I have an old Schwinn with Maillard hubs. The rear hub has a 6 cog freewheel and the hub is 126mm spacing. The axle is slightly bent and I would like to replace it. The hub has a 2 interlocking circles logo and the number 88 stamped in it (year of manufacture?). Are the axles still available without buying a complete hub and relacing the wheel. I really don't want to relace the wheel.

Yes, axle sets can be found on Ebay. You have few options...

1. Order a loose axle without cones. I'm not sure of the threading but you can try www.loosescrews.com.

2. Find a donor hub. A member here may have one or Ebay. They arent expensive.

Interlocking 0's, depending on location could indicate BSA threading. '88' would the year of manufacture which is usualy preceded by the month.

14 82...14th week of 1982

I appreciate your response. I reviewed the site and did find a couple of prospects. The one stipulated that it was not sloted. The other one said nothing about being or not being sloted but did say that it was a replacement for Shimano and a couple of others. Do you have any knowledge as to whether or not it is sloted. I do need a sloted axel.

You dont need a slotted axle but its helpful to match whatever you have now.

If your current axle is slotted and you acquire a non-slotted axle you'll have to grind away the 'slot tabs' on your washers. Thats very easy or a pain depending on what tools you own. Back in the day I'd clamp the washers in a vice and file them off. A Dremel would work nicely as well.

The biggest problem I have in replacing axles is that you need the cone
and the threading to match. I don't recall, but I believe Shimano and Maillard
axles have different threading (someone will correct me if I am wrong).
This is a problem because you can't put your existing cones on the Shimano
axle and the Shimano axles probably have a different diameter then the Maillard.
As I said, I don't recall the details - but you have to have them right or you
are not going to get what you need.

And it is possible I have some french threaded axles, I might have an opprotunity to check when I get home tonight.

subscribing so i remember to measure some axles when i get home....

The maillard cones are crap in my experience. I had a front hub that ate them for breakfast, then I found a donar hub and it ate those too. I think english threading may be indicated by a line between the threaded portion and the drive side flange of the hub (like early campy)... I say this because I have one that is BSC threaded and has a line. I know that I replaced the axle in my mid to late 1980s hub with a 10mm metric axle and everything threaded on fine. That was a few years ago and I knew a lot less about what I was doing back then and it was pure luck that I found the axle in the bin at the usedLBS and that it all went together smoothly. I was making a fixed wheel at the time... still have that wheel but it's going on a flip bike now.

I've been a little slow in figuring that out, but I can confirm they are crap.

I looked in my 3rd edition of Sutherland's (from 1980): French is 9.5mm 1.0
and Japanese as 10 by 1.0 (or 26TPI).

I don't know anything about French hubs, but if it helps I have a Malliard Helicomatic rear hub (with axle/cones/nuts that you can have for the price of postage.

Well bigbossman if the axle your are talking about fits a 126mm spacing I will be thrilled to accept your offer. Just pm me with funds required and I will gladly send you the $$. So the French axle is .5 mm smaller diameter than the Japanese. What size is the Campy axle. I am sure they are available. Campy is almost always rebuildable.

Thanks for all the help and info

Very slow to follow up on this, but a Campy axle is also 10mm. And you
are right they are easier to come by.