HELP NEEDED!!

[Vintageroadb]

Peugeot triathlon arrived this morning. Got one problem, the forks are about 10-15mm smaller that the wheel that was on the bike before it was disassembled for postage. Some arrivals I've read have said to slightly stretch the forks but some have said I can buy a new wheel that will fit it! Any help would be appreciated!!?

 

[Ian Raleigh]

You mean the fork ends won't slip on to the axle ?

 

[Vintageroadb]

Yes. Wheel is about 10-15mm bigger.

 

[Ian Raleigh]

I'd say the front forks have been squashed in slightly

You could buy a cheap solid longer axle complete with nuts/cones and fit the axle in the forks
then tighten up the nuts so they start to expand the forks out, doing it a bit at a time
until the wheel fits in nicely or you could do it the bodgers way as just pull the forks
apart until the wheel drops in, not the best way but seen it done.

Other members could offer advice too!

 

[Vintageroadb]

Thanks for advice, I will take it down shop tomorrow and see what they say!

 

[predki]

Re:

If it's steel I would stretch them back to previous spacing. It's not rocket science. Just carefully. In general for transport there should be a spacer fitted between dropouts (like piece of wood), definitely the frame wasn't packed properly as it should have been.

 

[Vintageroadb]

Yeah I know could of done with some more packing if I'm honest. Taking it to shop tomorrow to check the hub size, he says it's a standard 700c but there is no way it's going to fit, hopefully it's just the job of getting a new wheel!

 

[Ian Raleigh]

hopefully it's just the job of getting a new wheel!

I very much doubt it! I bet the bike whilst in the post has had other packages
piled up on it and squashed the box! Even throwing the box and it landing on
the floor can damage frame parts! There was a thread on RB were a guy
purchased a bike off ebay and both the rear triangle & forks pushed together.

Don't let the LBS fob you off with something like ''Oh you need new forks - That'll be £95 sir''

 

[Vintageroadb]

Yeah some of the packaging is very poor now a days. I've read up a few articles on stretching steel forks, doesn't seem to hard if it needs to be done, well let you know how I get on tomorrow!

 

[agentorange]

Couldn't you just buy some very low-profile tyres?