Some time ago I posted about a rear hub failure, which turned out to be snapped axle (QR axle adaptor – to be precise). Superstar Switch Ultra hub.

I replaced the axle, took 5 minutes to do.

But now, after about 200km it happened again! In exactly the same spot

Is it my fault or is it probably the hub? How tight should the adaptor be screwed together?

I’ve ordered a new one last night, as there is some riding planned this week and the adaptor is much cheaper than a Centrelock disc, which I would need for an old wheel… I want to make sure I avoid any possible mistakes when fitting it now, but to be honest it’s just a tube with a screw-on nut on one side… Should it be proper tight, or just to keep it together?

That’s really weird, looks almost like the weight of the bike is being held by the adapter rather than the axle. It is definitely the correct 9mm QR axle you have? The bore looks a lot bigger than that in the photo (although there’s not exactly a lot left to look at)

I always tighten them to just over finger right, anything more and it can start putting force on the bearings

Weird. You do have the end caps installed as well?

http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/switch-front-hub-endcap-pair.htm

Something doesn’t look right in your pic, the axle looks too small diameter, though could just be an optical thing.

Haven’t seen this problem but I have had issues of Superstar general shitness. I does seem you get what you pay for with some components…especially components that contain moving parts.

These are Navotec hubs, I couldn’t even guess at how many they’ve produced and sold over the years. Could be a hub issue but it seems pretty unlikely

Yeah, the caps are installed – this is the thing in its full glory:

There is also a spacer thing that goes into the freehub body (as the diameter of its hole is bigger than the OD of the QR adaptor), which has also been installed.

I’ll do it slightly less tight this time, will see what happens.

Hold on – that can’t be the right adapter! A qr adapter has to sit in the frames dropouts without the at being in place. That thing would just fall right through, and the qr itself would be taking all the load rather than the axle itself

What frame – and what condition the dropouts?

What QR do you use?

What condition the end caps?

This is the correct adapter assuming you do mean QR rather than a 12mm axle:

What frame – and what condition the dropouts?

What QR do you use?

What condition the end caps?
The frame is Merida Big Nine TFS, aluminium.
The drop outs are in good condition.
QR is Shimano from Deore hub.

I don’t do jumps and I’m not very heavy (75kg).

Top one looks like a through axle adaptor.

ghostlymachine – Member

Top one looks like a through axle adaptor.

It definitely is

OP, have you a picture of the side that hasn’t broken? Of the new axle (the one above is the original isn’t it?)

OP, have you a picture of the side that hasn’t broken?

I haven’t got it here, but the other side is the one with a thread and a screw-on nut, as you can see on the photo few posts above.

As per the comments that it looks like a through-axle thing – please mind that the part which reduces it to OR was still in the freehub body! 😆

The frame is Merida Big Nine TFS, aluminium.
The drop outs are in good condition.
QR is Shimano from Deore hub.

Just had a quick look at a photo of that bike, you definitely need the axle I posted. As above though, can we see the other side? Or the cap that snapped off?

As per the comments that it looks like a through-axle thing – please mind that the part which reduces it to OR was still in the freehub body!

Yes, but the axle you’ve posted a picture of isn’t the one you should be using!

Yes, but the axle you’ve posted a picture of isn’t the one you should be using!

The one on the first photo was the original one that came with the wheels. The second one that snapped is identical – I will take the photos this afternoon.

No other skewer type would go past the caps on both axles…

I haven’t got it here, but the other side is the one with a thread and a screw-on nut, as you can see on the photo few posts above.

That part is different in the 2 photos. Point of asking was to see what you actually have so it can be correctly identified.

The superstar product page sells all the different versions from one page. You can use the 10mm through axle version but you would need a 10mm through axle (which fits into qr dropouts) to use with it (not a standard QR)

From http://www.superstarcomponents.com/en/switch-rear-adaptor.htm the axle versions are;

[list]
[*]135x10mm – you could use with a 10mm through axle (like this one)[/*]
[*]135x12mm – you cannot use this[/*]
[*]142x12mm – you cannot use this[/*]
[*]QR – you can use this with the standard quick release you have[/*]
[/list]

you’ve either ordered or been given the wrong one then. If you have a 9mm skewer you need to use the one I’ve posted or the axle is floating in free space around it rather than slotting into the dropouts in the frame.

Not sure what you mean in your last comment. They make 4 different versions of that axle; 135×10, 135×12, 142×12 and QR. You need the QR one I’ve posted with the extra little elements sticking out of each end, any of the others won’t fit your frame properly even though they will fit in the space between the dropouts (other than the 142)

legend My bad, sorry – I’ve only just realised I pasted a wrong type photo from Superstar’s website here! Both adaptors are exactly like you posted! 8)

You mention a spacer still in the freehub body, is this photo the drive side?

Do you mean the bearing spacer? From the parts available I can’t see what other part you mean unless is the end cap of the axle.

If it is dive side, I assume you’ve largely pulled the axle through the hub shell in the image as that should be protruding from the hub body much more or has this snapped at about the hub shell/freehub interface?

You mention this is the non threaded end so what’s the thread visible in your photo on? Have you actually unthreaded the “fixed” end? (If you’ve done this when you’ve [over]tightened the other your adapter would probably give as it’ll be moving in the end of the axle instead of held firmly in place.)

Your axle has snapped at the inner end of the freehub?

If it has snapped there then that’s due to incorrect fitting of the freehub into the hub shell, or incorrect spacing of the freehub on the axle. Either way slp in the freehub causes a load point against the inner race on the hub end bearing in the freehub.

If its snapped at the top end then likely under tight axle.