Wheel axle sizes

[thebobajob]

This is probably a daft question but is the axle diameter on the Sun Snipe likely to be 5/16" rather than 3/8"?

New 27x1 1/4 wheelsets seem to come with 3/8" axles but the wheels I have taken off my Sun seem to be 5/16". I have measured the dropouts and they are almost 3/8" but have been recently resprayed though a 3/8" axle won't go in.

I am confused as to what I need to buy and indeed whether my measurements are accurate.

Any help appreciated.

Thanks
Bob

 

[keithglos]

Bob

The wheels you have use hub nuts, standard was 5/16" front and 3/8" rear. For many years Raleigh had a 5/16" rear end which was OK for Sturmey Archers, but raleigh single speed were supplied with 5/16" rear axles. It seems a bit odd for a Raleigh made in the Carlton works to be 5/16", perhaps they have been bent upwards a little, or some paint in the slot.
Do the front hub nuts fit the rear?

What we used to do is file just the depth of the thread off the rear axle, but only where the fork end fits.

Keith

 

[thebobajob]

Hi Keith
It definitely looks like it is 5/16 on the front and 3/8 on the back (definitelyl over 5/16 on back anyway with paint taking up some space).
The other problem I have is the hub width. 125mm spacing on rear (though probably 126mm after doing some research) and 98mm spacing on front forks (should that be 100mm). Can't find anything new that fits.
I could cold set the frame (though don't really want to as just had it resprayed) but can I use the current hubs and get some wheels made up with these?
Sorry for all the questions I'm getting a bit out of my depth.
Cheers
Bob

 

[keithglos]

Re:

Hi Bob, 1mm either side is not going to matter, you are not expecting to change wheels in a race. The fairly soft ductile steel tube that raleigh used was cold rolled and seam welded, and is remarkably easy to set, but the amount you are considering really shouldn't matter, and if you did decide to pull them that little it would not affect the paint. The way we did them in the 1950s would not. The ends will be near enough parallel, its not like 1/2".

It might be possible to adjust the spacers under the hub lock nuts.

Keith