Salsa Mukluk Rear Axle: Distinguish 170 QR From the 177 Thru-Axle Option

2026-10-23

The Salsa Mukluk rear axle question starts at the installed swing plates. Both 2016 complete builds document a 170 mm quick-release rear hub, while the frame record also offers a 177 x 12 mm thru-axle arrangement through a plate change. Those are distinct configurations, not two interchangeable names for one replacement wheel.

Green Salsa Mukluk with wide tyres, rigid fork, disc brakes and bikepacking bags beside a granite rock outcrop — Holland Track Day 2: Salsa Mukluk at Granite Rock Outcrop. Mukluk photographed 28 September 2016; exact year, trim, materials and original equipment unconfirmed. Historical family photograph; neither 2016 trim nor recall status verified. Photo: Andrew Priest, CC BY 3.0. Original supplied JPEG unchanged.

Identify the Salsa Mukluk rear axle configuration first

The 2016 X7 and Sus GX1 frame tables specify 170 x 10 mm quick release, with 177 x 12 mm thru-axle compatibility via a swing-plate swap. Ask for close views of both sides of the installed rear end and the hub identification. Do not order a thru-axle wheel just because the frame can support a different plate arrangement.

The published rear axle dimensions of 12 x 208L, thread pitch 1.5 and thread length 20 apply only to frames equipped with thru-axle swing plates. The archive states that limitation explicitly. Those figures are not a quick-release skewer size and cannot, by themselves, identify which plates a used frame currently carries.

Use the archive’s part identifiers without claiming universal fit

The listed quick-release hanger identifier is FS1312; the thru-axle entry is FW1374, and the thru-axle kit is FS1332. The table also names an L Rohloff entry, FS1371. These are useful historical enquiry terms for the documented Mukluk arrangement, rather than evidence that every later Alternator frame uses identical hardware.

Provide the frame serial number, plate photographs and the intended hub configuration when seeking a part. The framesheet locates the serial number under the bottom bracket and explains that serial information can distinguish product generations. An old identifier does not establish present availability or replace confirmation of the actual frame and plate.

Keep wheel choice and adjustment work separate

The manufacturer describes Alternator positions as a way to change the rear-center arrangement. Its geometry table gives chainstay lengths from 440 to 457 mm and a corresponding wheelbase range. This adjustability is a separate question from changing axle type; sliding a plate does not convert a QR hub into a thru-axle hub.

The framesheet directs users to the Alternator instructions for correct use and maintenance and calls for professional installation and service. Obtain the applicable procedure with the selected parts rather than borrowing torque or alignment instructions from another generation. No dimension in the frame table is an invitation to modify a hub or plate to make an unmatched assembly fit.

Rear configuration FAQ

What rear hubs do the two original build records list?

Both specify 170 mm quick release; the cassette-driver descriptions differ between X7 and Sus GX1.

When do the 12 x 208L axle dimensions apply?

They apply only to the documented thru-axle swing-plate configuration, with the stated thread specifications.

Which historical identifiers help a hanger enquiry?

The table gives FS1312 for QR, FW1374 for TA and FS1332 for the TA kit.

A useful wheel enquiry names the installed plates and hub, not just the Mukluk decal. Confirm that configuration first, then have the matching hardware and procedure checked before installation.

Compare the original equipment in Salsa Mukluk 2016 builds. Explore the Salsa bicycle collection for the broader brand context.

References: 2016 X7 archive; 2016 Sus GX1 archive; Mukluk framesheet 06/15.