Answered Weird seized maxle problem

[RustyMTB]

The rear maxle on my bike has a problem. Winding it out to remove the wheel sees the threaded end wind out of the swing arm as normal but the locking end doesn't move out of the frame. The effect is the maxle effectively pushes the swing arm apart as it unscrews.

The wheel turns freely which suggests the seizure is localised to where the shaft of the maxle passes through the frame but the upshot is I can't remove the wheel. I've tried tapping it through with a soft faced mallet & penetrating oil but it's stuck fast.

The maxle is a cam design with a spring loaded central shaft that effectively pushes inwards to engage the thread & pulls outwards & disengages when you close the clamp. I've never seen this problem before & I'm stumped for ideas to remove it.

 

[Gary]

Sort of difficult to imagine what's going on from just your description but it sounds like the expander plug/mechanism possibly isn't releasing. so can't slide through the hub or dropout.
when it begins to splay the stays is the gap between the hub and frame at the side the maxle removes from or the other side ?
can you disassemble the maxle while still in the bike?

 

[RustyMTB]

At the threaded end of the maxle, Gary. It's very odd. As I wind out the maxle, the threaded end unscrews from the drive side, exactly as you would expect it to do but the non drive side stays put, so in effect, the maxle is pushing the rear triangle apart, like jacking up a car. I think you're spot on with the expander assembly idea. Since the wheel turns, I can rule out the maxle being seized to the hub, it seems it's stuck against the dropout. The question then is how to free it off. The options look like force (not necessarily keen) or drill out the internals, or very open to other ideas.

 

[Jackware]

Can you take a couple of pics - 1 each side to show us what's happening?

 

[Gary]

Since the wheel turns, I can rule out the maxle being seized to the hub

not entirely. your wheel bearings would still turn even if the maxle was seized inside the hub axle.
if the hub can be slid side to side on the maxle when loosened then it's NOT seized in the axle. you may need to remove the brake caliper to test this
it's not entirely unusual for a thru axle to seize in a hub axle or hub end cap

 

[Cisco]

Lots of foam/soft cloth around the LHS chain/seat pivot. Bike solidly supported horizontally at the pivot. Drift the loosened axle out with increasing force till it moves while turning the Maxle if possible.

good luck with it.

 

[RustyMTB]

Pics. To compund things, I've managed to strip the cam thread, so mole grips here we go. First image shows the threaded maxle end wound out of the frame. It should at that point be inside the hub, on the way off the bike but it's pushing against the dropout, effectively stretching the rear triangle. Hopefully that explains it sufficiently - the maxle rotates & winds out but is being kept in situ somewhere along its length.

 

[Gary]

there's no internal expander in that thru axle design.
it has an external cam.

if I'm imagining your extremrely poor photo of the non drive side correctly

 

[RustyMTB]

Imagine my riding skills as a percentage of my photography skills...

So the problem is on the NDS, you can (maybe) see here the NDS has a plastic cover over the axle end & it's strating to look like an LBS job to me, it won't budge.

 

[Gary]

have the threads (where the QR attaches) stripped?
can you turn the end cap with grips? (pipe grips/molegrips?)

or if it's plastic, possibly force (hammer) a suitable sized (slightly undersized) deep socket over it

 

[Gary]

Ps. It's difficult to tell where Decathlon cuts corners to keep their prices low, eh?

 

[RustyMTB]

Sight more reliable where it counts than your average Turbo Leve-no...

I've washed my hands of it & dumped it on the local repair dude. General consensus is wind out the threaded side, grind off the rest, scour the internet for someone who's got a maxle in stock.

 

[Jimbo Vills]

What size maxle is it?

 

[RustyMTB]

12mm boost rear wheel doo hickey afaik. It's the repair guy's problem now.

 

[Jimbo Vills]

12mm boost rear wheel doo hickey afaik. It's the repair guy's problem now.

ok. i did have a spare one kicking about but it's not 12mm i don't think so hopefully your man gets you sorted!

 

[Lordy71]

12mm boost rear wheel doo hickey afaik. It's the repair guy's problem now.

The rear maxle on stilus is garbage, i had to take off the QR and use grips to get mine off, replaced with brand x maxle for £11, never had an issue since.

 

[Lordy71]

See below for details

 

[RustyMTB]

ok. i did have a spare one kicking about but it's not 12mm i don't think so hopefully your man gets you sorted!

Cheers Jimbo, appreciate the offer & thanks Lord, that's very helpful.

 

[RustyMTB]

Super quick bike repair dude has been on the phone, he's got the thing out & said it took him two hours, six drill bits & a bit of skin off a knuckle. Galvanic corrosion apparently. I think we'll call this one answered. Thanks for the help fellers.