pnj

I have a 8 year or so old Shimano Deore XT hub that's quick release.

what do I need to do to make it a standard axle with nuts? Is it just an axle swap?

CACycling

If you can find a solid axle with the same diameter and thread pitch, that and a couple of nuts and you're good to go. Remember you'll need an axle 4 cm or so longer than the existing hoolow axle.

pnj

the quick release axle is hollow?

is the hub shell threaded?

I'm familiar with bmx style hubs, but not quick release hubs..

PunctualAlex

Quick release axles are hollow so the quick release skewers can go through the axle. The hub shell is not threaded because the hub never makes contact with the axle- the hub contacts the bearings, the bearings contact the cones and the cones contact the axle. The reason your new axle needs to be the same thread pitch as the old one is so the old cones will thread onto it. Also, be warned that you might have trouble getting both cones off the old axle. They have a tendency to become frozen and the only way to loosen one is by torque-ing against the other, but then there's no way to get the second one off unless you have a bench vise with a special widget for gripping threaded things without damaging the threads, and even then it might require some penetrant and a few hours to soak. Although, come to think of it- if you're willing to throw away the old quick release axle, just put it in a bench vise and smash it until it ovalizes, which should give you enough leverage to get the second cone off.

Edit: Come to think of it, they sell bolt-on skewers for quick release hubs, but I have no idea if they work or not.

Grand Bois

You need a Wheels #6 10mmX1mm axle. Harris Cyclery has them.

shea2812

I really do not recommend doing that. The hubset is designed as a whole. Most replacement spindle/axle uses different thread size to shimanos which means that you cannot use the original cones that comes with the XT hub. These days good quality hubs with nuts is not easy to come by anymore, i can still get some of them old 7-speed freehubs made by shimano simply because this over this side of the world nobody wants them! Lucky me.

fuzz2050

What exactly is your motivation in doing this? If you just want the security of a 'slow release' skewer, there are bolt on skewers that take the place of your quick release. It would save you a fair bit of time and effort to just use one of those.

Bill Kapaun

The Altus group, at least, had hubs that were both nutted and QR.
Same cones & lock nuts.
They are 50MM longer than the OLD.
https://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830647991.pdf
https://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830608949.pdf
https://techdocs.shimano.com/media/te...9830608950.pdf

Grand Bois

I told you above where to get a quality axle with the correct threading and length.

bikinfool

It stiffens up the rear end significantly over a quick release is why many mountain bikers do this...
+1 on what dirtdrop suggested

DannoXYZ 

Really?

CACycling

I could buy this on an older bike with a freewheel as there is a pretty substantial distance between cone & dropout but I doubt it would make any difference on newer bikes with freehubs.

bikinfool

So I take it you've both tried this and found it not to be true? That'd be one ancient mountain bike that still has a freewheel, but that's not what I'm talking about. I was just offering up a reason why some seek this change out. I haven't had the experience personally. Only solid axle setup is on my single speed Spot hub which came that way, on recommendation from the wheel builder to make sure there'd be minimal slipping in the dropouts, but never compared it having a hollow axle either. I mostly use Kings on my other bikes, which have bigger axles to begin with. I do have a new King coming for a 650b wheelset I'm building and got that with their bolt on style, but it's not a solid axle so I still won't know about the Shimano style hub comparison personally.

I do have some friends whose opinion I respect that have done it with Shimano hubs and say it's an improvement (in the front as well). Perhaps it's just one of those psychological things but there are many who swear by it. Perhaps it's simply having a solid axle vs a hollow one, or elimination of potential skewer flex, or poorly performing external cam quick release clamps. Some don't want to screw around with quick releases with the extra torque from a disc brake. I've never seen anything too scientific one way or the other.

In any case, as I said, many mountain bikers do it for the reason I stated, whether or not there's much to it or anything to it, or whether the OP is doing it for that reason, IDK. I've heard the arguments about a properly clamped quick release exerts plenty of clamping force and for me it's not been a problem.

I_bRAD

That's not frozen, that's the reason there are two nuts.

Grand Bois

Do you suppose that's why they call them locknuts?

I_bRAD

might be, rabbit.

jccaclimber

Solid axles are marginally stiffer than QR axles. Marginally more if you use a track axle rather than a cheap one. You can easily, from Harris or the LBS, buy axles that will fit the Shimano cones. Mountani bikes get a LOT more stiffness from Maxle and pass through designs than they do going from QR to bolt on however.

darrinm81

Hi - First Post! Sorry to hijack but hoping someone can provide some guidance.

I want to change my quick releases to something more secure. Wheels are on a standard Ridgeback bike.

Looking for something to act more as a deterrent than ultimate security. I have read that pitlocks (and alike) are not invincible. They are also expensive versus normal skewer option.

Is all I need a set of allen key skewers?
https://www.cyclesurgery.com/232/Push...Seat-Bolt.html

Do I need anything else? And are these size specific or universal fitting?

If I lock the rear wheel with a D lock, do I still need to change the rear QR?

Is there an alternative to the above? Simply a nut/screw?

I will be parking around London...

operator

If you aren't actually locking your wheels and you can afford the pitlocks - go buy the pitlocks. I don't know how theft prone your area is but even with allen key skewers your stuff is still easily stolen. Now whether or not the likelihood of having it stolen is decreased is comfortable to you is the real question.

It wouldn't be for me.

Having a security/allen key skewer on the rear wheel means it'll be easier to lock your bike up as you wont' have to go through the wheel as well. You can lock via the top tube, downtube or anywhere really.

HillRider

Nutted axles aren't invincible either. Any thief with a 15 mm spanner can have them off in seconds.

JohnDThompson 

I'm not an engineer, but I'm pretty sure that the stiffness/elasticity of a rod of given material is proportional only to its diameter, not whether it is hollow or not. There is a point where a thin wall cylinder will buckle more easily than a solid rod (IIRC, the heuristic is 1:50 wall thickness:diameter), but this is an entirely different matter than elasticity.