Eight speed freewheel on bolt axle wheel

Having broken enough quick release 5 and 6 speed freewheel axles under
this 235 lb body, I've been downgrading to bolt-on axles on the
non-freehub bikes whilst at the same time upgrading worn freewheels
with 7 speed (generally Shimano type C) freewheels. I have been
trading off lightweight for reliability on my robust road-commuter and
have resorted to a 48 spoke tandem wheelset (I've bent my share of rims
too).

I have a couple of Sachs 8 speed freewheels I was saving for special
occaisions wherein I am needing 8 indexed compatibility with cassette
shod bikes, or light load fwd delta recumbent experiments, or use on
disc or hub motor wheels. I was suddenly very tenuously pondering
trying these on my road bike commuter. Any opinions on whether I'd be
unduly inviting more failures if I tried putting an 8 speed freewheel
in conjunction with a bolt-on axle rear wheel?

Thanks


--
meb

meb wrote:
Having broken enough quick release 5 and 6 speed freewheel axles under
this 235 lb body, I've been downgrading to bolt-on axles on the
non-freehub bikes whilst at the same time upgrading worn freewheels
with 7 speed (generally Shimano type C) freewheels. I have been
trading off lightweight for reliability on my robust road-commuter and
have resorted to a 48 spoke tandem wheelset (I've bent my share of rims
too).

I have a couple of Sachs 8 speed freewheels I was saving for special
occaisions wherein I am needing 8 indexed compatibility with cassette
shod bikes, or light load fwd delta recumbent experiments, or use on
disc or hub motor wheels. I was suddenly very tenuously pondering
trying these on my road bike commuter. Any opinions on whether I'd be
unduly inviting more failures if I tried putting an 8 speed freewheel
in conjunction with a bolt-on axle rear wheel?

Thanks


shimano-style freehubs don't break axles because both bearings are
mounted outboard, not with one inboard like on freewheel hubs. make the
change and you won't break any more axles.

On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 15:04:52 +1000, meb wrote:

Having broken enough quick release 5 and 6 speed freewheel axles under
this 235 lb body, I've been downgrading to bolt-on axles on the
non-freehub bikes whilst at the same time upgrading worn freewheels
with 7 speed (generally Shimano type C) freewheels. I have been
trading off lightweight for reliability on my robust road-commuter and
have resorted to a 48 spoke tandem wheelset (I've bent my share of rims
too).

I have a couple of Sachs 8 speed freewheels I was saving for special
occaisions wherein I am needing 8 indexed compatibility with cassette
shod bikes, or light load fwd delta recumbent experiments, or use on
disc or hub motor wheels. I was suddenly very tenuously pondering
trying these on my road bike commuter. Any opinions on whether I'd be
unduly inviting more failures if I tried putting an 8 speed freewheel
in conjunction with a bolt-on axle rear wheel?

Thanks


Any reason going to solid axle and going to 8 speeds are linked? It's easy
to change axles. Anyway maybe keep saving thouse 8 speed freewheels for
those special causes cause you may need a different chain and crank to make
it work good on the commuter.

About all the broken QR's... that may be because your frame has misaligned
dropouts. It's cheap to get them aligned, then you may find you have no
more problems with hollow axles.

Troll Report Wrote:
On Fri, 1 Jun 2007 15:04:52 +1000, meb wrote:

Having broken enough quick release 5 and 6 speed freewheel axles
under
this 235 lb body, I've been downgrading to bolt-on axles on the
non-freehub bikes whilst at the same time upgrading worn freewheels
with 7 speed (generally Shimano type C) freewheels. I have been
trading off lightweight for reliability on my robust road-commuter
and
have resorted to a 48 spoke tandem wheelset (I've bent my share of
rims
too).

I have a couple of Sachs 8 speed freewheels I was saving for special
occaisions wherein I am needing 8 indexed compatibility with
cassette
shod bikes, or light load fwd delta recumbent experiments, or use on
disc or hub motor wheels. I was suddenly very tenuously pondering
trying these on my road bike commuter. Any opinions on whether I'd
be
unduly inviting more failures if I tried putting an 8 speed
freewheel
in conjunction with a bolt-on axle rear wheel?

Thanks


Any reason going to solid axle and going to 8 speeds are linked? It's
easy
to change axles. Anyway maybe keep saving thouse 8 speed freewheels
for
those special causes cause you may need a different chain and crank to
make
it work good on the commuter.

About all the broken QR's... that may be because your frame has
misaligned
dropouts. It's cheap to get them aligned, then you may find you have
no
more problems with hollow axles.



The only linkage was that the relative robustness of the solid axle
allowed me a chance to consider, at a time I was putting on a new
freewheel, the extra gears of an 8 speed freewheel that I wouldn't have
dared try with a QR.

Interesting thought on the dropout alignment as a contributing
factor-two failed during cornering with the dropouts subsequently being
misaligned from the rear torsional carnage. If there was slight
misalignment before the failure, it was masked by the magnitude of bent
dropouts and stays, bent luggage rack, destroyed rders, destroyed spoke
protectors and bent spokes when the wheel locks itself into the frame
in an unsuccessful attempt to laterally escape its home. One bike that
had an axle failure whilst going straight did not suffer subsequent
trouble over an extensive period when another freewheel rear was
substituted even though no dropout alignment checks were performed.
Failures on the axles were always proximate the bearings rather than at
the dropouts suggesting the axles couldn't support the long runs between
bearings and dropouts. My suspicion is alignment was not a significant
issue though I can't rule that out.


--
meb

meb wrote:

Interesting thought on the dropout alignment as a contributing
factor-two failed during cornering with the dropouts subsequently being
misaligned from the rear torsional carnage. If there was slight
misalignment before the failure, it was masked by the magnitude of bent
dropouts and stays, bent luggage rack, destroyed rders, destroyed spoke
protectors and bent spokes when the wheel locks itself into the frame
in an unsuccessful attempt to laterally escape its home. One bike that
had an axle failure whilst going straight did not suffer subsequent
trouble over an extensive period when another freewheel rear was
substituted even though no dropout alignment checks were performed.
Failures on the axles were always proximate the bearings rather than at
the dropouts suggesting the axles couldn't support the long runs between
bearings and dropouts. My suspicion is alignment was not a significant
issue though I can't rule that out.--
meb

Bent and broken axles are almost always caused by non parallel
dropouts and they don't break at the dropout but somewhere inboard.
While cassette hubs are a very good idea I would have the dropouts
professionally aligned and see what happens. BTW I weigh 220, ride
old Campy Record hubs spaced 130 and NEVER bend or break axles.
Phil Brown

"philcycles" wrote in message
ups.com...

Bent and broken axles are almost always caused by non parallel
dropouts and they don't break at the dropout but somewhere inboard.
While cassette hubs are a very good idea I would have the dropouts
professionally aligned and see what happens. BTW I weigh 220, ride
old Campy Record hubs spaced 130 and NEVER bend or break axles.
Phil Brown


Phil,
what rear axles do you use on your Campy Record Hubs?
-tom

"philcycles" wrote in message
ups.com...

Bent and broken axles are almost always caused by non parallel
dropouts and they don't break at the dropout but somewhere inboard.
While cassette hubs are a very good idea I would have the dropouts
professionally aligned and see what happens. BTW I weigh 220, ride
old Campy Record hubs spaced 130 and NEVER bend or break axles.
Phil Brown


After thinking more about broken axles, I was wondering if the dropouts
have something to do with it. I have the adjustable Campagnolo 1010 long
horizontal dropouts. Wondering if a fixed vertical dropout would be more
of a secured method against axel breakage and fatigue for those older
Campy Record hubs?
-tom

meb wrote:
Having broken enough quick release 5 and 6 speed freewheel axles under
this 235 lb body, I've been downgrading to bolt-on axles on the
non-freehub bikes whilst at the same time upgrading worn freewheels
with 7 speed (generally Shimano type C) freewheels. I have been
trading off lightweight for reliability on my robust road-commuter and
have resorted to a 48 spoke tandem wheelset (I've bent my share of rims
too).

I have a couple of Sachs 8 speed freewheels I was saving for special
occaisions wherein I am needing 8 indexed compatibility with cassette
shod bikes, or light load fwd delta recumbent experiments, or use on
disc or hub motor wheels. I was suddenly very tenuously pondering
trying these on my road bike commuter. Any opinions on whether I'd be
unduly inviting more failures if I tried putting an 8 speed freewheel
in conjunction with a bolt-on axle rear wheel?

Yes, but why not?
If your setup works with seven, add enough right side spacing for an 8
and write back with your results.
You'll increase unsupported right side axle length and increase right
side spoke tension both to either an acceptable or unacceptable extent.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

the frame ridden here is an old raleigh-ibusu. we evolved from steel
rims/freewheel under hd touring commuting. Solid Wheels Mfg axles
cured the apparently designed in freewheel axle bending problem.
Frankly, travel from a to b with 30 pounds on the rack at 165 rider
weight withou bending the hollow freewhel axle is doubtful without
bending the axle. Several times I rebuilt then went up the street to
wal, bending the rig on the way home after great care not too: and was
consumed with the urge to take an ax to it.
Wheels plus a shimano deore freehib is the way togo. A loooooong
Wheels axle allows sloppy work and the opportunity to attach a mortar
or RPG launcher. Wheels metal is strong yet amlleable, simply bent
back to straight straight 360 if bent on the freewheel.

Tom Nakashima writes:

Bent and broken axles are almost always caused by non parallel
dropouts and they don't break at the dropout but somewhere inboard.
While cassette hubs are a very good idea I would have the dropouts
professionally aligned and see what happens. BTW I weigh 220, ride
old Campy Record hubs spaced 130 and NEVER bend or break axles.

After thinking more about broken axles, I was wondering if the
dropouts have something to do with it. I have the adjustable
Campagnolo 1010 long horizontal dropouts. Wondering if a fixed
vertical dropout would be more of a secured method against axle
breakage and fatigue for those older Campy Record hubs? -tom

Not to worry, I've had four "vertical" dropout failures and augured
faces on both horizontal and vertical dropouts. Broken and flexing
axles is what breaks dropouts.

Jobst Brandt