rear hub motor roadside flat repair

[raylo32]

Thinking of getting my GF an e-bike with a rear hub motor but worried about the rear in case of a flat. Not the flat itself, I well know how to repair or replace tubes and tires. But what about all the tools needed for these hub motor axles? What do you guys carry? Looks like you'd need cutters for zip ties and an axle nut wrench, at least. Or is there a quick emergency sealant that can shoot in to get you home to do the full repair easier?

 

[lnanek]

I put FlatOut sealant in my tires ahead of time. My ebike is folding too. So even though I carry the massive Allen key needed and my motor cable can be unplugged, I'd probably just lock the bike to the nearest road sign and walk to get my car to pick it up or shove it in an Uber to get it home.

 

[amberwolf]

Depends on the type of flat. There's bunches of threads discussing the various flat repair and flatproofing / resistant options with details, but the thing I would do if you have problems with typical tread-area punctures is put more rubber between the air and the road.

Thicker tires and thicker tubes.

Plastic protection strips,either built into the tire, or between the tire and the tube. If the latter, another old thickwall tube slit circumferentially along the valvestem line, with teh valvestem removed and that area placed around the actual tube's valvestem area, whole thing acting as a cover for the actual tube, to protect it from the plastic strip's edges and provide more rubber between road and air. You can leave out the strips and just do the extra tube layer(s).

In general this method has prevented me from having to do roadside flat repairs for years at a time on the SB Cruiser heavy cargo trike. (the front tire I just don't get flats on--the tire wears thru to the cloth before then). Since I don't use the plastic liners, just extra rubber (and moped tires and tubes on the two 20" rear wheels), I have had two flats, one from a mesquite or paloverde spike, and the other probably from some thin pointy bit of construction debris...but there was so much rubber that it didn't just go flat, I was able to get to work or home first, so I still didn't have to fix it on the side of the road. A third flat from a defective tube (or defective repair of mine, I don't recall which) also happened, but I don't remember that I even got to ride it before it failed.

 

[raylo32]

I know all about all that. Prevention is obviously important. I am just asking how much of a PITA is it to change a tube on a rear hub motor wheel IF it happens. And Murphy says that it will happen. Sometime.

Depends on the type of flat. There's bunches of threads discussing the various flat repair and flatproofing / resistant options with details, but the thing I would do if you have problems with typical tread-area punctures is put more rubber between the air and the road.

Thicker tires and thicker tubes.

Plastic protection strips,either built into the tire, or between the tire and the tube. If the latter, another old thickwall tube slit circumferentially along the valvestem line, with teh valvestem removed and that area placed around the actual tube's valvestem area, whole thing acting as a cover for the actual tube, to protect it from the plastic strip's edges and provide more rubber between road and air. You can leave out the strips and just do the extra tube layer(s).

 

[2old]

You can use Velcro instead of zip ties near the motor; on the few bikes that needed repair, the wires were long enough to lay the bike on its side, remove the wheel and change. The only "extra" tool you'll need is an adjustable wrench.

 

[amberwolf]

Depends on your setup.

If you just use the stuff that comes in a kit, or typical axle hardware, you'll probably need at least three tools (axle nut wrench, allen wrench or screwdriver or socket wrench (or driver) for torque arm retention hardware, wire cutters or boxknife to cut plastic cable ties), more if you have multiple fastener sizes or types. If the axle wiring uses the typical Higo/Julet connectors, unplugging them and plugging them back in securely can be difficult, and might require a tool to help do so without damaging things. If it uses other types of connectors, some of them may require tools of their own to disconnect/connect. Etc.

If you have enough different fasteners to undo/redo, or they are setup in a way that makes them hard to deal with, it can be a huge PITA to do roadside by yourself (moreso in the noonday hot sun or the dark and cold or the rain and wind or whatever worst-case conditions you might have there)

Alternately, you can optimize the installed axle hardware to require only one tool, if you like. If you fabricate pinching dropout plates, for instance, you can leave the axle nuts off entirely, as they aren't needed--the axle will be clamped by the dropouts and prevented from moving in any direction. An allen wrench can be used for the bolts that do the pinching, and the same size can be used for the bolts to secure the plates to the bike's dropouts. This gets two (or more) potentially large tools down to one tiny one. Then you use spiral plastic wrap or velcro strips to secure cabling to frame instead of zipties, and that becomes toolless.

If the pinching dropouts are designed so the axle can only sit in one place in them, then the reinstall is even easier; it "can't" be done wrong and cause problems like tire rub that require undoing/redoing things over again.

 

[offGridDownUnder]

You're going to buy a motor, controller, battery, etc.

Buy re-usable zip ties, re-usable velcro.

You can do this.

 

[biphaeboh]

On my GMAC set up, I carried a socket for wheel nuts and a big screwdriver for the torque arm.
The main issue was wrestling the heavy wheel out to fix the flat

 

[E-HP]

You can use Velcro instead of zip ties near the motor; on the few bikes that needed repair, the wires were long enough to lay the bike on its side, remove the wheel and change. The only "extra" tool you'll need is an adjustable wrench.

These elastic velcro chaintstay protectors work great for managing the cable.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VQTXDCC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[E-HP]

I put FlatOut sealant in my tires ahead of time. My ebike is folding too. So even though I carry the massive Allen key needed and my motor cable can be unplugged, I'd probably just lock the bike to the nearest road sign and walk to get my car to pick it up or shove it in an Uber to get it home.

I put in FlatOut, plus two extra tubes to line my tire 18 months ago with a new tire, and no flats since. The tire is now bald and needs replacing. Probably just luck, but I'm going with the same formula this time around. I carry a C02 inflator and 3 cartridges, banking on the FlatOut working if I get a big puncture.

 

[Sturmey]

There is a tube available by Gaadi that can be fitted without removing the wheel.

 

[miro13car]

replaced inner tube more than once on my rear heavy bike
all needed tools I carry with me - wrench to loosen torque arm, small wire cutter to cut tie wraps, screwdrivers to loosen fenders and luggage rack screws, etc., of course pump is a must, inner tube mount tools also

 

[99t4]

What do you guys carry?

Smallish 8" adjustable wrench for the axle nuts, 3/8" nutdriver for the torque arm worrmdrive (hose) clamp, and I always carry a pocketnknife in my pocket. Tube patch kit, tire levers. Either a good portable tire pump or, currently, a couple CO2 cartridges and adapter.

With experience now, often I can find where the leak is, and open up that area enough to withdraw the tube there to patch it without having to remove the wheel.

The pocketknife can also dig out any offending glass or thorn from the tire casing (important).

 

[thomasjgallant]

Smallish 8" adjustable wrench for the axle nuts, 3/8" nutdriver for the torque arm worrmdrive (hose) clamp, and I always carry a pocketnknife in my pocket. Tube patch kit, tire levers. Either a good portable tire pump or, currently, a couple CO2 cartridges and adapter.

With experience now, often I can find where the leak is, and open up that area enough to withdraw the tube there to patch it without having to remove the wheel.

The pocketknife can also dig out any offending glass or thorn from the tire casing (important).

Thinking of getting my GF an e-bike with a rear hub motor but worried about the rear in case of a flat. Not the flat itself, I well know how to repair or replace tubes and tires. But what about all the tools needed for these hub motor axles? What do you guys carry? Looks like you'd need cutters for zip ties and an axle nut wrench, at least. Or is there a quick emergency sealant that can shoot in to get you home to do the full repair easier?

Hello, I've had a rear hub commuter for several years now, and tried everything listed by folks on this page. I have run over such crazy things that have sliced through a brand new tire, tube, sealant all installed that morning. The best defense I have found is these Tannus Armour inner tire protectors. They stop 90% of crap I run over in the bike lane. Honestly if I do have a flat on the road I call someone to pick me and the bike up, I don't have the patience to be delicate with wires and all that on the roadside. I make the repair at home in the proper mood. Hope that helps!