Emergency w/ Rounded Thru axles 02/05

Did exactly this to a couple of bikes a few weeks ago. Worked a dream.

However, I did start the whole procedure by soaking the area in plusgas, which is magical go go juice.

You can also get massive screw extractors, bit of drillium and one of these has worked before as well.

The axle will be aluminium, the website doesn’t state this categorically but it makes repeated mention of ‘lightweight’ and their heavy duty axle is specified as solid aluminium so if they use it for that, I’m pretty certain it’s what this one, which looks like a ‘Lightening’ axle will be.

Actually having a lot of success removing these in the shop right now. Quality drill bits (presto), a pedestal drill and a secure fork/frame jig. Drilling the threaded sided of the axle in 0.5mm steps up to 0.5mm less than axle thickness. Few days of plus gas soaking and an eze out does the trick. Have done 4 this month.

Only kicker at the minute is my favoured replacement thru axle is out of stock everywhere and I often have to replace with a SRAM maxle or brandx.

What is your favoured replacement. Just helped a friend change their thru axle and the hex section that the Allen key goes into is incredibly thin and alu....seems like it won't last all that long. It's a Prime one I think.

Have done 4 this month.

Shit! Is it failure to grease, shitty weather, turbo sweat? All of the above?

Brand X with the lever is my current favoured budget option. It also has a large 8mm on the thread size so 3 options to remove. I don't like their non lever ones though.

@hippy combination of failure to grease, soft aluminium and heavy washing. The Tripster axles are actually good but haven't been able to find them in MTB sizes. Rondo & Xfusion axles are also particularly bad designs.

I swapped out the Tripster lever axles for allen-key ones because I didn't like their clamping force so would just use the QR lever to turn them tight, which then had every man and his dog telling me my skewers were loose.

I will make a note to re-grease them.

Any news? Not being nosey, just want it to work out (and know how).

Yes! Just got my bike back today - woulda uploaded dramatic new axle vs bodgered axle but alas, my phone has packed up too

SE20 put in hours on it, heat gunning/penetrating oil, flats were ground out and vice'd the axle off - pics to come!

Heat gun on a carbon fork? Nice

Brave. Glad to hear it’s resolved!! (Apologies PhilDAS, I don’t mean to keep replying to you)

A lovely before and after

1 Attachment

Like for like replacement?

Yeah some minor revisions from what I see but effectively the same, hope they've revised the bolt head

hope they've revised the bolt head

That was what I was thinking!

I've got a similar allen key type deal on a fox fork (36 factory with the ridiculously sized thru axel) and it's shit , been through 2 already where it's rounded out with the soft alu that it's been made in

Some great tips in here for the next time but what can I do to prevent it happening again in reality?

Glad you managed to get it fixed @Nerv!

I'd grease the hell out of it (not even to prevent seizing, but less torque to remove)
If my new axle weren't a warranty replacement, I'd also look for a better 3rd party one and stick to it

What is a good third party axle? I've yet to come across something that I really like.

Dt rws

less torque to remove

I don’t remember the mechanics of it, but it’s easier to damage a greased bolt by over tightening it than it is a non-greased bolt. I don’t doubt these thru axles are made of goats cheese, but worth using a torque wrench next time?

Appreciate not much help to you now; but I had success in removal by inserting an Allen key through the entire axle and attacking it from the opposite side.

Rock Shox maxles are fricking expensive for a piece of cheese. So I’ve now replaced for a levered brand X one from CRC. Dad bike is back up and running.

So my rear thru axel is stuck too :(

It does loosen off just over a full rotation but then is very stuck. It's a special one from Burley for towing a kid trailer so doesn't have a handle or allen key socket on the left, only an allen key socket on the drive side. I gave it a bit of force and have rounded the socket FFS- it seems to be made of soft alu :(

Since it moves a fair bit rather than being totally seized, I'm confused as to the problem. Maybe the threads that protruded on the drive side have been damaged?

So what are my options? I trying to remove the wheel for a bike clean as was super dusty, so no urgent need to remove. Ideally a non-destructive option, as they don't seem to make this particular length axle anymore. (Although when our cargo bike arrives in 2 months I will care less about this as we may sell the trailer and I can go back to the axle that came with the bike)

I can take it to the LBS at some point but it's tricky time wise

the threads that protruded on the drive side

Tighten it back up, thoroughly clean and grease threads sticking out on the drive side, try removing again. if you've rounded the socket it's probably toast.

aye, you're probably right :(

Can you hammer a Torx bit in?