A thru axle is a long bolt that slides into your dropout, through your hub, and threads into the dropout or a nut on the other side of the frame. The bolts are typically 12, 15, or 20mm in diameter. They are designed to increase the stiffness of the hub/dropout interface.
No. Thru axles will only work on frames and hubs designed for thru axles. You will need a thru axle specific frame or fork with a thru axle specific hub.
Typically, thru axles should be tightened to 12-15Nm (Newton Meters) of torque. This is just enough torque to secure the axle so it does not come loose while riding. You should never tighten your axle as tight as possible.
Frame and fork dropouts come in many different widths. The thru axle’s length is a combination of the hub width and the dropout width. Additionally, some dropouts have a ‘counter-sink’ for the axle head that also changes the width. This leads to a bunch of different axle lengths for each hub spec. When this is combined with the 3 different thread types that are commonly used, there can be 15-20 different axle specs for each hub spec.
Your thread width needs to be longer than the dropout it threads into. If not, your axle cannot be tightened down on your hub. It doesn’t really matter so much if your thread length is too long. If in doubt, order a thru axle with a longer thread than required.
When thru axles were first being used there was no standard for the threads. Different companies chose different thread pitches, including P1.0, 1.5 and 1.75. Thread pitch is simply the number of threads per centimeter (or inch). To this day, all three thread pitches are very common. The axle threads need to match the dropout threads perfectly in order for the axle to work. You can visit our HOW TO MEASURE section to see how to figure out the exact thread pitch you need.
All thru axles work like a normal bolt. Some have a lever, and some will require a hex wrench. To install, you push the bolt through your dropout and hub and turn clockwise until the axle is tight (10-15Nm). To remove, turn counterclockwise to unthread and then pull the axle out of the dropout. You can visit our HOW TO USE section to see more details.
No. The hub spec is designed to match the frame or fork dropouts. Because of the wide variety of dropouts, you will need to match the axle to the frame or forks dropouts, not the hub. For example, a 12x148 frame does NOT use a 148mm long axle.
If you have a ThruAxle.com axle, it will have a fitting for an M6 hex wrench on the other end of the axle (the threaded end). You can use this to unthread your broken axle. Remember that you will need to turn counterclockwise when threading from this end. If the axle does not have a fitting for a hex wrench on the thread side, you will need to visit your local bike shop for assistance.
Possibly. QR wheels cannot be used with thru axle frames or forks so you would need some sort of adapter kit. You will need to check with the hub or wheel brand to see if they offer a thru axle conversion kit for your hub.