My old Cook Bros. Racing BMX biike

[1978elcamino]

Passed along my cook bros. racing bmx bike to my son about 5 years ago. The chain keeps coming off because threads in the axle are stripped and it wont stay tight. I brought the wheel to a local bike shop because I have no idea where to find an axle for a 30+ year old bike and figured it probably wont be that expensive. They suggested a new wheel @50 bucks because it would be cheaper than a repair but I insisted I wanted to keep everything original. I said I dont really care what it cost. He said to leave it for a week so he can look around for a part and I would receive a call.
Question is, if I get a call saying no part is available where do I look for an axle on a 30+ year old bmx bike?

 

[NYEngineer]

Would it possibly be easier to have him re lace a new hub into your rim?

 

[Kawiguy454]

Get a welder to resurface the axle then re-thread it. There are welders that specialize in shaft reconditioning that may do the best job. If the axle is standard size/threaded rod cant you just get anything equivalent one and cut to length?

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

I haven't been into bikes for decades but there's shouldn't be anything special about a replacement axle shaft for a BMX bike. I recall they came in anything from mild steel to aluminum for the ultra-lightweight riders to chrome moly and titanium.

I know bikes have come a long way in 30+ years but something like an axle shaft being hard to come by seems odd to me.

 

[FowVay]

I agree with Kawiguy, get it welded and rethreaded or have a local machine shop must make another axle.

 

[porterdog]

Ebay or one of the vintage BMX-specific forums.

 

[aquariuscsm]

I remember people using these in the 80s:

 

[alcyon]

Passed along my cook bros. racing bmx bike to my son about 5 years ago. The chain keeps coming off because threads in the axle are stripped and it wont stay tight. I brought the wheel to a local bike shop because I have no idea where to find an axle for a 30+ year old bike and figured it probably wont be that expensive. They suggested a new wheel @50 bucks because it would be cheaper than a repair but I insisted I wanted to keep everything original. I said I dont really care what it cost. He said to leave it for a week so he can look around for a part and I would receive a call.
Question is, if I get a call saying no part is available where do I look for an axle on a 30+ year old bmx bike?

Check online, the rest of the world still uses 1" headsets, old style 1 pc crank BB sets ,3/8" shafst and 1/2" pedals.

 

[Alexnharvey]

Does it have Cook Bros Racing hubs? That BMX might well be worth serious money BTW.

Post some pictures of the hub.

 

[IndyIan]

You can get axles on ebay, I'd guess its a 3/8" with a 24 tpi, but any bike shop should be able to get an axle for it. If you have some extra axle sticking out of the nuts you could adjust the cones so slide the axle along to where you have some good threads on the stripped side.