Bicycle Mechanics - Rear axle on old Schwinn LeTour

Yes I am new here, no I have not read teh FAQ or anything of that nature. My computer is hell. Yes I know I probably have a silly name. I've used it for a long time and am attached. Call me DM for short, if you want.

Now, I have an older...as in, not the original 74' edition, but it seems to be pretty close to that era, I son't know the exact date of manufacture...Schwinn LeTour. THe rear axle assembly seems pretty complicated. There is an inner axle, on which the quick-release lever assembly is screwed, and an outer axle, which seems to have no especial purpose except to hold the ourter potions of the bearing chases and the nuts that hold those in position. This outer axle is split in half lengthwise, and not down the median, but through one section of threads. (It is not standard allthread, there are threads at each end and a smooth part in the middle). There are threads on both sides of the division. However, the bike has been like this for as long as I can remember (I only met it two years ago *sweatdrop* I dont' know what it was like before that), and has not caused problems, also, the sides of the seperation are smooth and regular.

Is it a design quality, or a break in the outer rear axle?

If the latter, what problems may this cause in riding, and is it possible to find a replacement part?

Local metallurgist looked at the break after I'd cleaned it up, and says it's not so smooth after all, and the outer rear axle is definitely broken.

I think I"m going to replace the entire axle assembly with a piece of allthread of the right size, if I can get it. That's what most other bikes I've seen have had.

You may have a tough time finding all thread with the pitch and dia. to fit your cones. However a bike shop should have a solid axle and nuts if that is the way you want to go. You could get a new hollow axle as well and keep your quick release. The quality has improved in the last thirty years (And even if had not it should last as long as the present one)

If you take the axle down to a bike shop they can sell you a proper hollow axle that matches the old one. After 30 years you can't be too upset that the axle broke. Freewheel axles are known to bend and break because the right side bearings are not up close to the right dropout.

If you take the axle down to a bike shop they can sell you a proper hollow axle that matches the old one. After 30 years you can't be too upset that the axle broke. Freewheel axles are known to bend and break because the right side bearings are not up close to the right dropout.

Ahh, I"m hardly upset about the breakage...I"m upset because I think it might've broken because the axle was abused, but that's another matter entirely.

And I"m also not rich...allthread sounds cheaper than 'professional help' with professional pricetag. There's a shop around called Maryville Fastener and Co. that sells allthread every size in the book. They've never dissapointed me.

Threading you are looking for will probably be 10mmx1.0mm, but sometimes it is
a close English approximation with 26TPI and a diameter that will be cerca 0.385-
0.395". Best bet is to go to a bike shop and get a new axle. If You dont care
for quick release a solid axle should be available. Make sure you take several
of the nuts with you to check. Narrow nuts, say 3mm or so thick if 10x1.0mm
will easily thread onto 26TPI thread, but wider nuts say 6-8mm will tend to
bind. BMX shops tend to sell a lot of axles. Rear hollow QR axles tended to
bend and break, with the QR stem holding it all together. Axles used to run
$1.50 or so (early '70s when I changed all my Normandy axles for Campy 6spd
axles.) Steve

the groove down the middle of the threads is for a tab on the flat washer that goes between the cone and locknut this keeps the washer from turning thus it helps to keep the locknut and cone tight. You will need to have the freewheel removed in order to grease, assemble and adjust the right side berrings, cone and locknut in a normal fashion. The tool to remove it is about $10 but if you dont do it right, the freewheel won't come off, somtimes it won't come off for anyone and they must be destroyed and removed with a vise, $25 for a replacment.
However you can leave the freewheel on but its a lot more tricky; use a little basic math and take some measurements(of spacers, dropouts nuts etc.) to place the right cone were it needs to be on the axel then if you have a very small pair of needle nose piers you can use them to hold a wad of paper towel and clean the right berring cup(use several wads dampend with some solvent like kerosene), then grease the cup with popsicle sticks(no slivers and they must be clean), and place the berrings with the small needlenose pliers (put a spot of tape on the tips if they are not smooth jaws so you don't scratch the berrings) the grease will hold them in place, then do all the adjusting from the left cone. The placement of the left cone on the axle must be within a couple millimeters if your useing a quick release setup as the axle cannot stick out of either dropout at all, it should really be recessed slightly, A solid axle however must stick out of the dropouts so you can put the nuts on, thus cone placement only needs to be in the ball park. Also berring/cone adjustment is more straight forward on a bolt on axle than a QR because a quick release actually compresses the axel a fair bit. Axles seem to run about $15-$20 hollow or solid.

Ahh, I"m hardly upset about the breakage...I"m upset because I think it might've broken because the axle was abused, but that's another matter entirely.

And I"m also not rich...allthread sounds cheaper than 'professional help' with professional pricetag. There's a shop around called Maryville Fastener and Co. that sells allthread every size in the book. They've never dissapointed me.

So you will save money by using a part not made for the application you will be using it for? Will it be OK if the doctor uses a red swingline stapler (http://www.virtualstapler.com/office_space/) instead of titanium screws to fix your collarbone after your improvised rear axle breaks? That should be cheaper too.

Harris Cyclery (sheldonbrown.com) has reasonably-priced replacement axles. Your axle broke because of cumulative metal fatigue and a fundamental design flaw [see supcom's post, above]. (This is one of several advantages of cassette/freehub systems over freewheels.)

I have broken one QR rear axle and one solid rear axle, plus two cranks (again, metal fatigue and fundamental design flaws remedied in later models), a front hub flange, a pedal cage, and three frames.

So you will save money by using a part not made for the application you will be using it for? Will it be OK if the doctor uses a red swingline stapler (http://www.virtualstapler.com/office_space/) instead of titanium screws to fix your collarbone after your improvised rear axle breaks? That should be cheaper too.

Lovely, the person with more money than sense joins the discussion. What do you suppose axles are made of, hmn hmn? As long as the metal's good, and considering it should be obvious form my postings that I"m not a serious rider who will be putting tons of strain on my bikes, I forsee no problems. I've never bent or broken an axle before, although one time I replaced a front axle because the factory made it too short. I've been on the bike for three years since and enver had a whisper of a problem.

As to broken bones...you know what? If your little joke stapler can patch me together when I need it, I dont' care that it's a joke. I judge on effectiveness, not some nonesense word stamped into the metal by another person.

There is a big difference in streangth between all-thread mild steel and a heat treated cromium-molybdenum axle steel. Mild steel will tend to bend rather than break but it will bend under a much lower load and the bending will probably bind the berrings thus ruining the berrings, cones, and the cups which means a whole new hub will then be needed, at a much higher cost than a $15 axle. $15 is what, less than 3 hours even at minimum wage. How much time will it take to replace a bent all-thread axle assuming the berrings survived?

Lovely, the person with more money than sense joins the discussion. What do you suppose axles are made of, hmn hmn? As long as the metal's good, and considering it should be obvious form my postings that I"m not a serious rider who will be putting tons of strain on my bikes, I forsee no problems. I've never bent or broken an axle before, although one time I replaced a front axle because the factory made it too short. I've been on the bike for three years since and enver had a whisper of a problem.

As to broken bones...you know what? If your little joke stapler can patch me together when I need it, I dont' care that it's a joke. I judge on effectiveness, not some nonesense word stamped into the metal by another person.

More money than sense eh? Nope, I just have this thing about saving money when I can but not when I think it may be dangerous. I believe that replacing an axle (a rear one that sees the heaviest loads at that) with some cheap pot metal allthread is a really idea, and I figured a bit of sarcasm/humor would be the best way to get that across.



There is a big difference in streangth between all-thread mild steel and a heat treated cromium-molybdenum axle steel. Mild steel will tend to bend rather than break but it will bend under a much lower load and the bending will probably bind the bearings thus ruining the bearings, cones, and the cups which means a whole new hub will then be needed, at a much higher cost than a $15 axle. $15 is what, less than 3 hours even at minimum wage. How much time will it take to replace a bent all-thread axle assuming the bearings survived?

This was really all I was trying to say.

check here someone might have a replacment for it
http://www.schwinnbike.com/heritage/forums.php
or at least they can tell you where to get one
and probably cheaper than a bike shop

check here someone might have a replacment for it
http://www.schwinnbike.com/heritage/forums.php
or at least they can tell you where to get one
and probably cheaper than a bike shop

I hope so because I"m hearing 20 and 30 and not liking it very much. Two and three hous at minimum wage is all well and fine, but this is a university town, job competition here defines a new level of vicious, and I haven't GOT minimum wage yet, what I HAVE got is a five thousand dollar tuition bill.

Pot metal allthread, I think not...I'm the latest of a long line of mechanics, and I like to think I know better.