Axle washer help

[onyerbike531]

Hello forumers

I'm going to have a go at changing the bent axle on my touring bike but I'm a bit unsure what to do about the washers. My bike's got Maillard hubs dated 89, they're quick release, the bent rear axle has that groove running along it for the little tooth on the washers to lock into but the new one I've ordered hasn't so I'm not going to be able to use the original washers. What size washers will I need to substitute for the original ones? Will any washer do as long as it's the right diameter for axle? Where's a good place to buy them from?

Thanks retro cycle people

 

[pigman]

Re:

just file the internal tabs off the washers and put it back together as it was using the new axle

 

[onyerbike531]

What a brilliant idea, thank you, I will have a go at that, can you get little rounded files that would fit in those washers?

 

[torqueless]

Re:

Personally, I'd store the tabbed washers and get some new plain ones.
You might be kicking yourself later on otherwise.
Washers should be relatively easy to find. Tabbed washers not so easy.

 

[onyerbike531]

Re:

I might actually have some spare ones on another old maillard hub so it wouldn't be too much of a loss.
If I were to get some non tabbed, I'd be looking for M10 10mm - 15mm ones right? would any do as long as they're the right thickness, I've seen they sell a 10 pack at Halfords, it says they are rust resistant.

 

[torqueless]

Re:

Such washers as you describe should be OK.

But your lack of washers suggests that you are planning on using the old cones/locknuts on the new axle? If so you should check that the new axle is the same thread as the old one.

I have a couple of rear axles- a Campag with the slot along it, and a cheapo generic without. I believe the Campag is 26tpi and the other is 25.4tpi. From my pitifully small sample I extrapolate that axles with slots are 26tpi and axles without slots are 25.4tpi, but I could easily be wrong about that..

 

[t47b]

can you get little rounded files that would fit in those washers?

Yes. They are called full round bastard files, you can also get half round bastards for multi use.

By implication they are not the easiest things to use

 

[onyerbike531]

Re:

Thank you torqueless for alerting me to the different threads used on these axles, I wouldn't have had a clue. I went back did some research and found that nearly all of those slotted (Campag style) axles are indeed 26tpi and generic (shimano compatible) ones are 25.4 or 1 thread per mm. I also found that rear axle diameters can differ with some being 9.5mm and others being 10mm. The one on my Maillard hub appears to be 9.5mm. Luckily I had one in my spare parts box.

It looks like Peugeot might have stuck with the same type of Maillard axles all the way through the '80s up until Shimano started making an appearance on their bikes at the beginning of the 1990s.

I think I'm going to need to stock pile some of those old slotted ones.

Am I right in thinking as long as the dropouts can accommodate the 10mm diameter axle you can refit the newer generic axles and their cones with the correct amount of spacers into these older hubs to make it up to the correct over-lock-nut distance? e.g 126mm.

 

[torqueless]

Re:

Tbh I don't know. There's potentially a few limiting factors. Here are some that occur to me:

1)The outer diameter of the cones has to be consistent with the holes in the hub dustcaps.
But then most cones do seem to be around 16-17mm outer diameter, so chances are there won't be a problem.

2)The internal diameter of the hub barrel has to be sufficient to accommodate the 10mm axle.
But the old Campag rear hubs have smaller diameter barrels than most and take a 10mm axle OK, so chances are there won't be a problem.

3)The cones need to be compatible with the race in the hub, and the balls.
But I think just about any rear cup 'n' cone hub takes nine 1/4" balls each side, so chances are there won't be a problem.

4)If using QR, the axle length needs to be optimised for the OLN. If you have 126mm rear end, you need an axle about 132-136mm. ie long enough to project beyond the locknuts but short enough not to project beyond the dropout outer faces. Any longer than that and the QR might not clamp the wheel properly, because the clamping force will be applied to the ends of the axle rather than the dropouts .