Speedplay Zero axle change

Speedplay make three models of Zero, starting with the entry level Chromoly axled version, next is the stainless steel, and finally the titanium axled version.

These (at the time of writing) price in at £109.99, £149.99 and £259.99 respectively.

The titanium axle is also slightly shorter than the other two, by around 2mm.

The pedal body itself is the same between all the pedal types, only the axle material changes, so therefore if you wish to upgrade your Chromoly pedals to Titanium you can swap the axles over.

I bought titanium axles from a known manufacturor, who I won't name here but please feel free to PM me if you wish to know. They cost me £45 including shipping and handling.

Get the pedal somewhere nice and secure where it will be easy to work on:

Remove the greaseport screw:

Find another screw that is a similar diameter but longer, and screw it in, this will push the greaseport cap out of the pedal body:

You will then be able to see the axle retaining screw, which is a Torx T20:

This screw is held in with ferocious loctite, and you'll strip the screw and need to drill it out if you don't break the bond.

To do this, you need to heat the screw beyond 150 degrees.

I put a bit in the screw:

And then introduced some fire:

Keep the torch on the bit until it glows red hot, then remove the bit USING A TOOL, and put it to one side, then remove the screw:

Pop the body of the pedal off, leaving the old axle (note the rubber washer, you'll need to move that from the old axle to the new one):

The two axles:

Move the rubber ring over, then grease the section of the axle which will go into the pedal body, pop the body on, then reassemble, using some Loctite 243 on the axle retaining screw to stop it coming loose.

Put the greaseport cap in, then flush the bearings through with fresh grease- when it comes out around the rubber seal then stop.

Screw the greaseport screw back in, and you are done.

You've gone from standard Cromoly pedals:

To some with nice new titanium axles:

Here is the link to the official instructions, with torque values: http://www.speedplay.com/pubs/instructions/ZEROSystemInstructions20100713.pdf

That's a really good gram to £ ratio there Neil

nice write up, hope the law suit is worth it.

Awesome.

I'll never need this info but I'm glad to be part of a bunch of people who are good with tools and fire.

Why the hush hush? Don't speedplay like the 3rd-party producer? Is there a law stopping them being made? It's just a machined ti axle after all.
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=68720

I'll have a new interest in Speedplay soon - have to use them for the midfoot setup..

Speedplay hate, fear, and sue third parties who dare to produce parts.

On eBay there is a vendor who advertises replacement axles for "lollipop shaped pedals" to stop Speedplay getting the auctions taken down.

Axle length!

Here is the standard axle:

Here is the titanium axle:

This looks quite handy dammit. Was it straight forward enough? I mean looking at your step by step it doesn't look hard at all. I just don't want to bugger up and be pedal less.

Here is the story about the guy getting sued etc, about half way down this page:
http://weightweenies.starbike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=80010&start=30

Why should that bother me though if I want to do it to my own pedals though?

I guess it shouldn't...might not be wise for Dammit to post this here though. I have no idea how any of the legal stuff works in this case though so could easily be completely wrong.

I thought the only reason he got in to trouble would have come from liabilities because he was selling (albeit without making a profit) the bearings and sealing sets.

I'm planning on doing this to my own pedals moving to the ti axles, not doing any of this for anyone else.

That's the only trouble I'd have heating up the screw bit. Can't see myself using a blow torch again so don't really want to buy one.

Creme brulee?

Now, now that won't help to heat up the axle will it?

That's the only trouble I'd have heating up the screw bit. Can't see myself using a blow torch again so don't really want to buy one.

Cheap alternative:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?source=imglanding&ct=img&q=http://www.memoryelixir.com/stuntworkshop/images/fire3.jpg&sa=X&ei=zmohT7eQFsjtOZWi4MYI&ved=0CAwQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNFgGbW_euQuYP6FuYaTHi8fnFP9qA

You can use a hairdryer to soften the loctite on torx screw
though not as effective on creme brulees.

Would a hair dryer actually work though? Surely if it takes a blow torch to heat it a hair dryer won't do much.

This looks quite handy dammit. Was it straight forward enough? I mean looking at your step by step it doesn't look hard at all. I just don't want to bugger up and be pedal less.

The hardest/most troublesome part is getting the loctited screw out without stripping it otherwise you're in a whole new world of pain.

I have my Ti spindles sitting next to my pedals - I just need gas for my blowtorch.

some use soldering irons.

I swapped out my standard axles for 3mm longer ones using 'the hair dryer method' without any problems.

Axles get swapped over for free by the UK Distributor's if you send them a few chocolate bars and tell them your on LFGSS :)

I haven't bothered to heat the screws so far and have broken no screws. n=10 pairs or so, but will in future...

Neil are you skinny enough to ride the Ti axles?????? Lucky man if you are!

Yep, I am some way below the 85kg limit on the Speedplay ones, and the ones I have used come with a higher weight limit.

I tried undoing the screw without heating it first and it was going nowhere- it might have done if I had applied more force, but I had read so many stories of people stripping the bolt head that I didn't risk it and used heat.

After warming it through the bolt came out extremely easily- torque value for it is 3.6Nm if I recall correctly, so very low.

Hmm didn't realise there was a weight limit on them (that's quite low) I'm under 85kg and heading down! But may be better off sticking with the Chrome ones for now.

This guide is really handy though for changing the axles when I need to.

oh goddamnit this post and http://velocitynation.com/content/equipment/2011/speedplay-rebuild-mark-purdy sort of got me thinking this is too peculiar work for me to do myself :|

I came here because one of my speedplay bearings is almost seized shut