chasing a freewheel thread plus axle question
 

Taking the freewheel of the Campagnolo hub on my 1973 Schwinn Paramount was a real pain in the ass. First of judging by the amount of damage to the slot (two prong type) you could tell that somebody had tried to remove it before without much luck. Two days of soaking in WD-40 plus a skewer to hold the tool in place while using lots of leverage finally paid off.

At the very least the beginning of the thread looks damaged; the freewheel doesn't even want to get started without getting cross threaded. Is there a tool out there to chase the freewheel thread?

Also the rear bolt is wobbly. With so many options, could somebody just point me to which axle I should buy?

Careful use of a small triangular file should be sufficient. English threaded freewheels have the same threads as English BB's, so you can try a lockring to assist in the effort.

Use a triangular file as explained above. The problem with chasing is that the chaser will also want to pick up the bad thread and you'll be further establishing the cross thread.

I generally don't bother trying to save the first threads on hubs, There's plenty of thread engagement, so I use a flat file to create a bevel at removing the first thread or so. This not only solves the immediate problem, but reduces the chance of cross threading later on.

BTW- a half mill file is best for this kind of work because it leaves a better finish.

Also, your axle is a 10x26 thread (assuming it's original), and you can match the length.

A thread file might be easier to keep "on track" than a triangular file:

http://www.miataturbo.net/attachment...air-files2-jpg

... but harder to find!

Got it fixed, thanks a lot! I basically followed the thread with a box cutter from the good portion out. There were a few aluminum hairs that came out. Using the bottom bracket locking worked beautifully, thanks a lot for that tip.

Onto my other question; what would be a good rear axle to buy? The current axle is already slightly bent and I plan on putting a significant amount of mileage on this bike.

Funny thing about thread files, I keep seeing them on used stores here in Japan but never knew what they were for :**

A chromoly axle would be preferred - brand is relatively unimportant. If the rear wheel slides evenly into the dropouts with no space on either side just measure the distance between the outside of the dropouts and subtract about 2 mm. IF you can't find the right length buy longer and it can be cut to size, but needs to be done carefully so that when one is through it is the correct length and parts can be easily threaded on.

As said in post #4 here you have a 10x26 axle.

Brand doesn't matter, any decent Chrome-Moly with the right thread is fine. I repeat the 10x26tpi thread dimension because 10x1 which is similar is vastly more common, but you cannot use it.

BTW- Where are you in Japan? (add to profile). If you're anywhere near Nagoya, Circles Bike shop should have an axle to fit, either original Campy, or a suitable replacement.

Here's a field repair trick to save your current axle.

Remove axle and all hardware. If you cannot remove the right cone, the axle may be too far gone to save. Roll the axle on a flat hard surface to find the bend and mark the high spot on the outside of the bend. Now find steel surface that's flat and longer than the axle. Using the end grain of a piece of wood to avoid damaging the threads, hammer the high spot down flat (or as close as it goes). Roll and check your work, and flatten again, until you've gotten it as good as you can (three passes usually does it). Rebuild the axle into the hub, with the newly straightened bend on the Left side, where the stress is lower. You should be almost as good as with a new axle, and with any luck it'll still be the right side that breaks first.

Great tip - I did not include other options because the OP said he was planning on heavy use and we don't know the quality of the current axle. I've used that trick before to fix another person's axle on the road in Colorado, was told it got him all the way to the East Coast without a problem.

The standard cheap axles are Wheels Manufacturing. Are they worth looking at? I rather not pay half the price for an axle that will bend twice as fast.

How about hollow vs. solid? Would a solid one be stronger or does the cylinder shape helps out?