So, I’m plodding round my final lap at SITS yesterday when I notice I’ve ripped the rear tyre and the tube is bulging out. 5 mins later it’s exploded with such a bang its cleared the woods of all bird life.

No worries I think, I’ll whip the tyre off and make a boot out of the cardboard box the spare tube is in. That will get me home.

Epic fail… DT Swiss QR has failed. I take it apart to discover it works on a ratchet system. One cog is metal, the other is plastic. The plastic has disintegrated so it just spins. I’m walking the 4.5 miles to the finish line… Thanks to all those who passed me and offered help BTW.

Doesn’t look like you can just buy a new plastic lever (don’t suppose anyone has one going spare?), you need to buy the axle set 🙁

Just done a google search and it appears this is quite a common fault. Apparently the damage is caused by overtightening. Well, given that the rear wheel fell out twice when I initially got them, yes I now make sure it’s nipped up.

An unhappy finish to an otherwise brilliant weekend. If you have DT Swiss QR’s, it might be worth undoing the allen key bolt and having a look at the plastic bit. If this had happenned in the Lakes, miles from civilisation I’d have been mighty p1ssed.

They are unfortunately built to fail, you’re not the first. The fix is to replace the broken plastic bit, and the rest of it, with an XT skewer.

so you have had them fail – youve identified the material fault and you still want to run them ?

sounds like a poorly executed solution for a problem ive never had to worry about….

Skewers = Shimano.

I believe in later ones both parts of the ratchet are metal.

I had the same problem with an early model and binned them, at the time they were the only choice for 9/10mm bolt through type axles, now Superstar do the generic one much cheaper.

Are we talking normal old skool DT Swiss QR or those new ones you get on the 15mm Bolt thru’s etc?

trail rat – I’m happy to use something else… Superstar one looks OK. Think I may still need the DT Swiss one though to get the wheel out, although I may be able to release the other end with a large spanner

It will be the rws type, that tighten by turning. They can be standard 5/9/10mm not sure about 15

They were totally redesigned for this year in metal.

Think it’s the new ones, one of these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=21670

I may be able to release the other end with a large spanner

Thats what I did, without any problem.

CIITS (Chuck It In The Skip)

Along with the experiences of others here, the best Q/Rs I’ve ever used are the boggo Shimanos, they just work.

[edit] I’ve just seen the link above. Forty Five foxtrotting quid for a Q/R? My response to DT is to quietly get knotted while I shop elsewhere. You might try BETD for an axle that fits, or even Superstar.

End ratchet lever fell off mine. (The bolt holding it on must have taken a knock). Thankfully my mate who was following me noticed it fall, so not a total nightmare.
Long story short (too late?) It’s still in my tool kit, so can post it out to you if you like. Got to go to the PO today anyway, so could be with you tomorrow. Mail me your address if you want it.

Yeah, I’ve got one of these on the front wheel of my Stumpjumper. Not quite sure why the Elite only got one on the front, whereas the Expert got one front & rear.
Anyway, they are a pain in the butt; not even quick release. More like twiddle, twiddle slow release.

I think I read somewhere that the DT Swiss one is hollow, whereas the Superstar on is cheaper, but solid axle so quite a lot heavier….

The DT skewers are bloody lethal IMO. Get Shimano.

Think it’s the new ones, one of these:

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=21670

They are the old ones.

These are the new ones –
http://www.dtswiss.com/Products/Components/RWS/RWS-thru-bolt.aspx

Thanks for the info everyone. Guitarhero YGM.

i prefer them to skewers. been using them for years and never had any problems

buzz-lightyear – Member
The DT skewers are bloody lethal IMO. Get Shimano.

How are they lethal? When screwed up, they are very firm & not likely to loosen off or get knocked undone.

My only gripe with them is that are definitely not ‘quick release’ as you have to do a fair amount of twiddling.

“How are they lethal?”

In that they are difficult to do up correctly. Often you end up damaging them and your hands because they are so tight, or you think you’ve got them done up but they are insecure and undo while riding, which can be “lethal”. On the first occasion one came loose, I put it down to user error. The second time and I realized it was a design flaw.

The collective wisdom of using Shimano is right. Shimano QR skewers feel entirely different and it’s easy to consistently do them up securely without breaking them and without bruising your hands. Ihey are much safer IMO.

buzz-lightyear – Member
“How are they lethal?”

In that they are difficult to do up correctly. Often you end up damaging them and your hands because they are so tight, or you think you’ve got them done up but they are insecure and undo while riding, which can be “lethal”. On the first occasion one came loose, I put it down to user error. The second time and I realized it was a design flaw.

The collective wisdom of using Shimano is right. Shimano QR skewers feel entirely different and it’s easy to consistently do them up securely without breaking them and without bruising your hands. Ihey are much safer IMO

But these DT skewers aren’t quick release in the traditional sense of twiddle the nut on one side & then close the cam via a lever on the other side, which from your description above is what it sounds like you are referring to. (Unless I am mistaken?)
These skewers are effectively a nut on both sides, one of which has a keyed lever on it, so you can tighten it by hand. There is no ‘is it tight enough’ question, as far as I can tell. I just stick the wheel in & keep tightening it until the lever is ‘sensibly tight’. And my measure of that is I tighten it until all slack has obviously gone & it is a real effort to tighten any further. The lever can then be reset to a better position (upright, for example).
The lever cannot come open like a traditional quick release, as it needs to unscrew to come loose.

They’ve got an Allen bolt head on the lever side incase anything happens anyway. Just undo it with that surely.

They’ve got an Allen bolt head on the lever side incase anything happens anyway. Just undo it with that surely.

No No No.
Don’t use the allen key bolt! It will shear straight off – as I found out.
Then I read the instructions which said, don’t use an allen key there to tighten the axle.
So now I have a DT Skewer, and separate lever, which works but if I use it I have to carry the lever around separately. So I don’t bother. Converted it to 12mm instead.

I thought the allen bolt head was just so you can remove the lever no?