Pedalwise
Tool

Axle nut wrench

Many hub motor e-bikes hold the wheel with axle nuts instead of a quick release. You need a wrench of the size your maker states, and a torque wrench to refit them.

Last edited Nov 8, 2026 by Pedalwise team Edit History Add a subpage

The Pedalwise team started this page from official manuals, support pages and repair videos. Fixed this yourself, or spotted something wrong? Help improve it.

Many hub motor e-bikes hold the wheel in with nuts on a solid axle instead of a quick release lever. To take the wheel off for a flat or a new tire, you need a sturdy wrench that fits those nuts, and a way to tighten them back to the right torque.

What it's used for

What to look for

  • The size your maker states. Rad Power Bikes uses an 18 mm wrench for the axle nuts in its 2018 RadCity rear wheel guide and in its RadRunner 1 guide (Rad RadCity guide, Rad RadRunner guide). Other bikes differ, so check your manual or your maker's wheel removal guide before buying.
  • A full wrench, not a cone wrench. Park Tool says its thin cone wrenches are made for narrow flats and warns against using them on wide flats such as axle nuts (Park Tool SCW-15).
  • A closed end. Feedback Sports makes a 15 mm combination tool with a closed wrench end for axle nuts, angled to clear the wheel (Feedback Sports). It only helps if your nuts are 15 mm.
  • A way to hit the torque spec. Rad tightens the axle nuts on both the RadCity and the RadRunner 1 to 40 Nm, using a torque wrench with a crow foot bit (Rad RadCity guide, Rad RadRunner guide). See Torque wrench and Torque and specs.
  • The other tools in the job. Rad's RadRunner 1 guide also calls for a 4 mm Allen wrench for the bashguard and torque arm bolts (Rad). Follow your maker's guide, which covers the motor cable and torque arm too.
  • Maker tool kits. Lectric's eBike Tool Kit includes a 17 to 18 mm box wrench along with 10 and 15 mm wrenches, hex bits and tire levers, but no torque wrench (Lectric tool kit). Aventon sells a Dual-Sided Wrench with 18 and 19 mm open ends and a 15 mm pedal wrench, chosen by model (Aventon).

Typical price

  • Feedback Sports lists its Pedal Wrench Combo, with a 15 mm axle nut end, at $30.00 (read Nov 9, 2026) (Feedback Sports).
  • Lectric lists its eBike Tool Kit, with a 17 to 18 mm box wrench, at $52.00, down from $69.00 (read Nov 9, 2026) (Lectric).

Where to buy

  1. Your bike maker's store, for example Lectric or Aventon.
  2. A tool maker such as Feedback Sports, or a hardware store for a plain metric wrench of the size your maker states.
  3. A local shop, through find a shop, if a nut is seized or rounded.

Videos

Rear Hub Drive eBike Wheel Removal and Install from EBike Maintenance: Loosens the axle nuts on a rear hub motor wheel, frees the wheel from the dropouts and refits it with the nuts snugged back down.

Guides that use it

Sources

Stuck after these checks? Find a shop near you.

Guides that use this

Need a pro?

If these steps didn't fix it, find a shop near you in our partner network of shops that work on electric rides.

Talk

Questions, things that worked for you, or something that looks wrong on this page.

Sign in to join the conversation.

CC BY-NC-SA 4.0Text by Pedalwise and contributors, shared under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. Linked videos and manuals keep their own terms. How to reuse it