Replacing rear wheel after tube replacement

[Credible Hulk]

I had a flat on my rear wheel which has the hub motor. I had to take the wheel off to replace the tube. I turned the bike upside down to do this. Now I'm having no end of trouble getting the axle to sit fully in the dropouts. I deflated the tire so it's about half pressure (not soft enough to cause a pinch flat). I always check to make sure the brake disk is in the slot on the brake, and that everything is in position on the derailleur side. I've removed and replaced the rear wheel on other standard bikes with derailleurs before, so this isn't the first time I've had to reinstall a rear wheel.

I think the problem may be with washers which (I think) should go between the fork and the wheel. Each side of the axle has one washer with a little hook on it, then either a single thick plain washer (derailleur side) or two thinner ones. When I try to drop the axle into the dropout with the washers in place - forget it! The axle won't even remotely fit in the dropout. Yes the "hook" part of the hooked washer is aligned with the dropout slot. I tried putting the washers between the fork and the nuts that hold the wheel on, the axle fits in the dropout but then the gears rub on the fork and the wheel won't spin. I can't believe that something that fit together before I took it apart won't fit together now. There are no missing parts (I always put screws etc. in a pill bottle to prevent them from being lost).

Any tips or ideas? Am I forgetting something?

 

[harryS]

It sounds like you took everything off and forgot how it was put together? We all do that,

This is not my picture, but I found it on the web.The main thing is that you have the tabs on the washer (usually called c-washers) aligned as shown. Allows the axle to sit snug inside the dropout.

In addition, space considerations may dictate changes. Usually, you have just enough room to do it as shown above. Sometimes the frame is wider and I've put the c-washers inside the frame, facing outward because I didn't want to be compressing it. However, the majority of hubs probably are like the top picture.

 

[Credible Hulk]

It sounds like you took everything off and forgot how it was put together? We all do that,

This is not my picture, but I found it on the web.The main thing is that you have the tabs on the washer (usually called c-washers) aligned as shown. Allows the axle to sit snug inside the dropout.

View attachment 32813

In addition, space considerations may dictate changes. Usually, you have just enough room to do it as shown above. Sometimes the frame is wider and I've put the c-washers inside the frame, facing outward because I didn't want to be compressing it. However, the majority of hubs probably are like the top picture.

Thanks for that pic! I could only find pics of standard bikes.

My ebike came with two thin axle washers and one thick one. That's what I forgot, which one goes where. However that can be figured out with trial and error. My other mistake was trying to align the tab on the torque washers (there's one on each side of the wheel) so it points down into the dropout. Duh - that would explain why the axle wouldn't sit completely down in the dropout.

I'll play with it a bit more later or tomorrow. Yesterday I hurt my bad back lifting the wheel around, so I'm giving it a break today so it won't get worse.

 

[harryS]

You might have to realign the disk brake if you don't put the washers back on exactly as before, but that's quite easy.