Because the threads are stripped, at the ends, where the nut holds the cranks on. I do know that this is some modern wheel, installed in a well made, homemade frame. but I do not know what brand or name or anything about the wheel and axle. It has square ends, where the cranks mount, with nuts holding them. (9/16" socket fits it) It has large sealed bearings. We plan to take it to a local hardware store tomorrow, and see what size the ends of the axle are. And we can measure the length of the axle. The kids don’t want to remove the axle, because they are still riding it, with a slight creak in the slightly loose side, due to stripped threads. Will I have to remove it, and maybe take pics of it, to learn what kind to order? I am new to unicycles. I am mechanically inclined.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Also, are Torker CX, and LX units worth buying?
You can’t replace just the axle. You would need a new hub. If you are mechanically inclined, patient, and have some time you can rebuild the wheel yourself, and a new hub should be around $30.
Unless the hub in question is an old Suzue, it is likely a cheap hub from a cheap uni. In this case it would be a better choice to buy a nicer replacement. Avoid the Former CX, but the Lx can be a nice uni if you get a deal. You may also want to look at the Club model on unicycle.com.
Yes, the axle and hub are one, which means rebuilding the wheel. The cost can add up depending on how much of that work you will do yourself. Plus it’s generally recommended to always replace spokes and nipples when rebuilding a wheel, so factor that in.
The key metrics on your existing hub are:
Width between the bearings (I think usually measured center of bearing to center of bearing?)
Axle diameter at the bearing (to ensure a proper fit)
Bearing outer diameter
Or take some pictures of the machine, where the folks here might be able to just point you at which replacement hubs to look at.
Wow, the auto correct on my tab is awful. Where it says “former” up there it should say Torker. It just tried to do it again.
I don’t subscribe to the notion of spokes needing replacement when a wheel is rebuilt. Not to start a religious debate, but in many cases spokes can be reused with no less integrity than new spokes. Read Jobst Brandt for a more technical explanation. I have built and ridden many wheels with you used spokes without trouble.
Shmolagin:
I’ve wondered about drilling out crank spindles to fit bolts. If I only had a metal lathe.
The club Uni at unicycle.com appears to be a 26" model.
The axle on this uni appears to be made from hardened steel, and then installed in the hub, with the spokes on the hub. Did they GLUE or in some permanent manor fasten the axle into the hub? One thing that is pretty certain, they are dissimilar metals. From appearances, they look like separate parts. IF I get in Millimeters the size of the bearings, and the width between them, we could just replace the whole wheel, and that would be ok.
Thank you for your replies.
I thought I was the only one that made a simple problem complex!
I hope it all pans out. She is all happy happy happy!
I will have to buy another one, soon. My son is wearing the tire off his 45 dollar cheapy. Maybe we can put a good tire on it, but even if when we do that, it’s live expectancy is not great. He is a tough kid! Any advice will be considered, and appreciated. I’m glad to need unicycles!
The cheapy probably isn’t worth a new tire if it’s anything like the one I had. After the tire went, a few more hours and the seat went. Then the cranks and pedals went and then the uni went.
They have club uni’s in sizes from 20-26, and they used to have a 29 (it may just be out of stock at the moment).
It would really help to see a photo of your hub, and maybe the whole uni. I personally haven’t ever seen a hub with a nutted spindle that was removable. I’m not saying it hasn’t been made, but I just haven’t seen it.
Congrats on the new Torker for your daughter. She’ll be happy with it. A friend of mine bought one a few months ago, and it’s a great uni for the price. It will last much longer than some of the real “cheapies” out there.
(From the sounds of your axle problem, it’s probably not worth fixing. I think you did the right thing going with the new Torker.)
I called the guy we got the uni from, that has the bad axle. He told me the story. The wheel came from a Mongoose Octopus. He hated the Octopus design, because he kept hurting his ankle on it. So, he built his own frame, with a Torker seat, and used the Mongoose wheel. If you still need pics, we can do it. I have to confess, my son is a Duck Dynasty fan. He covered it with camo duct tape! So, I have to clean some of that back to make pics!
Anyway, in talking with the guy that retroed the Mongoose Wheel, into the homemade frame, he said that changing the hub is not too bad. We went over it, and we can probably do that too. But, if the mongoose hub and stuff is cheapy, then maybe it would be better to change to another brand. I had no idea that a simple one wheeled machine could get this complicated!
My kids are having fun! So, we are good!
Thanks again for all your help. Daughter is all Torqued, out, her Torker LX is on it’s way! I guess I’d call it a “Good Cheapie”
Thanks for the help and the forum.
Nate
EDIT: Maybe that is a Mongoose Squid. It’s that funky looking crown thing.
Thanks for the link, Shmolagin. I was biting my tongue.
Nate, even a ~$70 drill press might be enough. The lathe was approaching overkill but since I had it already… I would have been up for trying it on my cheapie drill press if I didn’t have the lathe. It’s more about whether you’ve got some experience cutting threads in metal. It doesn’t have to be super precise, but one mistake and it goes in the trash.
But that looks like a very good deal you found on the Torker. I’d be Torqued out too. That one should serve you well. Nice color!
One great thing about these things is that we don’t pay to use them–unlike golf, skiing, roller skating, bowling, etc. Buying and tinkering with them is fun since it’s really the only expense.
Good luck with it. It’s fantastic that you’ve gotten your kids interested too.
OK, we have finally decided what to do. The Mongoose Squid wheel is not worth fixing. So, we want to buy just a uni wheel 20", with cranks, and pedals. If we need to we can cut and weld the uni frame, so that a new wheel will go in. Any advice on what uni wheel to buy? The homemade frame is well made. By a machinist.
It would be nice if we did not have to cut and weld.
Kids. You hafta keep them encouraged. So, I just ordered a CLUB 20" uni for my smaller riders. So, as of about a week, I should have a Torker LX for daughter, and a CLUB 20" green one, for the others. The Nimbus will hafta wait a bit. Nobody in my neck of the woods rides these. I am excited. We got a Chinese 45.00 cheepy for our 8 yr old, and he has about worn the tire off it. So, he will love the CLUB.
The club is a decent uni that should last a long while. It is not very different from the original Nimbus 2 with the square taper cranks. I think the most noticeable difference is the saddle, but otherwise I’m not sure you could tell between them. Of course back then the Nimbus only came in chrome, so that is a difference.
