Dutch Granny bike front wheel removal

My Dad recently was given an old dutch granny bike. The strange thing
about it was the front fork does not have drop outs the axle goes
through holes in the fork. How do remove the wheel on these? He
resorted to removing the nuts off the axle then using vice grips to
turn the axle he removed the cone from one side then because the axle
was not threaded in the center he cranked the axle back the other way
once again damaging the threads with the vice grips. There must be a
better way. He claims the fork is to stiff to flex off the axle tips.
any ideas?

On Jan 28, 11:09*am, Joseph Crawley wrote:
My Dad recently was given an old dutch granny bike. The strange thing
about it was the front fork does not have drop outs the axle goes
through holes in the fork. How do remove the wheel on these? He
resorted to removing the nuts off the axle then using vice grips to
turn the axle he removed the cone from one side then because the axle
was not threaded in the center he cranked the axle back the other way
once again damaging the threads with the vice grips. There must be a
better way. He claims the fork is to stiff to flex off the axle tips.
any ideas?

You should be able to just splay the fork apart. It's not an uncommon
design on older European bikes. It might have a non-stock wheel in
there, and forks with through-bolt design are often intended for a
narrower hub than today's standard.

On Jan 28, 12:09*pm, Joseph Crawley wrote:
My Dad recently was given an old dutch granny bike. The strange thing
about it was the front fork does not have drop outs the axle goes
through holes in the fork. How do remove the wheel on these? He
resorted to removing the nuts off the axle then using vice grips to
turn the axle he removed the cone from one side then because the axle
was not threaded in the center he cranked the axle back the other way
once again damaging the threads with the vice grips. There must be a
better way. He claims the fork is to stiff to flex off the axle tips.
any ideas?

vice grips, the right tool for everything mechanical

raamman ? wrote:
On Jan 28, 12:09 pm, Joseph Crawley wrote:
My Dad recently was given an old dutch granny bike. The strange thing
about it was the front fork does not have drop outs the axle goes
through holes in the fork. How do remove the wheel on these? He
resorted to removing the nuts off the axle then using vice grips to
turn the axle he removed the cone from one side then because the axle
was not threaded in the center he cranked the axle back the other way
once again damaging the threads with the vice grips. There must be a
better way. He claims the fork is to stiff to flex off the axle tips.
any ideas?

vice grips, the right tool for everything mechanical

Or even Vise Grips™.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007

Tom Sherman °_° wrote:
raamman ? wrote:
On Jan 28, 12:09 pm, Joseph Crawley wrote:
My Dad recently was given an old dutch granny bike. The strange thing
about it was the front fork does not have drop outs the axle goes
through holes in the fork. How do remove the wheel on these? He
resorted to removing the nuts off the axle then using vice grips to
turn the axle he removed the cone from one side then because the axle
was not threaded in the center he cranked the axle back the other way
once again damaging the threads with the vice grips. There must be a
better way. He claims the fork is to stiff to flex off the axle tips.
any ideas?

vice grips, the right tool for everything mechanical

Or even Vise Grips™.


I call them Mole Grips myself. :-)

http://www.stanleyworks.co.uk/Clamps...ole+Grips.ctlg

--
www.slowbicyclemovement.org - enjoy the ride

On Jan 28, 8:22*pm, Tom Sherman °_°
wrote:
raamman ? wrote:
On Jan 28, 12:09 pm, Joseph Crawley wrote:
My Dad recently was given an old dutch granny bike. The strange thing
about it was the front fork does not have drop outs the axle goes
through holes in the fork. How do remove the wheel on these? He
resorted to removing the nuts off the axle then using vice grips to
turn the axle he removed the cone from one side then because the axle
was not threaded in the center he cranked the axle back the other way
once again damaging the threads with the vice grips. There must be a
better way. He claims the fork is to stiff to flex off the axle tips.
any ideas?

vice grips, the right tool for everything mechanical

Or even Vise Grips™.

--
Tom Sherman - 42.435731,-83.985007

thanx for the correction, but, upon reflection, vice may be more apt