Bent rear fork adjusters...

[CDollarsign]

I received a frame with bent drop out adjusters, as I assume a lot of people do. What's the best way to get them out without damaging the frame? The heads are loose on them but the bolt itself doesn't want to turn very well. Are they all threaded the same for when I order replacement ones? It's an Eddie Merckx corsa extra frame if that helps...

[e-RICHIE]

Bend it back reasonably straight (by eye) using a screwdriver - pry it every which way until it looks good enough. Then extract, and replace. This is a fairly low-tech task atmo.

[EricEstlund]

Might be worth adding a few drops of penetrating oil (or similar) if they feel gummed up.

[Peter P.]

Depends which end is bent.

If the end to the rear (outside the dropout slot) is bent, I'd hacksaw or snip it off, leaving a couple threads. That'll give the penetrating oil something to follow when you spray it on the screw.

After the cut, file the end flat. That usually cleans up the cut end so the threads there don't bind.

The screw head is likely on the axle slot side of the dropout. Work the screw with a screwdriver back and forth, back and forth, gently, until you get movement. You don't want to damage the screw slot; then you'll have nothing to work with. As it moves, spray more oil onto it.

Richard's right, though. You'll save a lot of time by just bending the screw straight until it'll extract by unscrewing it. At the worst it snaps off, then you try my method.

[e-RICHIE]

Richard's right, though. You'll save a lot of time by just bending the screw straight until it'll extract by unscrewing it. At the worst it snaps off, then you try my method.


Even if it DID snap off, this task is so painfully elementary it's painful twice atmo. Heck, the part is soft metal to begin with. Use a needle nose pliers and break off the offending length that lives in the dropout slot. Then, saw an/or file flush whatever stub protrudes from the rear. Get a drill bit that is slight less than the tap/thread size (.3 X 5mm iirc...) and drill though the leftover part of the dropout screw. Follow by tapping the hole that you just created. If I have done this one hundred times I have...

[ultraman6970]

Want to start with... never managed to bend one set of those ever... never understood under which circumstances the thingys could bent because the axle just fit perfect in position, almost not play.

I have seen them bent inside and at the outside too.

What you have to do is just bend it back, screw them out and get new ones. Done.

[CDollarsign]

So what about the thread type? Is campy the same as Columbus and so on?

[David Kirk]

So what about the thread type? Is campy the same as Columbus and so on?

Yeah - they are all M3 thread as i recall.

I never bother bending them back before taking them out. I cut them off and then screw the remainder out.

Any way you do it it's not hard. The only way you can go wrong is if you feel you need to use a lot of force to spin it out. That little butter-hard M3 screw can break pretty easily and one can break a chunk off in the drop if they get really heavy handed. Go light and it will come out.

dave

[ultraman6970]

Never seen any other thread than the one that match campagnolo, zeus and columbus. No idea if shimano used the same thread.

[oldpotatoe]

Never seen any other thread than the one that match campagnolo, zeus and columbus. No idea if shimano used the same thread.

It's a frame dropout standdard and even shimano dropouts(yes they did make some that looked like Campagnolo ones), used the same dropout adjuster thread standard, regardless of who made them.

[J.Greene]

Never seen any other thread than the one that match campagnolo, zeus and columbus. No idea if shimano used the same thread.

Some very early Campagnolo Dropout adjusters were 4mm.

[oldpotatoe]

Some very early Campagnolo Dropout adjusters were 4mm.

Very early, like post WW2 early.

[e-RICHIE]

Very early, like post WW2 early.

It's still post WW2 now atmo.
I think Jon meant very early as in the last century.

[oldpotatoe]

It's still post WW2 now atmo.
I think Jon meant very early as in the last century.

tee hee...No adjusters in the Roubaix groupset...when the wheel moved back and forth. Rders in racing about what 50s? I think they were 3mm then...

[e-RICHIE]

tee hee...No adjusters in the Roubaix groupset...when the wheel moved back and forth. Rders in racing about what 50s? I think they were 3mm then...

Well as Norma Desmond would say -
I AM big, it's the adjusters that got small atmo.

[J.Greene]

It's still post WW2 now atmo.
I think Jon meant very early as in the last century.

Yes, thank you. I knew exactly what I typed.