I'm looking a getting a new set of wheels and want to increase the stiffness of my forks and frame by going bolt-thru without the added expense of new fork lowers. There's no chance on the frame either as it's not got replaceable drop-outs.
I think On-One used to do hubs like this, and DT Swiss do, but you are looking at ££££ there. Has anyone else done this or know of some hubs I can point my LBS in the direction of? Ta.
Hope Pro 2, can run 9mm through at front and 10mm at rear.
Superstar hubs can also do it.
DT Swiss and superstar produce skewers of the right size.
Thanks Nixie, 2 good options there.
I bought a converter axle from crc that fits the 12 mm bolt through hubs and converts it to fit 10 mm rear dropouts with Bmx threaded nuts, should be far stiffer than the q/r. For the front I'd suggest a Dt swiss rws skewer, I'm using qr fox forks on a p7 and I don't notice any flex, also more secure in my opinion 🙂
I've an on-one hub like the one you describe that's surplus to requirements. Does 9mm QR or 20mm thru-axle. £15 posted.
Appreciate the all the good info here, and thanks bent_udder, but if I'm having new wheels, I think I'll have new hubs to match.
I've just completed setting up my Hope Pro 2 to run 9mm at the front. It took me a while to find adapters at the right size - it seems to be QR, 15mm or 20mm are standard, with fewer 9mm versions around - but I did get some, and a Superstar 9mm bolt through. I've read less than glowing reviews of the RWS ones, as they apparently strip their splines.
both my mountain bikes are bolt through but from an era before "proper" bolt through axles....
I have pro Hope 2 rear hub that has (10mm?) bolts for what used to take 9mm QR drop outs and a Chris King rear hub on another bike with Chris King Fun Bolts, also on a bike with drop outs that took a 9mm QR
I've not had to alter any drop outs on the bikes.
no sure if you can bolt through on QR forks though.
Superstar 9 &10mm axles, £7.99 each. Hope adaptors or just opt for 9mm front bolt through and 10mm rear. Much stiffer. Do it.
I have the 9mm DT Swiss RWs and the Superstar - the DT one is very good - if you lube it and use it properly it won't give you any problems. It is a lot stiffer than the Superstar one, but it is also 5 times the price. The Supersatar is just a thicker QR, as it relies on a cam, rather than bolt up.
I look into this for my front-end every couple of months but have so far failed to bite the bullet. Is there a genuine, noticeable improvement in flex and tracking? Hope ProII hub so should be fairly straightforward, forks are QR Revs.
Is the stiffness of a qr fork, not just down to clamping force across the drop outs? If you increased the mating areas (i.e. hub cones/nuts and fork drop out faces around the axle) then you might get a bit more stiffness. Proper 20mm or 15mm bolt thru is obviously stiffer as a bolt thru can't twist as much because the axle is physically restrained all round.
So, unless a solid axle 9mm qr clamps the two fork end together a lot better then I doubt it will be much stiffer.
As per goat tho, I'm still thinking about it.
I look into this for my front-end every couple of months but have so far failed to bite the bullet. Is there a genuine, noticeable improvement in flex and tracking? Hope ProII hub so should be fairly straightforward, forks are QR Revs.
Went from a fork with a bolt through axle to a set of 130mm QR Revs myself on my hardtail. After only a couple of rides I could really notice the extra flex in the front end.
Bought a set of the 9mm adapters for the front Hope Pro2 hub I was running, and an axle (branded Fire Eye, but on close inspection it's the same as the Superstar ones), and fitted it. Is it as stiff as a 20mm axle? No of course it's not. But it's a damn sight stiffer than the normal QR setup, you will notice it put it that way...
Thats interesting. I suppose there are less parts to interact and move with any kind of solid axle set up. Don't think anyone would expect it to be as stiff as a proper bolt thru, but its also a hell of a lot cheaper than new forks.