S3X busted nut., originally uploaded by BikeTinker.The wheel was slipping in the dropouts (yeah, yeah, “fork ends”) after I changed a flat, so I added two links to the chain and cranked down extra hard. Two days later I noticed the end had cracked, but it still shifted.
Yesterday, at the bottom of the hill on Willis Road, it snapped entirely. The top two gears still worked, but the low gear only freewheels. I climbed the hill anyway, and picked about two gallons of blackberries for jam. Then I went to the Hotel Oregon and put my feet up.
You need a spacer in front of the axle to keep it from sliding forward. One could be fashioned from aluminum or brass. Maybe even an adjustable one could be home rigged. As a last resort, just jam a chunk of home whittled hardwood in there and tighten with a new axle nut. Hope this helps in your future.
I could do that, but I believe the nut should do its job! I think with a triflingly shorter axle, or a washer under the nut, it should hold the axle well. I like the idea, though.