Hub advice please.

16vGTI · Jun 15, 2016

I've found the perfect wheelset that I've been after for a while, the only problem is that the rear hub is spaced at 135mm & my frame is 130mm.

I know the hub would fit by squeezing it in but I'm against the idea of spreading the dropouts or cold setting the frame.

Would it be possible to just remove 5mm of spacers from the non drive side of the hub and then find a replacement axle from a 130mm hub (or cut mine down)? The hub is a Shimano Exage 500 LX, does this have 5mm worth of spacers on the left? (I don't know because I don't have the wheels yet they are in transit to me). I also have a XT732 hub I'd like to do the same with.

Any advice would be really appreciated, thanks!

xerxes · Jun 15, 2016

Re:

If you do take some spacers off the left, you'll also need to re-dish the wheel.

Is it a steel or aluminium frame?

ishaw · Jun 15, 2016

If I recall correctly I did this on some m900 hubs a long time ago. Not sure if it will be the same but I seem to remember there were more spacers (or wider) on one side than the other so by removing one and swapping them around I didn't need to redish the wheel. I can't remember if I swapped the axle or if the frame drop-outs were sufficiently wide enough that it was all fine.

Redisham should be simple enough. Un-tension the spokes on one side of the wheel, and tighten the other side a turn. Repeat until centred (maybe go half a turn, being careful not to tighten too much and damaging the rim).

16vGTI · Jun 16, 2016

Re:

Many thanks for the replies. I didn't think about the re dishing issue.

My other option would be to swap the whole hub out for a 130mm one (or get the LBS to do it - any ideas how much would a job like this would cost?).

ishaw · Jun 16, 2016

That would cost a fair bit, around £50 I'd guess. If you can get the same style hub with the right axle, you'd be better off swapping the axle over. No redishing, no wheel build, just something you can diy at home.

16vGTI · Jun 16, 2016

ishaw":x13fbvyy said:
That would cost a fair bit, around £50 I'd guess. If you can get the same style hub with the right axle, you'd be better off swapping the axle over. No redishing, no wheel build, just something you can diy at home.

So I could just take 5mm of spacers off the non drive side, swap axles over and I'm good to go, no re-dishing needed? (the other reply I had said I'd need to re-dish the wheel :? )

hamster · Jun 16, 2016

No, you would need to re-dish as all the spacers come off the left hand side. There are indeed minor differences between some hubs made in both 130 and 135mm. Redishing is not difficult, IIRC it's about 1mm each way, if that. Loosen all the left spokes one turn, tighten the right the same amount and retrue, that's about it. It's much simpler than rebuilding a wheel.

I'll even swapsie you an 1990 M550 LX axle and spacers if you have something similar as I need to go the other way on one wheel.

ishaw · Jun 16, 2016

What I was trying to say, poorly was that if you find a hub with the right axle and spacers, you should be able to transplant all of it over. The wheel should still be sitting in the centre of the axle, and the spacers either side should be appropriate for the 130mm spacing so no redishing should be needed. Could be wrong of course but that's my theory, otherwise you might at well just play with the spacers you have and see if the axle still works with the frame and qrs before redishing and/or going down a new hub/axle route.

mattr · Jun 16, 2016

ishaw":jpq0aar3 said:
Could be wrong of course but that's my theory

Yeah, unfortunately it doesn't work like that with cassette hubs, the end of the freehub will end up fouling the drop out, or the cassette lockring will foul.

Need to remove 5mm from the left hand end of the hub and redish.

It *can* work with freewheels, if you have enough space between hub threading and drop out.

ishaw · Jun 16, 2016

That makes sense, the spacing on the freehub side will be the same regardless as there needs to be the clearance for it. Should have thought that one through a bit more. Now I think about it, the issue I resolved a long time ago was the reverse. Someone had messed with an m900 hub to make it fit 130, but the frame I had was 135 so putting the right spacers back on the NDS was all that was needed (I don't think the previous owner had bothered with redishing as I know I didn't need to do that).

Glad no one was listening to my advice!

Hub advice please.

16vGTI

Retro Guru

xerxes

Old School Grand Master

ishaw

16vGTI

Retro Guru

ishaw

16vGTI

Retro Guru

hamster

Retro Wizard

ishaw

mattr

Old School Grand Master

ishaw

Similar threads

Latest posts