How many parts need to be missing from a bike, to stop us restoring it? Sometimes, just one wheel nut...

As bike rebuilders, we hardly ever run into proprietary components, ie components a manufacturer designs, to specifically fit their type of bike, and no one else’s. It’s worth-while salvaging just about every old bike – because you can use the parts to repair all sorts of other bikes. The other day, though, we struck an exception, with an old Mongoose BMX. …… .

It arrived with parts missing, so I took it to Wiltja College, for the “Scrap-heap Challenge”, bike-building event for the boarding students . The students found spares to make a complete bike – which looked promising - except the matching back wheel only had one wheel nut. The scrap heap had spare BMX front wheels - but their nuts would not fit this back axle. It had spare back wheels also, but the axle was an odd size, and the frame was cut to match. Thus the spares were either too big to fit, or too small and a loose fit.

I’m reluctant to give up on a bike, just because one wheel nut is missing. So the bike went back to the Workshop.

We had salvaged wheel nuts there. None would fit. I then visited the bike shops.

First shop found a similar BMX nut in its workshop. The right diameter outside, it fitted other BMX wheels. It was slightly too large, for the Mongoose wheel.

Second bike shop, again, had only the larger nut. They suggested a BMX specialist

Third bike shop, the manager was helpful. He said, for 2 years Mongoose had made everything peculiar to their own designs. So the only nut that would fit, would be a Mongoose nut, for that make, from that year . He didn’t have a spare, and as the bike was 10 years old, didn’t think he could get one.

Worse, as the axle was an unusual diameter the frame slots to take it, would also be an unusual width - so other wheels, either would not fit at all, or would fit only loosely.

We discussed other places to look for the nut. Hardware / car-parts stores stock nuts, but only standard sizes. Wholesale nuts-and-bolts specialists might have non-standard sizes, but unlikely to have anything from Mongoose, and unlikely anyone else's nuts would fit the Mongoose axle.

HSo the Mongoose seemed irrepairable.

Usually if a bike can’t be repaired – it’s worth salvaging parts. But this one, maybe not. The parts would be useful only for another Mongoose BMX , same model, same year.

We might never get another one at the Workshop.

And if we did - likely the part missing would be -- a wheel nut.

And so - because of just 1 wheel nut - an otherwise fine BMX bike from this particular manufacturer - is rendered quite useless!

Tags: bike, bikes, co-op, for, refugees, workshop

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Comment by Rob (Chewbacca) on April 19, 2012 at 18:12: Awesome challenge Mike....this would be a good challenge for Chewbacca. Let me know if you want me acquire you one but would need the other wheel nut and axle if possible.

Comment by Mike Brisco on April 19, 2012 at 18:15: Hi Rob,

Thinking about that BMX again, I'll probably put another wheel on it. But I need to take a file, to the frame, or axle - to make it fit. Will see...

Comment by Gary Mills on April 19, 2012 at 18:19: What is the nut axle dia and thread pitch? Most are now 14mm, some were standard 3/8" bsc and others with sealed bearing hubs M10x1 and then more rarely 1/2" x 20t. If it's any of those, I have nuts for all.

Comment by Gary Mills on April 19, 2012 at 18:36: And Mongoose also used for a while 26tpi one piece BB sets while standard size is 24T

Comment by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on April 19, 2012 at 19:12: Am I too used to living in a throwaway world but is sending an orphan sized bike to a remote community only pushing the parts problem onto others?

Can "Bush Mechanic" fix a Mongoose?

Perhaps it can be recycled into correct size wheel nuts:-)

Comment by heather on April 19, 2012 at 19:23: Interesting.

Mike, I will be visiting the bike workshop soon with my simple prob. I wanted a carrier for my bike to fit on my car towbar, but I also wanted an uncommon style with a slot which takes the bicycle wheels. Could buy a top brand in Adelaide at top price, and test beforehand. Elected to buy online a cheaper brand that was on sale. Rather than using the towball or its hole for fitting, it uses an upside down U-shape that goes over the towbar. Of course the U-shape is a tad smaller than the towbar tongue. This prob can occur when mixing metric and imperial measurements. Except that I have a classic metric car but could have an imperial towbar.

Comment by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on April 19, 2012 at 19:33: I am not familiar with your car but if the tow-bar was made locally at a time before the metric system it is likely that it would be an imperial size.

The U shaped part that fits over the tow-bar stops it twisting and hitting the car.

Comment by Paul Inglis on April 19, 2012 at 19:41: Why not just use a spare wheel with the hub spaced for the Mongoose frame? Unless the original axle is thinner and a regular axle is to big to fit in the drop out/fork end. In that case filing is the best option. It may be possible to rethread a nut but you would need a rethreading tool with the correct thread.

Comment by Don (Who's lost?) Nairn on April 20, 2012 at 10:16: Silly thought are the back and front wheel nuts interchangeable?

Would doing a modification to the front wheel be easier?

Comment by heather on April 20, 2012 at 11:15: Don, it is possible: Except that I have a classic metric car but could have an imperial towbar.

How many parts need to be missing from a bike, to stop us restoring it? Sometimes, just one wheel nut...

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