agmetal

I've had a recurring problem with my wet-weather single speed, where it would gradually develop a loud clicking sound. This will usually show up after doing a slower social ride where I'm standing on the pedals a lot, or after a ride in particularly heavy rain. Until a couple days ago, I couldn't find the source of the problem. For some reason, even with the track nuts on the axle tightened down against the dropouts as tightly as I can get them with a 10" wrench, the axle will still apparently slip forward. This causes the grooved lock nut to move in the dropout, and the clicking sound comes from the grooves against the dropout's edge. Most recently, this has resulted in the lock nut and cone rotating together, and causing the loose-ball bearings to become tight.

Is the solution likely to be something as simple as a tensioner like the new Surly "Hurdy Gurdy" (like the Tuggnut, but for semi-horizontal dropouts)?

bikeman715

first lock the cone and nut on one side then adjust the hub so it spin smoothly after that lock that side together . you might need to replace the tracks nuts so they can bite into the dropout so the wheel doesn't move .

hueyhoolihan

if the axle's locknut and cone are moving together, IME, they have not been tightened together (in opposite directions) enough. if they are moving it's no wonder that the track nut is slipping.

if what i'm thinking is true, and i may not be, then the order of loosening is locknut/cone THEN track nut. not the other way around.

xenologer

seeing red flags in OP post, need to ask

do you know what a 'cone wrench' is?

JohnDThompson 

I'm surprised you can't tighten things sufficiently with a 10" wrench. But whatever, perhaps some axle tugs might help:

Homebrew01

Similar thought

BCRider

I had a slipping axle on an older semi horizontal and it turned out to be a worn spot in the drop out from previous heavy wrenching. So if you're tightening to that much torque it's quite likely that you have created a divot where the cone locking nut has swaged into the inside of the dropout.

The solution isn't a longer wrench. It's a chain tug for the drive side so it can't slip. Whatever brand is fine. It just needs to hold the axle back.

FBinNY 

Curious.

Are you 100% sure that you're starting out with a properly tensioned chain?

That was a trick question, and if your answer was yes, odds are that you're chain is too tight, and eccentricity in the chainring is flexing the axle and pulling the wheel forward.

For the 147th time the proper chain tension for single speed systems is zero tension. The chain should have the minimum slack that ensures that it will never have tension in the lower loop. A usable guideline is 1/4" free vertical play in the lower loop.

agmetal

I have a cone wrench and know how to use it...but to be fair, the last person to adjust the hub before I found the source of the clicking noise wasn't me. In any case, I've had a local shop order in one of these for me, and I'll be trying that probably next week: Drivetrain | Parts and Accessories | Surly Bikes

FastJake

How bunged up are the dropouts?

Tug-nuts and similar products are unnecessary band-aids in a properly functioning rear wheel. I've run plenty of fixed gears with quick release rears and horizontal dropouts without issue (which some people say is not possible.) I'd try and fix the problem before resorting to something like that. Do your track nuts still have nice sharp serrations or are they worn and smooth faced?

fietsbob

+1 tighten the cone and lock nut hard against each other ?, Toothy Lock nuts on the hub end to bite into the dropout?
the pretty Track nuts are not toothy to dig in the outside of the dropout, for esthetic reasons, rather than mechanical grip.

agmetal

Picked up a Surly Hurdy Gurdy chain tensioner yesterday, and also checked/tightened the cones and locknuts while installing it...I've only taken it for short rides so far, but it's all feeling pretty solid!