Rear axle dropout... Forgot torque arms

Boestin · May 9, 2013

Hi Guys,

Just mounted my HS3540 on the rear fork and connected it with Lyen's 6FET controller and 36v 20ah Ping battery. Since I only intend to use max 750W, I thought i didnt use the arms..
Well, turns out I was wrong. This is what happened:

I was ready for a test drive, so I twisted the throttle a little bit to push the bike through the garage. Then the bike stopped all of a sudden, I saw that the V-brakes were blocking. The wheel was almost twisted 30 degrees in the dropout. Cause: Forgot to tighten the bolts :oops:

Now, the gap is bigger in the drop out (I think the right term is dropout, correct me if I'm wrong)

Now I am in doubt what I should do. Is it save enough to mount a torque arm in this stage? Because the gap of the dropout is slightly looser, the the axle move (a bit) freely?

Thanks for your help!!

Johan

lifepo4ever · May 9, 2013

yes you can buy "doctorbass" torque arm and glue them or weld in place no problem at all just send a pm to him

dogman dan · May 9, 2013

You may have ruined your frame if it is aluminum. You might have made a micro crack now. Or you may have just wallowed it out, like you took a file to it.

If it's steel, just install torque arms, and keep those nuts tight. Steel can bend a bit without cracking.

Boestin · May 9, 2013

Thank you guys for your help

Bad news is that the bike is completely made of aluminium, good news is that i can't see any cracks.. But i guess microcracks aren't visible with the eye, so thats not positive

..
So supposedly there is a crack, what is the worst thing that can happen? I've limited the max watts for about 750 at the moment.. What if it does crack.. Besides the accident :!:

, do I have to buy a complete new frame?

I already ordered one torque arm, universel REV3 long.

Trek X500

Ykick · May 9, 2013

You'd be in much worse shape had this happened to a front Aluminum fork. I suggest torque arm on both sides of that rig. At least if something does completely fracture 2qty TA's should hold things together enough to prevent complete wheel loss at speed. I kinda doubt they're cracked severe enough to fail completely but better safe than sorry.

Bet you won't make that mistake again....

rojitor · May 9, 2013

If you already damaged dropouts i think the same, two torque arms are mandatory.

DAND214 · May 9, 2013

Since you didn't tighten the nuts tight, you should be ok with TA'S.

Only time and miles will tell.

Dan

Boestin · May 9, 2013

I will try the 2 torque arms and will let you all know in the first 500 miles

Besides that, the derailleur hanger dropout CAN also be replaced, so that's 1 dropout less to worry .

Thanks for all the help guys!

And I'm definitely NOT going to make that mistake again lol :mrgreen:

Ykick · May 9, 2013

Don't use regen, keep nuts tights and might not need two TA's especially if you replace the derailer side...??? But, two will provide much more confidence and certainly help hold things together if things go awry.

Live and learn, we've all had our D'oh moments!

dogman dan · May 9, 2013

Two torque arms should secure the wheel to the bike if the dropouts did happen to fall apart. You'd likely have the wheel tilt, and perhaps lock up causing a crash, but it should be a lay down, not a flip.

So I'd be inclined to torque arm it, and ride it. If you could see a crack, then the frame would be toast for sure, unrepairable and unridable.

Merlin · May 13, 2013

if the dropout has cracked why he cant welding on an 10mm Aluminium "new dropout" over it? It wouldnt win a beautyprice but i think it will be easy to find a company who can weld some aluminium over it.....with a dremel he can make new dropouts.

beside that.....glad to see that iam not alone on planet earth with a H35 in a 28" Trekking bike

rui_fujino · May 13, 2013

Sorry to change the subject but what freewheel / rear gear do you have there?? it doesn't look like normal freewheel?!

999zip999 · May 13, 2013

I like nord-lock washers also.

dogman dan · May 14, 2013

You'd have to re temper an alloy frame that got welded on. After they weld em in the factory, they go through a process to do that.

However, if the part of the frame you bolted to was still good, you could do this.

Rear axle dropout... Forgot torque arms

Boestin

100 W

lifepo4ever

10 kW

dogman dan

1 PW

Boestin

100 W

Ykick

1 GW

rojitor

100 kW

DAND214

10 MW

Boestin

100 W

Ykick

1 GW

dogman dan

1 PW

Merlin

1 MW

rui_fujino

1 kW

999zip999

100 TW

dogman dan

1 PW

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