So, I’m not the only one confused about drop out adjusters. Most of the bikes that have come to me have had adjusters that are bent, broken or frozen. And I’ll admit that I’ve bent a couple myself, loading a stack of bikes into a car after a race.
The thing that I’ve never understood is why they were used in the first place. I get the function: quick wheel change, no need to futz with alignment, or even preventing wheel slip. It’s the design that baffles me: a small screw that is exposed to water and is in a spot where it can easily be damaged.
Before drop out screws were around there were spacers like one photoed below. PX 10s and others had them. Function is easy to understand, adjustment is fast, and even for the ham fisted, they are nearly impossible to destroy.
Drop out screw adjusters might have been a cool idea, but just because something is possible, but form follows function for a good design.