C & V Minutia: Skewer Springs
 

I realize I am perhaps the only one that has given skewer springs any consideration at all. Over the years, I've lost many of those conical springs on skewers and often borrow a spring from a random skewer to replace the missing one. Could I distinguish a Campagnolo skewer spring from a Maillard skewer spring or a Maxi-car skewer spring? No, I'm sure I couldn't, and it would be impossible for me to sort through my wheels and put back the correct springs on the appropriate skewers, even if I wanted to. I got to thinking, are some springs better than others? Did Tulio include springs with his first quick release? Have skewer springs changed over time? Some are made of thicker gauge wire than others. Some are black, some are gray/silver. Some are improvised with plain wire. Some get squished if put on backward.

Skewer springs: Discuss.

In preparing a pair of hubs for shipping, I noticed a big difference in spring configuration. I'm used to Campy's flat spring material, but the springs in this OMAS hubset have a thin, round cross section. Probably lighter, too.

I think springs would have always been there? I mean, their whole raison d'etre is to center (as close as possible) the axle and therefore the clamping ends for easy access to the dropouts.

I'd like to see other examples, too. Unfortunately, I don't have any close-up stuff currently...

DD

have also seen them referred to in trade literature as "volute springs"

A lightweight O.M.A.S. volute spring, eh? Just the type of indispensable minutia I was hoping to induce.

In a pinch, they also can be used as a makeshift filter in a pipe with a too-large hole. So I've heard...:innocent:

Wait, those springs have a purpose? I thought you just screwed the skewer tight and called it a day.

On Dura Ace 7700 hubs, the springs are shiny. I'm guessing that they are titanium like the axle and freehub of the 7700 series.

I'm only posting to a thread on QR skewer springs to be able to say we actually discussed that here on BF C&V.

What's next, a thread about cable housing ferules? :)

It can't happen soon enough; do we use vintage ones or buy new ones? Discuss.

Every once in a while, I think I get bent about stuff no-one even considers noticing.

Then there's a thread that validates my existence.

Thank you Randy.

Sticky this thread. Or else give it its own subforum.

Seriously, this is one of the most delightful threads I've read in a long time.

Really??? Springs and ferrules...good conversation! :-)

we definitely need to get into discussing materials, wire cross sections and finishes.

perhaps someone could make their fortune doing rainbow finish volutes...

or how about a volute which plays a tune when uncompressed?

this might give rise to the phrase "you crazy volute!"

Are these springs even necessary?

No, just convenient...

perhaps this thread will spawn sub-threads such as enthusiasts into short wave volutes...

can just hear the discussion now:

ciclista a) "wow, i got talinn last night on my brev. stop!"

ciclista b) "that's nothing, i got durban on me super olimpic. tonight i'm going to fire up me eska."

Clearly a bike without skewer springs is lighter than a bike with. And who are we, the hair-shirted C&V faithful, to care from convenience. Are we not manly men?

Is that really what they are for? I always wondered if that was all. Moot point for me, of course because [strike] I seem to always lose the damn things the first time I remove the skewer[/strike] I'm a serious racer and discard all dead weight, such as like items. ;)

Yup. If both springs are under the same tensile properties and the windings are matched, they should hold the outermost nuts away from the axles approximately the same distance. If one or the other gets squashed up, believe me, you'll notice it when you try to put the wheel in the drops. As for getting rid of them for "dead weight", nope - not even in a race. The lack of springs would affect wheel changes adversely - the weight saved wouldn't be worth the time lost fiddling with the wheel's re-installation.

I will get a pic of the OMAS spring next to a Campy spring, just for giggles, tomorrow.

DD

What's bad is, I've actually switched them from skewers so I have two polished ones on each skewer.
Especially on Dura Ace...that shiny stuff just gets to me. It's all part of balancing the universe.

And modern? black, baby.

And don't you hate it when they get tangled up together? I mean, like, wow, man, bumMER!

Don't get me started (on this thread, anyway) about ferrules, .....

and matching cable tips, or re-using same, or actually crimping them neatly and not smushing them.....oh, I can see myself circling the drain on this one....

last time I ran out of ferrules i just used a tiny dab of hot glue - binds the strands and you cant even see it really. Look ouT!! who is the weight weenie now!! also you can pull it back through the stops and housing without having to cut/remove it.

and i REALLY think someone should start collecting and cataloging springs: just think: you could be known internet wide as "Volute Dude"

With all the high tech advances in bike design thru the years, has the lowly skewer spring evolved any?

thank you! :thumb: and we are all dying to learn of the difference betwixt ommas and omas. its gotta be more than one m.

I think so because they keep both of the skewer gaps open as your installing the bike wheel - it goes on a little faster and a little easier.

I could imagine Tullio musing about how to make the wheel install more hassle-free and a little quicker on those freezing mornings when he went out with his hair shirt but without his shearling gloves with wool inner liners, and had to shift down for the hill climb back home by removing and reversing the back wheel. Quicker shifting with skewer springs!

Anybody got a coffee can full of volute springs, and want to sell a few spares?