bolt on hub - which carry wrench?

wv_bob · #1 05-07-2009, 11:30 PM

Got a new bike with 17mm nuts on the bolt on hub. In need of a wrench to carry in case the wheel has to come off. Have found several 15mm wrenches (Surly Jethro Tule, Park SS-15, Pedros Trixie) but no 17mm. Wondering if anyone knows of a 17mm version of that kind of wrench?

Thanks in advance.

bomberbarnes · #2 05-08-2009, 02:26 AM

I have the same on my road bike (Afline rear hub, bolt through.)

I carry a 17mm cone spanner. Not ideal for the job, being 3mm (I think) plate, but man enough and flat so it slides down the back of whatever's in my bag. Plus as the spanner and nut are steel on steel, I'm rpetty confident that I won't ruin either, so long as I take care when using it.

Not needed it yet (yay for puncture resistant touring tyres) but in "practice" it works just fine and I like to know it's there.

one piece crank · #3 05-08-2009, 07:09 AM

I have a tiny (<3" long) 3/8 ratchet that I carry with a 17mm socket. Man enough for the job, plus extra leverage through a 3" piece of 1" PVC for a cheater bar.

Tom P.

LeeMcGough · #4 05-08-2009, 07:33 AM

I had a bike with a bolt on hub, and after a ton of flats, I bought a sleeve and QR conversion, and left the wrench at home. The hub never budged, the bolt on deal was overkill. But, that bike had vertical dropouts, YMMV.

wv_bob · #5 05-08-2009, 07:46 AM

Bike has track ends and chain tugs so I'm going to try and stick with the bolt on axle.

Hard to believe Bianchi sold all those bikes with 17mm nuts for all those years and no one came up with a product. Pretty sure Haro and Redline use the same hub too.

S. cerevisiae · #6 05-08-2009, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wv_bob

Hard to believe Bianchi sold all those bikes with 17mm nuts for all those years and no one came up with a product. Pretty sure Haro and Redline use the same hub too.

Not my 'Cog. It's 15mm like everyone else.

Bolt on hubs are way overkill if one is running tug nuts, even on track-ended frames. If I weren't such a Scotsman I'd have converted mine to QR long ago. I don't seem to have...well, let's just not mention the "f"(lat) word

Get a less expensive box wrench and hack saw it down...

rockyrider · #7 05-08-2009, 09:40 AM

If it's a standard 10mm axle why not just buy some 15mm axle nuts for it?

bomberbarnes · #8 05-08-2009, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockyrider

If it's a standard 10mm axle why not just buy some 15mm axle nuts for it?

Bah Rocky, being all logimafikrikal again ;-P

on that note, the nuts probably are 15mm on my alfine but the principle is the same as I'm pretty sure cone spanners come in 15/16/17 right?

The only thing you have to worry about is keeping the spanner straight as it's a bit thin and feels like it can rotate out, although it probably can't....

wv_bob · #9 05-08-2009, 10:16 AM

Quote:

If it's a standard 10mm axle why not just buy some 15mm axle nuts for it?

Quote:

Get a less expensive box wrench and hack saw it down

I'm considering both those ideas. Haven't checked the axle to see if it's 10mm or not yet Also thinking about asking a buddy who works in a machine shop if there's any heat treated scrap laying around that he could make a wrench out of. Or, just surrendering and buying a 1/4" drive ratchet and 17mm socket to match - if anyone makes that big of a socket in 1/4" drive.

Quote:

The only thing you have to worry about is keeping the spanner straight

Yeah, there's the catch for ham-handed Bob. I've got a 17mm cone wrench, so I can at least give it a try and see how I feel about my chances of not boogering the wrench up when I'm cross-eyed out of breath trying to fix a flat.

Quote:

If I weren't such a Scotsman I'd have converted mine to QR long ago.

My understanding is the hubs don't last long, so spending money on swapping the axles would be money wasted. But if noise still represented quality, like it did back in the days of Ringle hubs, these things would be bulletproof.

Another think on the nuts, the tugnuts keep the wheel from pulling forward, but the brakes can still pull the wheel backward if it's not tight as hell. It came with a tight chain, I loosened it up before riding, and when I came in, tight again so I reckon it slipped back. I gotta get in the habit of putting some torque on the nuts, too tight of a chain will end the hub's life real quick.

hophead · #10 05-08-2009, 10:42 AM

New nuts or pick up a 17mm stubby.

real_ss_budgie · #11 05-08-2009, 11:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeeMcGough

I had a bike with a bolt on hub, and after a ton of flats, I bought a sleeve and QR conversion, and left the wrench at home. The hub never budged, the bolt on deal was overkill. But, that bike had vertical dropouts, YMMV.

more info mate!!!

ive got a woodman bolt on and would like to get QR jiggy..if i can.

wv_bob · #12 05-08-2009, 12:32 PM

Update on my hub - from checking the axle with some thread chasers, it seems to be a 10mm axle, but with a different thread pitch than the 1.5 pitch of the tool. The next bigger size I've got is a 12mm and it definitely isn't that big.

FWIW, what a PITA taking that wheel off and getting it back on. I'm going to have to practice like I'm on a NASCAR pit crew just to get to where I can get it done without having to start over 10 times.

hophead · #13 05-08-2009, 12:57 PM

This should do ya.

rockyrider · #14 05-08-2009, 01:06 PM

It should either be a 10m x 1 thread or maybe a 3/8" x 24tpi or 26tpi thread.

Either way they should be available.

wv_bob · #15 05-08-2009, 01:08 PM

Yep, and they're 1mm pitch which explains why my 10x1.5 thread chaser wouldn't fit. I'll hit the hardware store for a 10x1mm nut, just to be sure, and if that fits the axle I'll just replace me nuts.

Thanks everybody