note the word "snug", as opposed to "tighten" or "torque". This pulls the axle shoulder squarely against the left, brake side fork lug. Torquing the axle against a fork lug in which the pinch bolts are completely loose can have a deleterious effect on the way in which the clamp will close when it is tightened, however. Snugging down the left side pinch bolts avoids this by closing the lug clamp down on the axle firmly enough to close it without adding enough clamping force to interfere with any further draw-in of the axle. Then, next,...

3 If you have no axle holding tool, tighten the right, or open side pinch bolts, otherwise hold the axle and...

4 Torque the axle

The right, or open end pinch bolts are only tightened if there is no holding tool. The left side will not be tight enough at the torque I specified to prevent the axle from rotating, and the right fork leg simply cannot prevent or even resist any lateral motion by the axle while the fork is extended. At this point, the axle will be tight.

5 Loosen or leave loose the right side pinch bolts, and bounce the front end vigorously against the brake to force the left fork to center itself on the axle.

6 Tighten all four pinch bolts.

These two steps should be obvious enough.

The way I wrote it up first was incorrect (see your quote of it), and you were right to catch that and point it out. But there would only be a significant problem if the left pinch bolts were fully torqued BEFORE the axle nut was at least snugged up. Even the full torque of 17 ft/lb applied to the pinch bolts would not supply enough clamping force to keep the axle nut from pulling the axle through the lug with 75 ft/lb applied to it, but if the axle were dragged through the lug a significant distance, it could damage the bore in the lug by doing so.

If you don't mind, I think it would be prudent to either edit or delete the quote of my post so that someone doesn't come along and use the process the way it's written there, with the l/r discrepancy and all.

[mweitz]

?

Wrong.

Go back and look at my corrected post again, and then at my response to you. You actually had a good point in a way, but you seem confused now.

All of the references in my post were to the right and left side of the bike, facing forward

Note the word "snug", as opposed to "tighten" or "torque". This pulls the axle shoulder squarely against the left, brake side fork lug. Torquing the axle against a fork lug in which the pinch bolts are completely loose can have a deleterious effect on the way in which the clamp will close when it is tightened, however. Snugging down the left side pinch bolts avoids this by closing the lug clamp down on the axle firmly enough to close it without adding enough clamping force to interfere with any further draw-in of the axle. Then, next,...

The right, or open end pinch bolts are only tightened if there is no holding tool. The left side will not be tight enough at the torque I specified to prevent the axle from rotating, and the right fork leg simply cannot prevent or even resist any lateral motion by the axle while the fork is extended. At this point, the axle will be tight.

These two steps should be obvious enough.

The way I wrote it up first was incorrect (see your quote of it), and you were right to catch that and point it out. But there would only be a significant problem if the left pinch bolts were fully torqued BEFORE the axle nut was at least snugged up. Even the full torque of 17 ft/lb applied to the pinch bolts would not supply enough clamping force to keep the axle nut from pulling the axle through the lug with 75 ft/lb applied to it, but if the axle were dragged through the lug a significant distance, it could damage the bore in the lug by doing so.

If you don't mind, I think it would be prudent to either edit or delete the quote of my post so that someone doesn't come along and use the process the way it's written there, with the l/r discrepancy and all.