# Converting nutted front wheel to quick release questions



## davcruz (Oct 9, 2007)

Hoping for some guidance from the wheel sages.

Now let me preface this by saying it is a wheel on my daughters MTB bike, I was hoping someone here might know what I need to purchase to do the conversion.

Wheel is front on a Giant Areva 24" MTB. The best I can tell it is a no name wheel and hub and is held on by nuts. I would like to convert the axle to a quick release style, however I have no idea what I need to purchase to do this procedure.

My bike transport is a roof rack and it is a hassle to use the wrench to remove/install the wheel when I take her to the trails.

Can this even be done?


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

most likely. if you measure the axle length, all you have to do is buy a new hollow axle, and rebuild. front axles for most asian made hubs will be 9 x 1mm. rears are 10 x 1mm...campy tends to be 26tpi, not 1mm thread, so watch out for that. just get an axle of the same length and the correct thread and put it back together. should only cost $10-15. if you can't find the exact length, as long as you have 2-3mm sticking out of the lock nut you'll be fine. don't go longer, the q/r won't work if the axle sticks out past the outer edge of the fork dropout. you can obviously cut one down, just run a nut on past where you will cut, then when you back it off it will help clean up the threads where the cut was made.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Depends on the hub design. To use a QR, you need to change the solid axle to a hollow one. If it is an "old-fashioned" cup-and-cone bearing assembly. that is a simple matter (if you know how to overhaul a hub) of unthreading the locknuts, spacers and cones from the old axle, obtaining the proper size hollow axle, and putting it back together with the hollow axle. There are just a few common standard sizes for those parts, and they aren't hard to find.The axle and the QR assembly ("skewer") are all that you'd need to buy. You need some cone wrenches to do the dis- and re-assembly.










Cone Adjustment

If the axle has sealed-bearing assemblies, an appropriate axle may not be available, or at least be much harder to find.


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## davcruz (Oct 9, 2007)

Gentlemen, Thank you very much! That picture you posted JCavilia is very helpful, I have indeed worked on cup/cone bearing wheels prior and I have the wrenches. For some reason I did not look at it from the simple perspective that you two described. I will begin Googling soon, if you have any suggestions on where to look for the parts it would be appreciated.

THANKS!


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## davcruz (Oct 9, 2007)

So I came up with the following measurements of the current solid axle using my digital caliper, 9x1 and this is the measurement of the actual threads, obviously the current axle is well over 110mm as it uses nuts, but I would require a 110mm axle.

I found this on Wheels Mfg. Axle 17, sound right? Wheels Mfg - Hub Axles


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

as long as your hub is cup-and-cone, yes. if it uses cartridge bearings, no...see JCavilia's post. you probably will need to take it apart to know, but most likely it's cup-and-cone


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## davcruz (Oct 9, 2007)

Yes, it is cup/cone. Again, thanks for the help.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Sansin Front Quick Release Axle M9 x 1 x 110mm Hub Axles Front
This place is a good online source for all sorts of small bits.


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## davcruz (Oct 9, 2007)

I got the Wheels Manufacturing unit, came yesterday. Had a ball installing with my daughters help, she is 8 and reloaded all the bearings, wiped out the old grease, repacked and all. Worked like a charm. Now I just need to get a cheapo quick release so I can take the nice Ultegra unit off her bike, it was all I had laying around...

Thanks again gents!


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## Savedsol (Sep 23, 2004)

Thread revival! I wanted to say thanks for this thread. My son's new to him Specialized Hotrock had stripped axle nuts and axle threads. I was able to source new axles and converted the front to a quick release for car transport (on and in) as well. Cost for the axles was $25 solid (total including new cones, nuts, etc, front and back) or an extra ten bucks for the front converted to QR. Dis/reassembly was easy but DOES require a cone wrench.


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