Do you really need to torque a through axle?

[PCeBiker]

It is impossible to install a through axle wrong.

My through axle will install the wrong way.
It isn't threaded and will go through the dropout either way.
(The end piece the axle is threaded onto the skewer to adjust preload though)

My freind got a 10-speed in 1977 that had a QR rear wheel.
Within a couple weeks he broke his axle in half and had to have his wheel rebuilt.

I've hated QR axles ever since. They're just not strong enough.

You're still going to need tools to do any work on your rear wheel that requires removing the wheel.
Saving ten seconds with a QR isn't worth the tradeoff with reliability and safety.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

A thru-axle after 3.5 years of use. Never greased. It still has the paint on!

 

[spokewrench]

View attachment 186654
A thru-axle after 3.5 years of use. Never greased. It still has the paint on!

Yours resembles mine. I don't know the source of the friction that keeps mine from working loose. It doesn't look like the head, so it must be the threads.