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So my best mate has a set of fox forks and the axle was over tightened and as a result when trying to undo the axle the short lugs have been torn off the lower leg. If we eventually undo the axle I’m wondering what can be done other than ordering new lowers. He’s not got a huge budget and isn’t at all mechanically minded so it will fall to me to sort them rather than a bike shop. Anybody experienced similar and what did you do? I’m wondering if we can slightly rub them down to smooth the lugs more and just put a nut on the other side. It’ll mean using a spanner but at least it’ll be cheaper than lowers.
Do you have details of the exact fork? There's a bunch of different methods Fox use, the fix I used for mine wouldn't work for everything.
2019 Rhythm Series 34 FLOAT 29 150 - according to the fox 4 digit number check.
Mmm, ok, very different to mine, not sure if my trick will work (mine had the fixed thread in one leg which stripped out- I just removed the rest of the thread, tapped a thread into the inside of the axle and added a bolt and a headset cap so that instead of tightening into the leg, it now tightens "onto" the leg like a headset. Probably there'll be something similar...
Looking at the pics though this is basically the version after mine I think, where they replaced the fixed thread with a little bolted-in replaceable threaded thing? So that should make it an easy fix, or maybe the pics I'm seeing are of a different variant. I guess I'm not sure exactly what you mean by the lugs
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This is what he has so the notches cast into the lower legs keep the nut in place, he's removed the daft little bolt in bit.
I would just get a Burgtec axle and screw it in, tiny bit of grease on the threads and friction between the captive nut and forks will be enough to get it to torque up fine, just don’t lose the nut when the axle is out.
Actually put the tab back on, and it will keep the nut in place.
Ah OK, thanks, that's a little different to what I thought it was. Looks bloody fiddly tbh. My trick might work but it'll be harder because you've not got much flat to work with, don't think it's going to be a good optoion
Hmm. Is it kabolt or QR? Probably kabolt I'm thinking, seeing the damage?
Hmm. Is it kabolt or QR? Probably kabolt I’m thinking, seeing the damage?
IU would have thought the Kabolt would be the one to cause less damage as you tighten it with a hex key. Ive the QR and tbh i hate how it tightens, seems to either be too loose or too tight, and id rather it wasnt too tight, but then to loose is dangerous.
Last fork was an RS and the stealth axle seemed to me a better option.
Obviously you can put too much torque on hex bolts, but surly thats down to cackhandedness 😕
It's the kabolt yeah, seems a daft design if you ask me to have something so tiny be responsible for the axle.
If it’s the QR bolt, can you just bond the nut in the picture in the appropriate place (thinking twin pack epoxy) as the force is closing the QR not screwing the bolt in?
Of course that suggestion might be bobbins for a number of reasons.
Edit - and now the major reason for bobbins-ness appears - I missed that right up until I posted. Sorry.
So, can you purchase the appropriate QR version, then revert to my plan A?
The only things those tabs do, is hold the nut in the same position, so the QR axle is always in the same place, as Fox 15mm axles are bobbins anyway, just stick a proper 15mm axle in it and use an Allen key.
Yup, exactly what I'm thinking- it'd be harder to secure it enough to work with a kabolt, doable but not so easy.
But if they swap for the QR then you remove the need for it to resist the strong tightening force. You still need to be able to turn the QR in the nut, but that needs hardly any force if well cared for. They'll just need to stay on top of cleaning/lubing and making sure it's not left too long because if it gets seizey it'll be a total balls to remove.
Other ways to do it but I reckon this is the best.
With the added bonus, his fork will have a 15mm axle, not 2 bits of 15mm tube held together with a bit of 6mm threaded bar and his bushings will last longer.
er, using a regular axle will be worse for the clocked nut as you have to apply torque to achieve preload. With the fox QR axle, you apply very little torque then the lever applies the preload in a linear fashion, not under rotation.
I'd just throw some "liquid metal/metal putty" in the gap between the nut and failed notches with the QR axle in place ( to keep it centered) and grease/antiseize on the thread, then re-install the clock cover and jobs done.
As far as the QR too loose or too tight comment above. The QR lever uses a 360deg clocked axle nut. this allow you to adjust where "just right tight" is with teh qr lever closing in the exact position you want it to. So, you may want to use a QR version of the nut in addition to the QR axle.
Thanks all for suggestions so far, just to clarify whats installed atm and currently stuck is a bolt through kabolt axle, NOT the QR version. So the current installed setup means those notches are responsible for resisting the tightening from the bolt through axle. I think it could be a good idea to try the QR version instead because as we've come to the conclusion you cant really over-tighten it in the same manner. Securing it with some sort of glue but he isn't good at all with maintenance so he may end up letting it dry out and getting it stuck, but way cheaper than new lowers!!