Bicycle Mechanics - Is it possible to use a hollow QR axle with bolts?

Hi,

I just moved my rear fixed wheel from 126 spacing to 122 as well as changing the chainline. I consequently cut off a portion of the hollow axle that I was using on the wheel with a QR skewer.

I know some object to using QR fixed whatsoever but that aside:

I would've thought it was possible that instead of cutting it down to just thread a bolt on either side and secure it that way?

In this case there was not enough thread protruding past the dropouts for the bolts to get enough purchase on, but if there were more would it have been possible?

Thanks for any replies or particularly experiences with this setup.

Cheers,
George

as a front axle perhaps, still too short for nuts as a rear

Even the longest commonly available qr axles (146 mm used with 135 mm OLD hubs) used in a 120 mm OLD hub would be have ineadequate stubs sticking out past the dropout faces for nuts. 146-120 gives 27 mm total excess or 13 mm per side. Allowing for a typical 6 mm dropout thickness only leaves 7 mm past the dropout face or just over 1/4". Not enough.

Even a 151 mm axle intended for a 140 mm tandem hub would only leave a stub of 9.5 mm or about 3/8".

I suppose you could try to locate a 171 mm axle from a 160 mm OLD Santana tandem hub but at some point the cost gets to be far more than buying a proper solid nutted axle.

BTW, use an enclosed cam qr skewer like a Shimano or Campy and be sure it has serrated steel inner faces and you should have no problems with wheel slippage.

Hi,

I just moved my rear fixed wheel from 126 spacing to 122 as well as changing the chainline. I consequently cut off a portion of the hollow axle that I was using on the wheel with a QR skewer.

I know some object to using QR fixed whatsoever but that aside:

I would've thought it was possible that instead of cutting it down to just thread a bolt on either side and secure it that way?

In this case there was not enough thread protruding past the dropouts for the bolts to get enough purchase on, but if there were more would it have been possible?

Thanks for any replies or particularly experiences with this setup.

Cheers,
GeorgeThe best option is to just swap the axle for a longer solid one. But lets do the math here. You only created an additional 4mm of axle length. Since a typical QR axle doesn't protrude past the dropouts at all, and 2mm isn't enough to thread anything onto, no, you could never have made that work. That's why you need the axle swapped... it needs to be significantly longer to get nuts on.

If you decide to substitute a threaded axle, make sure to get one that has the same thread pitch as your cones and locknuts.

Thanks for all the replies.
Yeah, I was aware it's not possible with this setup but I could possibly use it in future.

Cheers

Thanks for all the replies.
Yeah, I was aware it's not possible with this setup but I could possibly use it in future.

Cheers
Why would you want to?

I would never do this. A hollow axle is much weaker than a solid one. When you tighten nuts on an axle it leaves a twisting force on the axle which makes it susceptible to breaking. A hollow axle would be much more likely to fail.