If you're stuck with an old-school QR fork setup and not in a position of upgrade to thru axle just quite yet, what's the consensus on the best/stiffest way to attach a wheel to said fork: a)quality internal cam QR skewer (i.e. Shimano); b) nutted axle; c) 9mm thru axle (or thru bolt or whatever); or d) doesn't matter?
Best way to run 9mm QR?
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This, if your hub is convertible.
Particularly the DT Swiss RWS system
+1
I've been using RWS for years on my "old school" bike and never had a single issue.
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1,212 Posts
Running a 9mm American Classic thru axle on my Hope Pro 2 and QR Manitou Marvel fork. Since getting this setup, it makes my RS Recon w/ QR feel very flexy. I would've figured the Marvel to flex more due to weight. I think the thru axle stiffened it up. You could do thru bolt with the same results for stiffness, but, added weight.
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12,735 Posts
The best way is bolt up. Even on QR hubs this can be acheived by threading the axle ends to M6.
I ran a 9mm QR for years with no success. The end cap is held square to the axle which removes it's ability to sit flat and clamp the dropout. The 9mm tube is also too stiff axially for the cam lever to over-centre.
The best QR I ran was a standard 5mm shimano. Not as good as bolt-up though.
I ran a 9mm QR for years with no success. The end cap is held square to the axle which removes it's ability to sit flat and clamp the dropout. The 9mm tube is also too stiff axially for the cam lever to over-centre.
The best QR I ran was a standard 5mm shimano. Not as good as bolt-up though.
The ends or endcaps of your hub will determine what you can do without a mod. A 9mm DT RWS thru-bolt won't fit through a 5mm QR hub endcap.
Some hubs offer replacement caps in 9mm or even 15mm if your axle has the inside diameter.
If you can't get new endcaps check the inside diameter of your hub axle by looking in there. In there is space you can drill out the aluminum endcaps to take a RWS thru-bolt. 9mm is slightly less than 3/8".
Some hubs offer replacement caps in 9mm or even 15mm if your axle has the inside diameter.
If you can't get new endcaps check the inside diameter of your hub axle by looking in there. In there is space you can drill out the aluminum endcaps to take a RWS thru-bolt. 9mm is slightly less than 3/8".
Thanks for responses. My hub is not convertible; but if I get a new wheel, I might look for a hub that is. This is the DT Swiss RWS skewer I was looking at, which appears to be a straight replacement for a normal QR skewer DT Swiss - RWS MTB steel. However, its unclear if that really works any better than a normal QR skewer.
Dougal, thanks for your perspective on bolt up. I've heard of converting a QR hub to bolt-up by replacing the axle with a solid one. Is there an easier way that you're referring to? Is M6 a hex nut of some kind?
Dougal, thanks for your perspective on bolt up. I've heard of converting a QR hub to bolt-up by replacing the axle with a solid one. Is there an easier way that you're referring to? Is M6 a hex nut of some kind?
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12,735 Posts
If you have a shimano or similar front hub with a threaded axle then a longer axle and nuts can be done relatively easily.
M6 is a metric thread size (6mm). Many hubs can have their axles internally threaded and run 6mm bolts or cap-screws (with appropriate washers) to convert the hub to a bolt-up type.
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8,726 Posts
I wouldn't buy a new wheel just to get a thru axle. It isn't going to make that much of a difference.
I have suffered the psychosis of thinking all my stuff is inadequate and in need of updating, many times. And many times I have spent money only to think that my old stuff wasn't so bad after all. Have I finally learned my lesson? Nope.
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12,735 Posts
I had to go through axle to stop my disc brakes pushing the front axle around on my main trail bike. That was an actual (first world) need. I still run QR on my bikes which have V and cantilever brakes.
Everything flexes, the only difference is how much. A fork and hub that is twice as stiff still has half the flex.
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3,837 Posts
Don't buy upgrades ride up grades!
LOL! Okay, since you asked... Its a pretty basic bike - 26", HT, SS, v-brakes. Ride up grades, indeed. :idea: Thanks, Eddy; I'll keep that in mind.
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The front wheel old. The hub is just a basic cup-n-cone job. I don't know what maker, probably Formula. I've rebuilt it at least twice. It runs fine, but I'd like a wider rim and disc brake compatability would be nice too. So I'm going to need a new wheel anyway. I know the industry is moving to 15mm and 20mm thru axles, but I'm not in a position to buy a new fork. I figured there must be a way to stiffen up a good ole fashioned 9mm front hub and was just curious about what people are doing who haven't made the jump to 15mm. Definitely not looking to break the bank. Bolt-on seems like the poor man's thru axle; I think I'll experiment a bit with that. BTW, I didn't realize that hollow axles were threaded on the inside. Thanks for the tip.
The front wheel old. The hub is just a basic cup-n-cone job. I don't know what maker, probably Formula. I've rebuilt it at least twice. It runs fine, but I'd like a wider rim and disc brake compatability would be nice too. So I'm going to need a new wheel anyway. I know the industry is moving to 15mm and 20mm thru axles, but I'm not in a position to buy a new fork. I figured there must be a way to stiffen up a good ole fashioned 9mm front hub and was just curious about what people are doing who haven't made the jump to 15mm. Definitely not looking to break the bank. Bolt-on seems like the poor man's thru axle; I think I'll experiment a bit with that. BTW, I didn't realize that hollow axles were threaded on the inside. Thanks for the tip.
If you are going to buy a new wheel anyway, a wide rim will make the biggest difference. In my own experience, I think changing my rim made a bigger difference than going to a thruaxle, but that depends on the rims.
Since your hub is cup and cone a solid axle with nuts on it will help some, but not a ton, based on my experience doing it. A new QR wont do much of anything.
Your axles aren't threaded on the inside I bet, so you would have tap them out to run bolts which seems like a lot of trouble for what is essentially the same setup as a super tight quick release which shouldn't be as stiff as the nutted solid axle.
Since your hub is cup and cone a solid axle with nuts on it will help some, but not a ton, based on my experience doing it. A new QR wont do much of anything.
Your axles aren't threaded on the inside I bet, so you would have tap them out to run bolts which seems like a lot of trouble for what is essentially the same setup as a super tight quick release which shouldn't be as stiff as the nutted solid axle.
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9,770 Posts
Funny how new stuff makes old stuff suddenly insufficient. When through axles came out my bike's fork became and unrideable noodle overnight. It's amazing I was ever able to ride it at all.
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While I can't put it as succinctly as lone ranger, I have a couple bikes I split time between. One 15mm and the other QR. I can't ever point to a time when I've been riding and thought "gee I sure can/cannot feel this thing flexing all over unlike my OTHER bike."
YMMV.
YMMV.
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163 Posts
While they have fallen out of fashion in recent years, a high flange hub can make a 9mm QR very stiff. I am running a White Industries Disc Jockey front hub with 9mm Hope QR. It is convertible to 15mm TA but I never felt the need. Front end is rock solid with 130mm Fox fork. They did away with the high flanges on the current M16 model but I am betting the high flange hub with 9mm is stiffer than or nearly as stiff as low flange with 15mm TA. There is really nothing new under the sun (650B for instance). I also think if you are running 29er wheels it is far more important to get the extra stiffness than if you running a 26" wheel.
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