Tandem Cycling - Tandem Skewers

I know this may be a no-brainer but...I'm looking at picking up set of Salsa tandem skewers to replace a pair of generic ones.

My rear axle is spaced at 145 mm. The current generic skewers seem a little short (able to get these closed but just barely due to running out of threads). I just don't feel safe with them.

Now my question: get a 145 mm or 160 mm rear skewer (will the 160 mm be too long and not have enough threads for my application) ?

Thanks,

Scott

The 145mm Salsa Skewers are more than adequate for tandems with average width drop-outs. We've used the same pair on our 145mm rear-spaced tandem for nearly a decade and with Ritchey drop-outs there are a few threads protruding through the end cap when it's secured.

Of course, 160mm probably doesn't cost much more and you can then hack-off what you don't need.

Price-shop carefully as there's a wide disparity in what certain places charge for these things. Jenson USA seemed to have pretty good prices last time I checked.

Salsa's 145 skewers work well with 8 mm thick dropouts. No need to buy the 160s unless your drops are noticeably thicker.

Got Salsas on our Zona tandem . . .

Now my question: get a 145 mm or 160 mm rear skewer (will the 160 mm be too long and not have enough threads for my application) ?

Is this a trick question?

Why wouldn't you just buy a 145mm skewer if you have 145mm dropouts and a 160mm skewer if you have 160mm dropouts?

Is this a trick question?

Why wouldn't you just buy a 145mm skewer if you have 145mm dropouts and a 160mm skewer if you have 160mm dropouts?
That's what I was thinking too. I put 160mm Salsas on my Santana and there are still some extra threads.
I had a hard time tracking down some 160 Salsa skewers and was told they quit making them though some supplyers still have some. I got mine from GTG or Tandems east I think.

That's what I was thinking too. I put 160mm Salsas on my Santana and there are still some extra threads.

I did bad when I was in school because I kept making questions like this too hard. Did you notice how I twisted my answer to be a question just in case there was something stupid that I was overlooking? That's pretty much what I learned in several (more than 4) years of college.

Is this a trick question?

I would think that it would depend on your past experiences...

If someone only ever had one tandem with 145mm rear drop-outs and what was purportedly a 145mm skewer was, perhaps, only a 140mm skewer or otherwise not up to spec, that someone might be inclined to check to make sure that it wasn't the norm before dropping $45-$60 on a new set of skewers.

There are many analogies that I could offer, but I think the basic issue stands on it's own merit: questions are often framed in the context of past experience.

Well...I have a no-name 145 skewer on the back and it just seems that it could stand to be a little longer (I can thread the non-cam side on about 1.5-2 full revolutions and no more or I can't get the lever closed).

The dropouts are aluminum and thick (I don't know exactly how thick but I would think thicker than a standard steel dropout).

I went ahead and opted for a 160mm skewer after reading bikeriderdave's comment.

Scott

Oh yeah, they came pretty cheap at beyondbikes.com for less that $42 for the set.

The engineering rule of thumb is you need 3 threads of engagement or you are dead.

The 160s were perfect with the thicker aluminum dropouts. Thanks everyone for your input.

Scott