Ok, so I started riding back in the mid 90's. Even did some cross country racing back in those days. I moved to a big city and stopped riding for a long while. I picked this bike up 3 years ago (Specialized Enduro ) to ease back in to it. I haven't done much to it since getting it off FB marketplace.
My gf has gotten the bug and we've started hitting a couple of parks. I put some new tires on her bike, new seat, and grips. I thought I'd look in to doing more than just checking the air on my bike. My tires are pretty shot. I've done nothing to them and honestly don't even know if they have tubes or tubeless. They are 26" with maxxis dhf in the front and continental crossking in the back.
I thought I'd take the tires off and deflate them so I could find out about the tubes or not and make a decision on getting some new tires to install.
The rear tire has a quick release setup. Easy enough. But the front, I don't know how to get it off. I looked up videos on thru axle, but there is nothing to insert an Allen key into. One side has 3 holes that are scuffed up, and the other side is just a hole that passes all the way thru. I'll probably take it to a LBS, but I'd like to know what is the technique or tool to get this front tire off myself.
by LordGlow
7 Comments
They’re pinch bolts. Undo the bolts in front of the axle at the bottom.
Somebody destroyed the Allen key part of that through axle and added the two holes to the side of it so they could use a pin spanner wrench. Undo the pinch bolts on the front of the fork that are clamping the axle and then use a pin spanner wrench to thread the axle out. I’d look for a new axle to make life easier next time.
Yeah that was the Allen key hole lol now you need a spanner.
Undo the other bolts first then replace that thru axel
That someone would go to the effort to modify it after they destroyed instead of replacing the part is all sorts of something.
“scuffed up”
You’re going to need a new axle. Burgtec do them with 2, 6mm hex key slots 1 at either end. So if you do round the main one off like this guy did you have an emergency one still at the other end.
Made the same mistake to my daughter’s Fox40. Didn’t release the axle pinch bolts first and stripped the soft metal instantly. I gently hammered in a larger sized Allan and it out easily. Replacement axles are also pretty cheap and readily available online.