Kona experts….your help is needed!

[letmetalktomark]

Hello all,

I have recently acquired a Kona Kilauea frame and am in the process of building her up. I am lead to believe it’s a 94 as the ST tapers before the bottom bracket.

Two questions regarding the frame –

I thought that the ST took a 27.0 post – but after trying my Thomson post from my Caldera it was very tight – maybe a 26.8 required – can any one help?

Also what width axel is best to use – I know the BB shell size but the choice of axel lengths is amazing!

Many thanks for your help in advance

Mark

 

[cce]

my (theoretically) 27.0 lava dome is better with a 26.8. tolerances are obviously not that close.

axle length is derived from the cranks. what cranks are you using? it's a 68mm shell though.

 

[letmetalktomark]

Cool thanks CCE,

Will try and track down a 28.6 to see if that helps.

Plan on using a STX RC chainset from 1998 - I have a 110 x 68 bottom bracket to try from a previous build.

Mark

 

[cce]

that sounds about right, but sheldon brown will probably know

 

[Anthony]

68x110 is right for STX-RC cranks, I have that combo on my Lava Dome

Ironically my later Kilauea is best with a 27.2 post, but that’s probably because Columbus butting profiles differ from Tange Prestige. Tubes should all arrive from the steel mill identical and although they do ream them, it’s only supposed to be to smooth them out, not enlarge them. I think you should use a post that is tight but not quite impossible to remove, grease it really well and ignore what the manufacturer says. Kona recommend a 27.0 for mine, but with no clamp it just slips down under gravity and that’s not going to give you a strong junction IMO.

I didn’t know you could date a 94 Kilauea from the swaged seat tube. Don’t other years have that? Assuming you’ve got no paint nor decals to go on, ways to tell a 93 from a 94 include that the top tubes were made half an inch longer from 94 onwards (e.g., an 18 was 23.0 horizontal, up from 22.5 in 93) and the P2 (if any) was 41cm a-c from 94, up from 39cm up to 93.