9mm QR orbolt through wheels...Help what fits what!

wookiee":3hh7rdxs said:

I have currently been running standard 9mm QR skewers on the wheelset on my Santa Cruz. However these are getting a bit tired, and I'm looking at getting a new set. So my dumb question:

- If I get a wheelset with bolt through axles do I need to change my forks/dropouts?

Whats the deal with the different bolt through axle sizes?

Very confused!

Doug

Click to expand...

Osella":3alwxgg9 said:

wookiee":3alwxgg9 said:

I have currently been running standard 9mm QR skewers on the wheelset on my Santa Cruz. However these are getting a bit tired, and I'm looking at getting a new set. So my dumb question:

- If I get a wheelset with bolt through axles do I need to change my forks/dropouts?

Whats the deal with the different bolt through axle sizes?

Very confused!

Doug

Click to expand...

Possibly, possibly, and possibly..

Your 'basic' QR has been around a loooong time, and is for convenience. [start with Sheldon Brown's article about Quick releases]..
However..
You can get a bolt-up 9mm axle - which will potentially be stiffer/more secure. There are also larger QR axles (Azonic, Hope and I'm sure others) which fit in a standard 10mm (QR) hub. As the hole through the hub is 10mm, there's a bit of clearance you can play with as a manufacturer between 9mm and 10mm.

Then, there's 10mm 'male' axles which are also able to fit in standard dropouts, give or take and fit an M10 nut on the outside to bolt them up. These often have no hole through the hub, and I've never seen a front wheel made this way. They are more common on Park/Street/SS bikes.

Then you get 12mm, 15mm or 20mm axles. 12mm are hollow 12mm exterior axles which fit through the wheel hub and usually have a chunky QR to fasten them. The axle will be fork-specific - although I think some are multi-use. You can commonly get adapters to take a 12mm axle to 9mm QR if you don't want to change forks.

The same roughly applies to 15mm and 20mm as well, but 20mm are as far as I know bolt-up only and these days are primarily used for DH. You will however in many cases be able to again convert these with adapters down to 15mm 12mm (in some cases) or down to QR. some adapters are tubes which sit inside the hollow hub, and others are end caps which replace the bearing covers. Be careful however, as some manufactures produce adapter kits which don't fit all of their own hubs (thanks again Hope...) 12mm and 15mm are known sometimes as 'maxles' which is a trademarked term but now common-use.
Some manufacturers produce licenced maxles and these are cross-compatible in the main. (i.e a SRAM maxle hub will fit a Magura fork as they are purposely designed to work together). Research is the key..

The above is front-only. Rear wheels there are even more varieties with 142mm and 150mm axle widths..

Click to expand...

Osella":39gpjlws said:

wookiee":39gpjlws said:

I have currently been running standard 9mm QR skewers on the wheelset on my Santa Cruz. However these are getting a bit tired, and I'm looking at getting a new set. So my dumb question:

- If I get a wheelset with bolt through axles do I need to change my forks/dropouts?

Whats the deal with the different bolt through axle sizes?

Very confused!

Doug

Click to expand...

Possibly, possibly, and possibly..

Your 'basic' QR has been around a loooong time, and is for convenience. [start with Sheldon Brown's article about Quick releases]..
However..
You can get a bolt-up 9mm axle - which will potentially be stiffer/more secure. There are also larger QR axles (Azonic, Hope and I'm sure others) which fit in a standard 10mm (QR) hub. As the hole through the hub is 10mm, there's a bit of clearance you can play with as a manufacturer between 9mm and 10mm.

Then, there's 10mm 'male' axles which are also able to fit in standard dropouts, give or take and fit an M10 nut on the outside to bolt them up. These often have no hole through the hub, and I've never seen a front wheel made this way. They are more common on Park/Street/SS bikes.

Then you get 12mm, 15mm or 20mm axles. 12mm are hollow 12mm exterior axles which fit through the wheel hub and usually have a chunky QR to fasten them. The axle will be fork-specific - although I think some are multi-use. You can commonly get adapters to take a 12mm axle to 9mm QR if you don't want to change forks.

The same roughly applies to 15mm and 20mm as well, but 20mm are as far as I know bolt-up only and these days are primarily used for DH. You will however in many cases be able to again convert these with adapters down to 15mm 12mm (in some cases) or down to QR. some adapters are tubes which sit inside the hollow hub, and others are end caps which replace the bearing covers. Be careful however, as some manufactures produce adapter kits which don't fit all of their own hubs (thanks again Hope...) 12mm and 15mm are known sometimes as 'maxles' which is a trademarked term but now common-use.
Some manufacturers produce licenced maxles and these are cross-compatible in the main. (i.e a SRAM maxle hub will fit a Magura fork as they are purposely designed to work together). Research is the key..

The above is front-only. Rear wheels there are even more varieties with 142mm and 150mm axle widths..

Click to expand...

I'm not sure this is correct.
Front QRs are 9mm, rear is 10mm. You won't get a 10mm bolt to fit a 9mm QR.
h.

Click to expand...