changin front axle... help plz
07-16-04, 02:55 PM
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changin front axle... help plz
i hav a poverty buck 99 and it came w/ a 3/8" front axle and i wanna change it to a 14mm.... the forks are made for a 14mm axles and they hav an axle converter on the front to hold in the axle....what all do i havta do to change it ??? and do i need to buy a new front hub or not ???
07-16-04, 07:34 PM
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Yes, you need a new front hub.
I recommend that you first get a really good front axle from Standard or Kink and see how long that lasts you. I used to break front axles every month - like at least once a month - then I got a Standard Industries axle. That first axle I got I still haven't broken... in fact I retired the axle without it breaking after I rode it for over FIVE YEARS. Yes, there is that much of a quality difference between stock axles and Standard or Kink axles.
If you get a new hub, then you may need new spokes as well, then you will need to rebuild your wheel... In the end you could drop up to 100 bucks or more just for a 14mm front wheel, which you may not really need.
I recommend that you first get a really good front axle from Standard or Kink and see how long that lasts you. I used to break front axles every month - like at least once a month - then I got a Standard Industries axle. That first axle I got I still haven't broken... in fact I retired the axle without it breaking after I rode it for over FIVE YEARS. Yes, there is that much of a quality difference between stock axles and Standard or Kink axles.
If you get a new hub, then you may need new spokes as well, then you will need to rebuild your wheel... In the end you could drop up to 100 bucks or more just for a 14mm front wheel, which you may not really need.
07-18-04, 08:55 PM
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Yes like BMXTRIX said, you will need a new hub. I would just see if you can go to a local shop and try getting a whole new front wheel with a good 14mm axle in it.
07-20-04, 11:01 PM
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FIRST TRY A DECENT AXLE BEFORE YOU DUMP MONEY ON A $50.00+ HUB PLUS HAVING TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.
Most pegs you can just drill out to 14mm but it depends on the pegs. I have drilled pegs out to 14mm before with no problem.
Hopefully you know the deal with buying a whole new front wheel... Plan on spending upwards of $75.00 for a good front wheel, or just get a new hub for about $50.00 and build the hub into your wheel yourself. You will need a spoke wrench, but you will get a lot of bike maintenance experience if you learn how to build a wheel on your own.
Most pegs you can just drill out to 14mm but it depends on the pegs. I have drilled pegs out to 14mm before with no problem.
Hopefully you know the deal with buying a whole new front wheel... Plan on spending upwards of $75.00 for a good front wheel, or just get a new hub for about $50.00 and build the hub into your wheel yourself. You will need a spoke wrench, but you will get a lot of bike maintenance experience if you learn how to build a wheel on your own.
07-21-04, 01:05 AM
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Yeah, If you have the knowladge of building a rim then by all means do it, but if you do not have the knowladge then get one already built.
07-21-04, 09:24 AM
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I have to disagree - You aren't born with knowledge. You sit down, get a spoke wrench, look at your wheel and dig in to learn it. It's not like there is a high school class "Bike Mechanics 101" or anything like that.
But, you have the Internet, and if you have confidence that you can work a wrench and put some time in, then you can figure it out. There are sites that can help with wheel building. www.bmxtrix.com -> how-to -> fix your bike -> wheel building for example can walk anyone through building a wheel.
So, it takes 5 or 6 hours the first time you do it. So what? At least you learn something new. Then you know how to do it next time. I remember the first time I built a wheel I didn't know a lot of things and there was no Internet, so it was trial and error and took about 12 hours for me to figure it out.
Things you should know:
1. Spoke length!!! The spokes on a wheel are an exact match length depending on the rim, the hub, and the number of times your spokes cross each other. So, if you have a Araya Super 7X rim to a Suzue hub, you still have to decide whether you are going to lace it 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, or radial (0x).
2. The 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, radial thing isn't really that confusing. Almost 99% of bmx freestyle riders use 4x. It is strong and reliable. Some flatlanders run radial lacing which is a 0x pattern. The x means cross. So 4x is a four cross pattern where a spoke crosses over four other spokes between the hub and the rim. If you pick a spoke on your wheel and start at the hub, then work your way out to the rim, you will likely find that the spoke crosses four other spokes before getting to the rim. If it only crosses three other spokes, then it is a 3x pattern (3 cross).
4 cross provides a lot of strength and requires very little maintenance unless you are highly abusive to the wheel.
3. Bike shops can tell you how long your spokes should be and can measure a spoke for you. So, if you are getting a new hub, or new rims, or just new spokes, you should just stop by your local shop, or call a shop like Dans Competition and find out what length spoke you need for the setup you want to build. There are some online places to find out (listed at the top of bike maintenance section in these forums) but they are not very comprehensive for BMX wheels and hubs.
But, you have the Internet, and if you have confidence that you can work a wrench and put some time in, then you can figure it out. There are sites that can help with wheel building. www.bmxtrix.com -> how-to -> fix your bike -> wheel building for example can walk anyone through building a wheel.
So, it takes 5 or 6 hours the first time you do it. So what? At least you learn something new. Then you know how to do it next time. I remember the first time I built a wheel I didn't know a lot of things and there was no Internet, so it was trial and error and took about 12 hours for me to figure it out.
Things you should know:
1. Spoke length!!! The spokes on a wheel are an exact match length depending on the rim, the hub, and the number of times your spokes cross each other. So, if you have a Araya Super 7X rim to a Suzue hub, you still have to decide whether you are going to lace it 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, or radial (0x).
2. The 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, radial thing isn't really that confusing. Almost 99% of bmx freestyle riders use 4x. It is strong and reliable. Some flatlanders run radial lacing which is a 0x pattern. The x means cross. So 4x is a four cross pattern where a spoke crosses over four other spokes between the hub and the rim. If you pick a spoke on your wheel and start at the hub, then work your way out to the rim, you will likely find that the spoke crosses four other spokes before getting to the rim. If it only crosses three other spokes, then it is a 3x pattern (3 cross).
4 cross provides a lot of strength and requires very little maintenance unless you are highly abusive to the wheel.
3. Bike shops can tell you how long your spokes should be and can measure a spoke for you. So, if you are getting a new hub, or new rims, or just new spokes, you should just stop by your local shop, or call a shop like Dans Competition and find out what length spoke you need for the setup you want to build. There are some online places to find out (listed at the top of bike maintenance section in these forums) but they are not very comprehensive for BMX wheels and hubs.
