Qu-Ax 48 hole hub for a 26" wheel???

Unicycles and Equipment
1

I’m building a wheel and need some help.

I’m a big guy pushin’ 225 lbs. and ride mostly off road and long trail rides. My current wheel is a 26" single wall rim, Suzue hub, Yuni frame, Odessey pedals, 170mm Lasco cranks, and a KH saddle.

The rim is warped, missing a spoke, hub flanges are buckled, axle is bent, and frame is twisted. I crash allot!

Doing some research, I learned the Qu-Ax hub CroMo 10 spline hub is a durable heavy duty hub. So I ordered one from unicycle.com.

I had chosen the Alex DX32 rim to match it, but I learned the hub has 48 holes and the Alex rim is either 32, or 36 hole.

Two questions:

  1. Is it necessary to thread all 48 holes on a 36 hole rim?
  2. I heard Sun has a 26" 48 hole rim, but I can’t find it…anyone know where I can purchace one?

Third question:
If those two are not options, any recommendations on a good solid durable tough hub preferably with a splined axle a 6’ - 225 lbs. Uni-abuser would be interested in? I’ll go with a 24" if I have to, but I like the 26" size better.

2

i have two of the sun 48 hole 26" rims never built up i plan on building one this summer as soon as i get it out of storage. the pair i have is are sun ryno lite double wall rim they are made for tandem bikes and are very hard to find. i bought mine in a pair cause att he time it was the only way i could get them… perhaps its a tandem bike thing. if you want one im sure i would be willing to part with one, maybe trade or cash? anyway i will have them out of storage in the middle of may.

you can drop me an email at: info(at)PhilipBarbosa(dot)com

3

Interesting. I did find the Sun rims on universalcycles.com They have the Sun Rhyno Lite rims in 26" size, but I didn’t see them in a 48 hole configuration.

I’m wanting to get this built as soon as possible. How much are you willing to part with one of those rims?

I have a new set of pedals with adjustable cleats for trade. I paid $35 for them.

If you recall an earlier post a couple months ago, my son burned up his unicycle in a vehicle crash. The pic was posted here of the remains. Anyway, it was the Nimbus 24" Muni with 3" tire on unicycle.com. The frame lost all its chrome, but its true and in good condition otherwise. It was a gift for Christmas, so it only had a couple months of use.

Depending on how much of a hassle this is going to turn out to be, I may decide to send the Qu-Ax back and go with a another brand like Onza.

4

Sun rims are distributed through QBP, so any LBS should be able to special order one for you. There are also many on-line shops that allow you to place such an order through their web sites. The QBP part number is RM8462. Googling “Sun RM8462” yeilds many leads: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Sun+RM8462

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Jombo: what city do you live in? i am in Canada but the rims are in storage in MN with my fiancee. i may be able to convince her to ship one out to you.

a burnt up frame might look cool with a clear powder coat over it :slight_smile:

the best thing to do is to email me so we can figure out the logistics of me getting this rim to you. i got a decent deal on the pair and well i was kind of strong armed into getting the two so i have one i wont need. honestly i was hoping to just make a simple trade since i dont need it and i would like someone to get it that will use it.

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Be aware that you will not be able to effectively put a fat tire on a Rhyno Lite rim. I had a Rhyno Lite on my Pashley. I tried using a Panaracer Fire DH Pro 2.3" tire on the Rhyno Lite and the tire would pop off the rim when I tried to peck up a hill. The tire was just too wide for the rim. I had to go back to the 2.1" Panaracer Fire XC tire.

The best solution is to get a splined hub with 36 spokes. That will give you a big selection of suitable DH or freeride rims. XC rims don’t cut it for muni.

The Torker DX and Qu-ax hubs are frustrating because they’re both 48 hole hubs. There are no 48 spoke DH rims available in the US. So we’ve got those inexpensive hubs but no rim to go with them. There’s a 48 spoke 19" trials rim and a 48 spoke 24" DH rim available in Europe and the UK, but nothing here in the US. Getting a rim from Europe blows the cost savings of the Torker or Qu-ax hub.

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I’ll try to reply to all.

jiheisen - Thanks for the part number and the link. There were several sites offering that rim, but not very many with 48 holes. Good prices though. Thanks again.

hungfromhooks - I’m in Memphis, TN. You may know some other members here that post.

Actually, it was my son’t Muni. He got is lisence on a Friday, and the following Thursday hit a tree head on, the Jeep caught fire, and it and the Muni were a total loss…except for the Muni frame and the rear axle of the Jeep. We talked about doing a flame paint job on it and building a new one :slight_smile:

I’ll email you later this evening about the rim.

john_childs - Thanks for insight. That does make me think a bit more because I do intend on putting a fatter tire on it. My current wheel sports a $10 store-bought tire 1.95" wide. I like being able to come of trails and then hit a long paved section and back on trails again…this size accomodates that kind of riding. On the downside, not a whole lot of surface-to-dirt traction, and you can forget any productive hopping. Probably why my rim, hub, and axle are bent now.

Do you know if Sun has wider 48 hole rims? Description is 27.5 mm width. Not a whole lot for a 2.5 or 3.0 tire.

I already purchased the Qu-Ax hub, but have not done anything with it. My quest is to find a suitable, strong, fairly wide, durable 26" rim with 48 holes. If I can’t, I’ll return the hub and try another route.

Thanks to all for your feedback and replies. I’m learning allot. I’ll be turning 41 this year and just learned how to ride one year ago this month. Now I have MCS…Muni Compulsion Syndrom!

8

It does not appear that Sun offers a wider rim in 48 holes: http://www.sun-ringle.com/prods/mtbrims.html

To answer the other of your original questions, it is not necessary to use all 48 holes in the hub. You can skip every 4th hole and lace it to a 36 hole rim. The problem is that you will need a greater head for geometry than I to determine what spoke lengths and cross patterns will work.

I was in the same quandry earlier this year and ended up exchanging the hub.

9

Well, I run a 1.95 inch wide tire now. It’s OK but not a lot of bounce for going over roots, rocks, and those soupy mud holes.

A pal I ride with runs a 2.3 and I like how it handles the dirt.

john_childs posted earlier and said he ran a Panaracer Fire DH Pro 2.3 on a Rhyno Lite and it kept popping off. So what’s a fella to do?

On the threading a 48 hole hub on a lesser rim, I had a buddy tell me the same thing you did. But…if I go with the Rhyno Lite I see I’m not going to be able to go with too much more wider tire than I ride now.

I’m intrigued however about building such a rim now though! At the same time I’m not sold on this whole idea yet either and may do what you did and exchange the hub. My other choice is the KH Onza setup.

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Unicycle.com UK and Municycle.com both have 48 spoke DH rims. You can contact them to find out how much they’ll end up being after shipping and the exchange rate. I have a feeling they’re going to be expensive.

One of the few bike shops in the US that I’ve seen carry any of the Halo rims is Unreal Cycles. They’ve got the Halo Combat rim. I don’t know if they’ve got the 48 hole version. I think it’s very doubtful that they would. You can contact them to find out.

Those are pretty much the only 48 hole 24" or 26" DH rims I’ve found. You can try asking at your local bike shop to see if they can find anything in their catalogs, but again I think that’s going to be a long shot.

Unicycle.com USA needs to get some 48 spoke DH rims and trials rims in stock.

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Re: Qu-Ax 48 hole hub for a 26" wheel???

The only wide double walled 48 Hole rims i know of are Halo rim, from the UK, im not shure if they are available on your side of the world.
halo site
have a look at the combat & SAS.

i think your wordin got mixed up there, all the holes in the rim will be used, 12 hole on the hub wont be used (6 on each flange) so the spoke count on the flange would be 3 spokes, miss a hole, 3 spokes miss a hole…

this shouldnt affect the strenght of the wheel, and many have said it can be done, but i am yet to hear of anybody who has actually done this.
Also, some have said the same lenght spokes can be use while others have said differant spoke lenghts have to be used :thinking:
Maybe an experience wheel builder could answer this!

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john_childs -
I checked Unreal as you suggested. I didn’t see a 48 hole rim also as you predicted. I sent an email and hopefully I will hear back from them soon.

Midtown Bike is my local shop. I’m stopping by there tonight to pick up the Qu-Ax hub and discuss rim options. If anyone can find one AND get it shipped, they can.

I agree. The cost in shipping plus the conversion rate may be a mute point and not worth the effort.

smdO2 -
Thanks for pointing out the Halo site. I had not heard of them before and from the description and quality, I am very interested in the Combat and/or SAS.

Oops. Sorry. Sometimes my keyboard strokes go faster than my brain…or is that the other way around, too? :smiley:

The president of our local club is very familiar and experienced in threading wheels. I’ve already discussed my situation and he also said to skip every 4th hole on either flange. We also have another bike shop here that just got a new computerized spoke analyzer and cut machine. I’ve not seen it, but it will take presice measurements of the hub and wheel dimensions, plug in the numbers, and cut the spokes to exact length.

The more I study this, the more I want to build this wheel…just cuz!

Oh yeah, anyone heard about the Sun Doublewide. I saw where that comes in 48 holes too but for the life of me I can’t remember what site I was looking at. The Sun Rhyno Lite XL is a few mm wider than the standard Rhyno Lite, but one of my needs is to go to at least 2.3 preferrably 2.6 wide tire.

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I’m looking for the same thing in a 24". I’ve called Unreal several times and Emailed them. I’m begining to think that they are indeed “unreal”. Let me know the results of your wheel build if you go that route. An Alex DX 32 on my Torker hub would be sweet. Bot those Halo Combats sound perfect.

14

Get a Halo Combat or SAS rim, available in 48h 26.

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Obie -
I’ve read up on the Halo’s and I if can find a supplier who can get me one, I think I might go with it.

Is there a significant difference between the Combat and the SAS that would be a benefit one way or the other for a Muni?

pcd -
Perhaps that’s why I haven’t heard from them either. I only sent an email last night though.

I rode an Alex DX 32 w/ 3.0 wide knobby with about 20 lbs. air and it was down right sweet! It rolled over 2-3 inch roots like they weren’t there. And coming of small drops from 6-8 inches absorbed the impact. A friend of mine has the same rim on a trials 20" and speaks highly of the rim.

That is/was my first choice but they only come 32 or 36 hole. If this 48 hole option doesn’t pan out, I’ll get that rim and probably get an Onza hub.

16

Got the Qu-Ax hub in yesterday. Man, is it sweet!

OK, here’s the choices. Spoke with my bike shop man yesterday too and he’s checking on suppliers.

All of these are available in 26" or 700c - 48h:
(the ‘mm’ is the rim width in order of thickness)

Sun Rhino Lite - 27.5 mm
Alex DM 24 - 32.2 mm
Halo Combat - 36.0 mm
Sun Doublewide - 45mm (special order for 48h, but is avail)

The Sun Rhino Lite is a good rim and the type of riding I do, this would be fine as the rim and tire I use now is about the same.

Looking at the Alex DX 32, the only 48h they make is for the 20", but I found the Alex DX 24 yesterday in a 26" 48h configuration. The DX 32 is 39.1 mm so about 1/4" narrower. Which is fine I think for a 2.3 or even a 2.6 tire.

I really like the Halo, but I haven’t found a US supplier yet. I’ve got a couple leads out there so waiting on those responses.

The Sun Doublewide…well, it is friggin’ fat! Nuff said.

Marwi black stainless steak 14g spokes with brass nipples, Odessey platform pedals, KH seat, and I’m almost there.

Unless anyone has got another frame idea, I’m going with the Yuni.

Only thing left is a tire choice.

It’s gonna a bit heavyier than I’m used to, but I’m more concerned about strenth and durability above all. My friends choose the more technical route, where I just power through obstacles.

Hmm…maybe that’s why I trashed the one I have!

17

Unreal cycles is a one man operation. I have bought some stuff from the guy and He is really nice. As busy is he is, try giving him a call.

18

The widths you have for those rims looks to all be the outside width of the rim rather than the inside width where the tire sits. It’s the inside width that is important for the tire stability and the ability to use a wider tire.

The Sun Doublewide has a very unique shape. The sides of the rim are very thick and double walled. The outside width is about 45mm, but the inside width is only 33mm. That’s very different proportions than other rims. As a comparison the Alex DX32 has a 32mm inside width so the Doublewide is only 1mm wider than the DX32.

That’s cool that the Doublewide is available with 48 holes at least in the 26" size. I wonder if they do the same for the 24" size?

Go for the widest rim that you can manage to get. You’ll be grateful for that extra width later on. Even if you go with a skinnier DH or freeride tire instead of the big 3" or 2.6" tires, you’ll be thankful for the extra width. Unicycling puts a lot more side forces on the tire from the side hopping and from landing drops just a little crooked.

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Hey Jombo, If you find in your searching that Sun double widein 48 hole 24" let me know. I’m checking also.

20

Hey john_childs, thanks for the tips.

Some information offers both inside and outside widths, but mosty the outside is advertised. That is a very good point on the Sun Doublewide only being a 1mm difference in widths when it comes to mounting the tire.

I don’t do a whole lot of freestyle, but I do occasionally hop in place when navigating an obstacle…for instance a tree root.

Hard drops I am familiar with. I have come to build quite an intimate relationship with gravity!

The tire I use now amazingly enough is a Wal-Mart tire I bought for $10. It has never popped, gone flat, or come off the rim.

I’m waiting on a reply, but I’m guessing the doublewide in 48h is going to be a special order and drilled upon my request. Thus, the cost goes up significantly as a rule.

As it stands, the widest 26" 48h rim available here in the US I’ve found is the Alex DM 24 without special order. Actually found one for $18.99 and free shipping! at Alfred E. Bike.

The next widest is the Halo Combat or SAS, but no US supplier can be found as of yet.

Hey pdc,
The only 48h rims I’ve seen are either 20" or 26". However, if you really want one, if the same place will do a 26" for me, they’d probably do a 24" too…for the right price :slight_smile: