Horizontal dropouts and bike trailers

I have a Salsa Casseroll touring bike that has horizontal dropouts, and a Thule Chariot bike trailer for miniZ. Unfortunately due to the horizontal dropouts, the wheel often slips out of alignment ‘when trying to stamp my way up a hill with the trailer in tow (and as I’m definitely not getting stronger, the littl’un must be getting heavier!). I can’t physically put any more tightness on the QR to make the wheel stay in firmer (short of using a large hammer), and Thule’s only apparent solution is an adapter to attach the trailer directly to the chainstay, which looks to be in no way compatible with having a pannier rack (which it needs to be).

Does anyone have any advice on how to stop the back wheel slipping out of alignment? Might an allen key skewer be an option if I can get more tightness than a QR? It’s a Shimano 105 hub with a 10-speed cassette btw.

Cheers,
Zokes

what QR are you currently using? a decent internal cam Shimano one should give more clamping force than you’ll need unless the hub isn’t biting on the frame properly due to work ends or somethign like that.

failing that convert your 105 hub to a nutted axle or get a cheaper ‘trailer wheel’ with nutted axle for when. you’re towing.

Is the axle all the way back in the dropouts and slipping forward under power, or in the middle of the dropout and slipping backwards under tugging loads from the trailer?

The dropouts should have adjuster holes threaded into the back which you can use to set up a ‘stop’ for the axle if you’re putting it in the middle of the dropouts and it’s slipping backwards.

If it’s slipping forwards and you really can’t get enough clamping force and aren’t willing to convert to nutted axle then you may have to get creative and modify some chaintugs or hooked/lipped washer to slip of the axle and hold the back of the dropout to stop the axle moving forwards, but that’s really solving a problem that shouldn’t happen.

The only other solution is lower gears and spin your way up instead of stomping 😉

I’m currently using the skewer Thule supplied as it’s slightly longer to accommodate the adapter for the trailer as well as the dropouts. I don’t think I get as much force into this as I did the 105 skewer that was there before, so could try swapping back. I was just scared of not having quite enough thread on the original skewer and stripping it if I did really crank on the cam to tighten it.

The hub is slipping forward on the drive side under power. The dropouts are actually forward facing (I’ve just checked!) and have adjustment screws to allow me to site the wheel further back. I assume this will then mean I’ll have to fiddle with the brakes too as they’re calipers rather than discs? I’d have to do that if I wanted to try the chain tug route.

Lower gears not really an option as it’s already got a granny ring on it, and I really don’t want a big cassette. I hadn’t thought about a solid axle. That’s definitely an option I’m happy to try, though I’d worry about dealing with punctures as I don’t want to have to lug around a great big wrench to get the wheel off. Can you get solid axles for 105 hubs?

A nutted axle would probably be better. What way is it slipping?

A cheap and easy option might be to try something to create more friction between the clamped surfaces. Some sort of non-setting gasketing compound should do the trick like Hylomar Blue. I’ve done this with on my singlespeed commuter and it works (the frame is a piece of junk from CRC and the dropouts aren’t tapered and are too short to take a chain tug).

Can you get solid axles for 105 hubs?

You can swap the axle, solid axles are pretty cheap.

Chaintugs would probably help. Most chaintugs are designed for rear facing dropouts (track ends), but some will work with forward facing dropouts.
eg Surly Hurdy Gurdy. http://surlybikes.com/parts/drivetrain/hurdy_gurdy
Usually you only need one, one the drive side.

See if the original Shimano QR will fit, or failing that use a Shimano MTB QR (should be 5mm longer). The one that I’ve got with the Chariot is pretty naff, so wouldn’t surprise me if it gives considerably less grip than a decent Shimano one.

the Shimano skewer is likely to offer significantly higher clamping force than the thule one but as you say make sure you have enough thread engaged, MTB skewer should be 5mm wider if you have a spare?

If it’s slipping forward in the dropouts the adjsuter screws wont help much as they’re at the back of the dropouts so would only stop it slipping backwards.

As long as the Shimano skewer has enough length I’d try that first, then I’d try a nutted axle, they’re cheap and easy to swap.

I don’t want to have to lug around a great big wrench to get the wheel off

That’s why I suggested a towing wheel, you wont mind carrying a spanner or socket adaptor* when you’ve got the weight of the trailer, and can slip your normal wheel back in for other duties, but this could get more annoying in the long run!

* When I use nutted axles on the winter SS I use a normal socket from a wrench set but with a adaptor that lets me use it with a 6 or 8mm allen key so I can use the socket with my multi-tool so the only extra needed is the socket and adaptor.

Maybe a serrated washer on the drive side would help?

l.e. This model of tensioner (“cyclo chain tensioner”) could be mounted rigidly on the outside of the dropout using your current adjustment screws, suitable nuts and washers. Yes, the rear fork will open up a bit, but it shouldn’t be an issue on a steel frame.

Thanks guys. Dug out the old 105 skewer and tightened that as much as I can, that seemed to work. I’ll see how it holds up on a bigger ride with the sprog at the weekend. If not I’ll try the tug CraigW suggested as the next step.