Has anyone... 74 mm front quick release?
 

Hello all,

my 2003 Dahon Mariner has a nutted front axle which I would love to change to QR. my LBS has axles which look like an easy switch out. Problem is, no QR to go with it.

Can I take a reg front QR rod and run a die down the shaft to give me enough thread for the 74 mm size? What thread die should I use?

Any quidance is appreciated!

Hmmpf

I'm seeing a few on E-Bay from China.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-MTB-Roa...t/312788159971

I might be willing try one of their internal cam skewers. I've had issues with the super-light external cam skewers.

You could try cutting threads with an M5 (0.8, I think) thread die.

Bike Friday has sold 74mm hubs. Also Brompton. And, Phil, I think. Anyway, you could contact some of those companies even if they don't list current stock.

If axles are 90% or 100% threaded, then they should be able to be cut down easily enough.

$20 on T.h.o.r. USA at the end of the listing of dahon wheels

Those threads should be rolled, not cut with a die. Rolled threads are stronger under tension, as the QR shaft will be during use.

Sometimes a 100 mm skewer has enough threads to fit 74mm dropouts. Then you only have to trim the skewer. Put a m5 nut on it before cutting. Removing the nut afterward helps to clean up the threads. Cutting with a thin disk like on a Dremel or proxxon tool also helps to keep the threads clean.

Also, you might want to consider the security implications of switching to quick release, which would make it easier for thieves to steal your wheels.

If you are also interested in a new hub, if you buy a Novatec hub on Aliexpress for $20-25, it usually comes with a quick release. But you'll find the quick release by itself for even cheaper, like what the other person posted above. I have 2 Novatec hubs from Aliexpress which came with quick release skewers, but now they're just sitting in a box because I found that I needed hubs with a greater number of spokes to match the rim that I needed to use. The Chosen T4B hub is actually much better quality with better end cap designs than the Novatec hubs. It also came with a quick release which I'm not using. Instead I'm using a skewer bolt with a lock for better security, because I don't want to lose the wheels that I spent many hours to build.

If you're curious about the Chosen hub, it's the same one that is used on some of the Bike Friday wheels. It goes all the way up to 36 holes. It comes with Taiwanese bearings instead of Chinese bearings, and uses the larger 6000 cartridge bearings which has the same 4,762 mm (3/16″) ball size as what Shimano uses on their cup and cone front hubs. (Some of the miniature Japanese NTN bearings are actually rebranded Taiwanese bearings). Otherwise, Novatec has 2 models, a smaller one with smaller 699 bearings, and a larger one with 6000 bearings that only goes up to 28 holes. You can find more info here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/folding-b...on-others.html

I found the photo of how I trimmed the 100mm skewer bolt so that it wouldn't stick out on the other end on my 74mm dropout. I had forgotten to thread on a M5 nut before cutting (for cleaning up the threads from the inside), but the cut was so clean that it didn't matter. The brown disk at the bottom is what I used to cut the steel. Using a clamp and a drill stand made it much easier and a cleaner cut. There were a few threads remaining when screwing it into the hub and dropout, before bottoming out. Not all 100mm skewers have such a large amount of thread length though, so you'd have to check if the one you get would work.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...13dde0054c.jpg

Good point! I had forgotten that.

Tom,

Excellent posts with great info! I thank you for the effort and experience you have shared. I do have a Drexel and have cut bolts before. Remembered the nut clean off trick.

i do have a set of security QRs but sadly they are not threaded enough. I will check my LBS to see if they are able to roll threads for me. They have a huge bin of QRs to paw through, might find one I simply have to cut down.

Thanks all!