Increasing Axle Size and Length

Terry said:

I do not have much knowledge on bicycle parts and was hoping to get a
little help. I am using a bicycle tire on the front of a mini chopper
I am building. Though the standard axle is to small in diameter and
too short.

I have taken apart a few different types of front and rear wheels to
better understand how they work, and to find a good way to modify one.
Everything I have looked at has the cone type bearings. I am very
familiar with motorcyles, and I was wondering if their is a bicycle hub
similar to a motorcycle hub that will take a standard size press in
bearing.

The closest thing I have been able to modify is a rear bicycle tire
that had a coaster brake in it. I took it all apart, and the hub is
very large. The only things I kept from it were the 2 ball bearings
that ride on the hub. I then made my own collars which fit inside the
bearings and seating on the balls. I then made a shield to keep the
grease inside. So I can run any size and length axle up to a 3/4",
but I plan on running a 1/2" axle. I don't really need the strength,
but more the look of a larger axle.

My only concern with this is if these light duty ball bearings will
hold up to the little extra wieght and higher speeds the tire will see.
This is why I would really like to use a good sealed bearing like on a
motorcycle.

I have been searching quite a bit online, and any comments,
suggestions, or help in finding something like this would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks.

Have you seen BMX hubs with 14mm axles? 14mm is really big, and nearly
all such hubs have long axles and cartridge bearings.
http://tinyurl.com/cshcz

I think any good quality bicycle hub will work for you. Motorized or
not, bike/cycle front hubs don't take much of a beating.

-Vee

Terry said:

My only concern with this is if these light duty ball bearings will
hold up to the little extra wieght and higher speeds the tire will see.
This is why I would really like to use a good sealed bearing like on a
motorcycle.

I have been searching quite a bit online, and any comments,
suggestions, or help in finding something like this would be greatly
appreciated.

Many front hubs used on bikes built for downhill/freeride have a 20mm
straight axle, and all of them that I've seen employ a cartridge
bearing. Some of those bearings aren't standard sizes, though, so not
all of that type of hub would be useful.

The rims used for downhill and freeride are also much stronger than
those employed for regular bikes, but there are few selections in
sizes below the 26" class.

One other thing that you might have to worry about; if this project is
for something that has to pass a state inspection, will a tire that's
not DOT approved cause you a problem? Also, bear in mind that the
typical bicycle tire lasts less than 3000 miles when used with just
the power of a rider pushing the weight of the rider and very light
bike around; at higher speeds and loads, these thin and flimsy tires
are going to wear out fast, even on the front. If it's just a show
bike, that's prety much irrelevant, of course.

One additional thought: Some wheelchairs use smaller-diameter spoked
wheels with straight axles and cartridge bearings. That might be
another place to look for solutions for a show bike project.
--
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Thanks for the great info. This will not be a regularly ridden bike,
so tire wear is not a concern.

I will focus my research on the BMX and Mountain bike hubs. A 14mm
axle would be perfect especially if I can replace it with any length.

I will be using a full size front tire (mountain bike / cruiser), so my
best bet would be to find a complete rim and hub from a mountain bike
that has a replacable 14mm axle. I'll start looking.

Thanks again.