Originally Posted by
garage sale GT
A lot of heavier guys get plenty of use out of freewheel hubs.
According to Jobst Brandt, freewheel axles bend and fail because of metal fatigue, so they'll be good for a while, then they'll go bad.
Replace every year or so and it will be as good as a freehub unless you hit a lot of bumps or are very heavy or powerful.
I personally believe that it is utterly critical to keep the cones adjusted to zero slack but have not found any corroboration from anyone in the know that a poor adjustment can cause bending.
You should reread what he wrote.
He does not say that. It's primarily due to the inherent design of the freewheel hub that causes problems (exception - phil wood and others). Replacing the axle every year isn't going to prevent you from bending it going off a curb with a heavy rider.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/free-k7.html