Thru axle wheel not wanting to drop out - SORTED

[slope]

Slope is trying ever so hard to 'modernise', taking delivery of another newfangled bike. This process is ranging between pleasurable excitement and surprising satisfaction, but with plenty of confusion and some annoyance.

So here we have front boingy boingy suspension forks (Fusion MIG32) with a 15 x 110 thru (sic) axle. When one undoes and removes the axle, the wheel does not simply drop out. The ends of the axle sit inside a ~1-1.5mm closed recess milled into the inner fork ends. In order to get the wheel out one has to try and force the legs apart a tad. They are very thick stiff things and this is not easy. Firstly one side usually plops out and the wheel then flops to one side and the disc rotor complains cos it's at any angle in its caliper. That's followed by wishful wiggling trying to free the end still stuck. Getting it back in afterwards is only very slightly easier.

The rear of the frame, with 12 x 148 thru axled wheel, does indeed have a simple flush drop out.

See photo of the recess on the inside of the right fork end.

How can this be right? Are everyone elses like this?

Is it just more of that "lawyers lips" wokery? Is every other recipient of these forks required to get a bloody file out in order to make life easier?

 The pro peletons’ wheels drop out in a flash, as does the thru axle wheel in a pair of carbon front forks on slope’s other foray into modern bikeworld.

 So why are these so unfriendly 

Or am I just twp, or lacking ‘technique’?


[Adam]

The wheel should just drop out.  Either the forks are slightly too narrow through getting bent inwards, or the actual distance between the locknuts on the wheel is very slightly too wide.  Or both.

[slope]

 But surely? the reason the wheel doesn’t simply ‘drop out’ is because the axle ends ‘sit’ in the machined recess (as photo’d) in both fork ends

As mentioned I am open to accepting I’m stupid and missing something . . .

[Adam]

Have you tried using the wheel from your carbon bike in this one, to see if the axle on that also gets retained by that recess?

I haven't currently got any thru axle equipped bikes in the shop so that I can check what their forks look like, but the fact that normally wheels just drop out, tends to imply that the recess shouldn't be there.

[robgul]

But surely? the reason the wheel doesn’t simply ‘drop out’ is because the axle ends ‘sit’ in the machined recess (as photo’d) in both fork ends

As mentioned I am open to accepting I’m stupid and missing something . . .

As Adam says the wheel should just drop out.  The "machined recess" is in effect "u-shaped" . . . is the bike at such an angle when you try and take the wheel out that it's binding on one arm of the recess?    That said one of my bikes with thru axles does have a tight-ish front fork/axle interface, such that you need to give the wheel a gentle tug to remove it from the (front) fork.

[slope]

The "machined recess" is in effect "u-shaped" . . .

 . . . trouble is Rob, both 'recesses' on these forks are not U shaped as you would expect, and as they indeed are on the rear frame drop outs. These are circular, as in the photo. Now that I've slept on it, it's obvious, to get a wheel into those recesses the forks have to be physically pulled apart. Which can't be right - but is the process I have to struggle with

As Adam suggested, I'll go and get the wheel off the Boardman later and try that whilst inspecting those forks, which do let the wheel drop out as expected.

It can't be true but its as if these Fusion MIG32 forks were built on a Friday just before the machinist or robot went home for the weekend - and they couldn't be arsed to machine the 'U' part from the bolt hole down to the bottom of the fork leg

[slope]

Here's some more pics of the rear frame patently U shaped locating recess, the front left fork inside of the NOT drop out and the hub ends.


IMG_4618 by slopeslopeslope


IMG_4623 by slopeslopeslope


IMG_4621 by slopeslopeslope


IMG_4620 by slopeslopeslope

[Cudzoziemiec]

They aren't U-shaped, by which I assume you mean that there's in effect a channel from the axle holes down to the bottom of the forks*, on my Specialized. In fact, I don't recall there being any sort of recess at all. Those are rigid forks with a 12mm thru-axle.

*Ed: Just seen the pic of the rear drop outs above. No, nothing like that on mine – but no binding either.

[slope]

Thru axle wheel from other bike no fit, as that's not a 110mm boost hub! But inspection of the drop outs on that bike, where the wheel does indeed just fall out after axle removal, shows ones like these



Whereby the upper half of the hub ends locate and abut in the upper semi circular 'flange' = ideal

The bl**dy Fusion MIG 32 fork ends do not allow the wheel to release, because the recess is 360º - and it is therefore necessary to physically pull the forks apart enough for the wheel to clear the bl**dy recess.

I posted a question on the Cube Reaction Hybrid FB page - 2 answers said they had the same problem.

Perhaps I just need to get a Dremel? Or go the gym and strengthen me arms for the fork pulling apart bit of the equation?

[Cudzoziemiec]

Is this a peculiarity of Boost hubs?

[aidan.f]

Picture above shows that they almost got the dropout slot deep enough. You could complain, suspect you have a homeopathic chance of anyone admitting to a mistake... Dremel time!

[slope]

Just had a prompt response from the dealer concerned -

"I have to admit, it is a bit annoying that they have machined them like that. Out of the hundreds of these bikes that we've sold, we've only actually seen 2 so far that have been machined all the way to the bottom. The rest of them are like yours.

So it's up to you, we might be able to send them to X-Fusion to get the bottom of the drop out machined, but I don't know for sure that they offer that, and It would likely have to go to them in America which would mean a pretty slow turn around. Or, you or us could try just filing off that lip if you wanted to send the forks or bike back to us? It probably wouldn't need to have a lot of material filed off. Just enough so that the edges of the machining are nice and round or chamfered, so the hub can slide in and out of place.

Sorry for the issue, but just let us know what you'd like to do, as we want you to be happy with your bike."

Which I think is perfectly reasonable of the dealer concerned. It's a pity that Cube (the bike manufacturer) were and are happy to fit such poorly made forks.

Shall ponder . . .

[slope]

As arranged with Joe at the bike shop who supplied the bike mail order*, I removed the defective forks, packaged them up for collection on Wednesday. Parcel arrived at their workshop yesterday morning. New replacement fork lower legs were fitted. Joe sent a video of the forks simply dropping onto thru hub ends as should be. Sent forks back in the afternoon - juts arrived @ Snowdon Towers 

Many thanks Joe at Freeborn bikes https://www.freeborn.co.uk/ for great personal service

* Joe offered to have the complete bike collected, but I suggested me removing the forks as that would be simpler all round.

[Paul]

That's good service!

So, the original dropouts weren't finished?

[slope]

That's good service!

So, the original dropouts weren't finished?

According to the previous email from Joe at Freeborn Bikes, they had sold hundreds with the forks I complained about.

"I have to admit, it is a bit annoying that they have machined them like that. Out of the hundreds of these bikes that we've sold, we've only actually seen 2 so far that have been machined all the way to the bottom. The rest of them are like yours"

When he phoned X-Fusion UK distributor, they immediately offered to send him a new pair of fork bottoms and the issue was easily resolved. As soon as he received them he sent me a video to demonstrate these replacements simply dropped onto the thru axle hub ends, as indeed I was expecting on any bike with thru axle hubs. I'm amazed that I appear to be the only one who's complained? But fair dos, there was no hesitation to get it sorted ASAP. And I'd happily deal with Freeborn Bikes again.