Removing front axle

[Wanderer]

Please could someone tell me what size hex/torx/other socket I need to remove the front axle (not the pinch bolt or the brake calipers).

Many thanks, Will

 

[Shep]

22mm AF, i just measured my front axle socket at 21.97

Regards Shep

 

[Wanderer]

Sorry, no doubt a really daft question, but what does "AF" mean?

 

[Mouse]

By the way, if you have the old style toolkit (the good one), the spark plug socket doubles as a front axle hex key.

Not sure if this tool is included in the new toolkit.

 

[Wanderer]

Thanks Mouse, so it's a 22mm hex key that I need?

 

[Wraithwrider]

but what does "AF" mean

Across Flats

 

[Wanderer]

Thanks Wraithrider, so that's a hex key (I'm assuming it needs to be a male driver - i.e. something that fits into the right hand side of the axle to unscrew it)?

 

[Wanderer]

My word, a 22mm hex socket driver would be huge! Do they make them that big?

 

[Dutchman]

My word, a 22mm hex socket driver would be huge! Do they make them that big?

Yes they do......also a box spanner with an outside dimension of 22mm will do the job just as well......

Cheers

Dutch

 

[Dave Price]

Are we mixing up imperial and metric terminology here.As far as I'm aware, AF (Across Flats) is a size used by older British and American cars ie 7/16, 1/2 inch etc. Metric sizes used on BMW bikes are quoted in mm.

 

[Shep]

Re Dave Price

Sorry dave I don't think there is a metric/ imperial conflict in this case as AF just stands for across flats, it could possibly stand for american fine (as in thread style unc, whitworth, unf etc.).

Regards Shep

 

[Dave Price]

Re Dave Price

Sorry dave I don't think there is a metric/ imperial conflict in this case as AF just stands for across flats, it could possibly stand for american fine (as in thread style unc, whitworth, unf etc.).

Regards Shep

I stand corrected

 

[Dave Price]

Shep,
I think we're both right:
AF - An abbreviation of 'Across Flats', the way in which many nuts, bolts and spanners are identified. AF is usually preceded by an Imperial unit of measurement - e.g. 1/2 in AF. Unless otherwise stated, all metric measurements are assumed to be AF, so the abbreviation is not normally used for metric nuts, bolts and spanners.
Regards
Dave

 

[Bullwinkle]

Simple tool...

Will, this is the tool that I made to remove the front axle (seeing as I got the new toolkit). It is a 14mm bolt (which had a 22mm head) that I welded to a spare socket. Simple, effective and cheap.

 

[Shep]

Re Dave Price

Hi Dave,

If went to a bolt shop and asked for a 10mm bolt, you would get a bolt with a 10mm dia thread not a bolt with 10mm AF head

Regards Paul

 

[birdseye]

True. And if you went and asked for a 10mm allen key, you would get one that was 10mm A/F. God alone knows how they measure TorX