Getting a new axle for a 2011 Orange Alpine is a £50 experience.

I could get a modern axle for a tenner, and a die for roughly £15 (yes it’s the right pitch) and cut the thread to the right length. Eg https://www.rennietool.co.uk/products/hss-hexagon-die-nuts-metric-course?currency=GBP&variant=19557250891849&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&utm_campaign=gs-2019-04-16&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign

Does anyone know it there’s enough material in the uncut bit of a BrandX axle to do that?

PS looks like there is on a Maxle Stealth. 👍

What size do you actually need?

to save £25 you are intending to bodge a highly stressed safety critical part?

to save £25 you are intending to bodge a highly stressed safety critical part?

Well orthopaedic surgery is free right?

to save £25 you are intending to bodge a highly stressed safety critical part?

The axle is majority in tension and the torque is low for the given thread size and material

As long as the uncut axle is Ø11.75mm or greater you will be able to cut the thread. How well the cut and the axle line up is going to be down to your level of skill.

Would the original thread not be rolled rather than cut? Rolled threads are a chunk stronger than cut threads. Make sure to video the first ride out on it please 🤣 The £500 from You’ve Been Framed could go towards the dental bill.

Axle R

Will any of these work?

Can you not buy something like the Burgtec axle, or an aftermarket Hamax one?
What is the problem with the Brand X one? I thought you could buy them in the different thread pitches.

You seem to be going to a lot of effort for the sake of £25 as £50 seems quite reasonable for it.

to save £25 you are intending to bodge a highly stressed safety critical part?

Which part is the bodge?

Seen worse things done to make rohloffs fit on tandems.

the bodge is cutting the new thread – you do not know how much material you have left or how much the thread would engage

trial rat – thats the rear tho 🙂

trial rat – thats the rear tho

Is it not a rear axle he’s asking for here?

the bodge is cutting the new thread – you do not know how much material you have left or how much the thread would engage

All threads were new once.

You measure it. Theirs either enough material or not enough material. You ain’t going to be cutting half a thread and calling it good if your doing the job.

Would it not be easier and more likely to be secure to just drill out the threads and fit a along steel bolt though with a nit on the end rather than try to retire as the frame. Then you’d have a nice strong steel axle (rather than an aluminium/cheese one) and just put a washer and nut on the end. It’s what I’ve done with pivot bolts in the past when they’ve snapped in the alps (and never got new ones once I’m home).

@trailrat – I’m expecting an Alpine 160 to undergo a lot more abuse than a tandem does.

you do not know how much material you have left or how much the thread would engage

Unless you measure it.

Okay, the issue is finding an axle for 135mm wide rear with a maxle 1.75 thread if I’m not mistaken, rare as, ( unless you spend on a pricey maxle ultimate) but what about 142 with a 7mm washer/spacer similar to what Oneup do with their thru axle system, might not even need 7mm, depends on the thread length, just get a cheap brandx one for a tenner and experiment with m12 washers under the head then find the right size alloy spacer, ulraturn on ebay could machine one up for you.

Cheapest I’ve found is £40 for a wolftooth at leisurelakes “at a reasonable price” probably not and no way would I drop £50 on a rockshox maxle. Spacers is a good call.

The 142mm with spaces/washers sounds like a good idea. I’ve been running my bike with a Hamax universal axle designed to work with kid’s trailers. It’s designed be compatible with all thread pitches and axle widths (+ trailer mount) and I’ve never noticed the extra width out on the trails so I doubt young notice about 7mm.

This any good?

Admittedly it’s a short spell of googling but, isn’t it just a 166/167mm axle you need, which is to say (one of) a standard 142mm size?

(142 being the same actual hub size as 135 that sounds feasible and certainly the first few sizes I could find for the maxle agreed)

In either case you can’t just get a “142mm” and space it by (definitely) 7mm, there’s every chance the axle you buy may be shorter than you need or it could be longer by rather more than 7mm. 135/142/148/super duper boost aren’t axle sizes so beyond indicating you’re in the right ballpark they don’t tell you what you need to know. 142 for example would cover 4 standard lengths I think then the various thread options on top.

Some spacers is probably the way to go – I’ve previously put 2mm of spacer on the nds and put a few more turns of thread on an able to make it fit. I wouldn’t want to just thread it or just space it mind, if only because the lack of symmetry would upset me

More to the point mind, what’s happened to your old axle such that it needs replacing?

He wouldn’t be the first to snap one or leave one in the bike park car park or on a wall when putting the bike in the car at some random trail.
Not forgetting the old, butchered/ rounded out the allen key fitting.

The missing info.

I want a new axle as an Allen key style axle saves about 10-15mm of width against a QR style Maxle – which is very useful when getting 4 FS bikes on a tow bar mounted bike rack (trust me on this)

I reckon there is enough material as the inner diameter appears to be constant, but the rolled versus cut threads is a good point. The spacers on a longer axle would work to hold the wheel on, as would drilling out and an external nut, but it doesn’t get as much extra bike rack space. As for cutting the threads straight, given there’s already 20mm of straight thread to guide me on, I reckon it’s fairly straightforward.

Anyway I spent the £50 on a Robert Axle Project beastie from SJS.
That’s five axles from BrandX if I could find the appropriate BrandX