[If You Build It]

So I was doing a little dirt jumping on my 2005 Specialized P.2 - yes, it's got some years on it, but I've been jumping it for years and the most I've ever broken on it was a pedal. I come over this big gap feeling a little squirrelly, and I go down, landing in a heap at the bottom of the landing. I brush it off and go to grab my bike, thinking it would be fine, when I notice the broken front axle. I'm still not sure if it was the crash that caused the damage, or the broken axle caused the crash (kind of a chicken and the egg mystery).

Has anyone else ever had this happen? The axle broke in two places, just inside both cones (so of course all of my ball bearings are now scattered in the high grass). The fork got pretty tweaked, but I don't see any noticeable cracks or anything on it. I've never really trusted the fork very much (Marzzochi Dirt Jam), I was sure that one day I would end up with half my face scraped off when the fork eventually snapped. I didn't expect the axle to break first.

I'm thinking I'm going to upgrade to a 20mm thru axle on the front, probably the Manitou Circus Expert 100mm. I searched the web and couldn't find any stories of anyone breaking a through axle, so at least that part of my bike will never break on me again.

 

[pnj]

Parts break. The longer you use/abuse them, the closer they get to the end of their life. It's important to check your bike over from time to time or daily if you ride hard/enough.

Just because a part isn't broken, doesn't mean it might not break.

 

[If You Build It]

Yeah, the funny thing is, I was planning on repacking my front bearing later this week. I kind of wonder if I would have seen anything when I looked at the axle. I guess I'll never know.

 

[BeerMe]

Yeah I've done that. And destroyed the first 3 forks I rode on that bike. Ditch that crap front fork and get something with a 20mm thru axle. Preferably not from Marzocchi.

 

[sittingduck]

Broken a few fronts, never in 2 places at once though. Switched to 20mm many years ago.

 

[insanitylevel9]

name a part ive broken it in some crazy way, sht happens man just make sure to check that kinda stuff more carefully.

 

[kidwoo]

name a part ive broken it in some crazy way,

Stem





644654

 

[insanitylevel9]

Stem





644654

what up with the "644654" thing and i slammed into a berm and some how managed to rip the face plat bolts out. i think the bike hit a tree or a rock or something i'm not really sure to be honest but it was broken thats for sure.

 

[kidwoo]

Damn I thought I had you.


the numbers are just because the post was too short to register.......needed more stuff











564645465

 

[insanitylevel9]

Damn I thought I had you.


the numbers are just because the post was too short to register.......needed more stuff
564645465

oh i just thought it was a failed pic thing.

 

[boostindoubles]

Your axle could have had some play (loose), which led to the breakage.

 

[If You Build It]

Your axle could have had some play (loose), which led to the breakage.

Nah, I don't think that was it. I check my wheels for play all the time (I hate it when my handling feels sloppy because of loose bearings). I actually checked my bearings that morning.

Now that we're on the subject, the way I check for play in my bearings is to grab the frame or fork in one hand and the tire in the other and then push the tire side to side to feel for any wobble, clicking or play. If there is any I give the cone 1/8th of a turn in and check it again (I've only had to do this maybe twice on each wheel in 6 years). Is that how you're supposed to do it?

 

[cmc]

So I was doing a little dirt jumping on my 2005 Specialized P.2 - yes, it's got some years on it, but I've been jumping it for years and the most I've ever broken on it was a pedal. I come over this big gap feeling a little squirrelly, and I go down, landing in a heap at the bottom of the landing. I brush it off and go to grab my bike, thinking it would be fine, when I notice the broken front axle. I'm still not sure if it was the crash that caused the damage, or the broken axle caused the crash (kind of a chicken and the egg mystery).

Has anyone else ever had this happen? The axle broke in two places, just inside both cones (so of course all of my ball bearings are now scattered in the high grass). The fork got pretty tweaked, but I don't see any noticeable cracks or anything on it. I've never really trusted the fork very much (Marzzochi Dirt Jam), I was sure that one day I would end up with half my face scraped off when the fork eventually snapped. I didn't expect the axle to break first.

I'm thinking I'm going to upgrade to a 20mm thru axle on the front, probably the Manitou Circus Expert 100mm. I searched the web and couldn't find any stories of anyone breaking a through axle, so at least that part of my bike will never break on me again.

If it's 3/8" (rather than 10mm) and unsealed, you could replace it with a heat treated Standard bmx axle.

Breaking axles used to be very common in BMX. Then in the early 90's Standard, Kink, Hoffman and others started making strong 3/8" axles. (Then everyone switched to 14mm front and rear for a while. Now everyone has switched back to 3/8" for front axles.)

It's likely that the one you broke was not heat treated.

Detailed Description
Heat treated 4140 chromoly axles available for 26 tpi unsealed (Nankai and any other unsealed hubs) and 24 tpi (Suntour and Taska).

http://www.flatlandfuel.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=251

 

[If You Build It]

I've decided to go to a 20mm thru axle, and I'm waiting very impatiently for my Manitou 100mm Circus Expert to arrive

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/manitou-circus-sea-otter-2010.html

The cones and cups got a little banged up, so rather that just rebuild everything, I decided to spend a little more and get a setup I can be confident in.

 

[WestCoastHucker]

oddly enough, the only other time i've seen this same exact scenario, it was on the same model of bike and fork that you are using. the homie was manualing a roller section at the bmx track and when he put his wheel back down, the axle snapped just like yours. the bike had been used out at our jumps as well, so i know it wasn't as simple as setting the wheel back down that broke the axle. his bike was the first thing i thought of when i saw your axle...

 

[If You Build It]

So I got the new fork in, and it was the first time I had cut a steerer tube to size before. I used a pipe cutter to do the job

Which works great. It creates a really smooth edge (you just need to clean up the inside edge with a file), the cut is perfectly square, I would highly recommend this method. I bought a "mini" style pipe cutter like the one pictured above, but I would recommend spending the few extra bucks and getting a regular style one like this

because you have to turn the tightening wheel really, really hard to cut through aluminum, and the tiny knob on the mini version was hard to grip.

Now I'm just waiting for my new front disc to come in, and I'll be set.