Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - Has anyone ever cut 1-2cm off their rear axle?

Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.



PDA
LoveParkRIP
05-13-06, 02:09 PM
I'd like to trim each side down. Is there a right way to go about it. I don't want to **** up the threading. Thanks in advance for your help.

-Chris

15320

christiank
05-13-06, 02:23 PM
Thread a nut on that you don't care about up to where you want to cut it and then cut right up against it using a hacksaw. When threading the nut off after the cut it will debur it.
stachemaster
05-13-06, 02:41 PM
hacksaw will do the job, and keep the nut on there so when you take it off it will fix the threads. like christian said

but why not throw some huge bmx pegs on there and give friends rides?

Jerseysbest
05-13-06, 03:15 PM
Also, If you have a bench grider, I usually put a small taper on the end (when i shorten any bolt), not necessary but looks nice and easier to start threading nuts in a hurry...
iamjberube
05-13-06, 10:30 PM
Thread a nut on that you don't care about up to where you want to cut it and then cut right up against it using a hacksaw. When threading the nut off after the cut it will debur it.

did this with mine and my brother's iros, worked great. no more "ben hur hubs" ([165]) for me.
brunning
05-14-06, 01:12 AM
i've trimmed many an axle with a dremel tool.
MacG
05-14-06, 03:09 AM
I'm not so sure a hacksaw will cut it (pun intended, I guess), since the axle is probably hardened steel. If a hacksaw can't hack it, a dremel with a cutoff wheel will make fairly quick work of it and will leave the threads in pretty good shape. Just threading the nut back off over the cut will fix the threads up just fine, but I always neaten them up by tapering off the last 1/2 turn of thread with a file or dremel to avoid having a sharp finger slicer. I've cut a lot of bolts for various things, but never had the need to cut an axle, or I could speculate further on how hard the steel is. I've got a wheelset with a long axle just like yours and it doesn't really bother me enough to do anything to it. :)
rattlecan
05-14-06, 05:00 AM
dont pull a mikey from orange county choppers and leave the nut off :)
iamjberube
05-14-06, 08:26 AM
a hacksaw will cut it in about 30 seconds, just make sure the teeth are facing forward, or it will take much longer. ;)
christiank
05-14-06, 09:10 AM
I'm not so sure a hacksaw will cut it.

I have cut literally dozens upon dozens of steel axles with a decent hacksaw blade. I have never come across one that gave me a problem.