-
The main question is whether you have enough axle length after respacing to get the nut on.
120mm and 130mm is the over locknut dimension. Add to that the dropout thickness (8mm and up) plus the track nut width, times two to get the overall axle length required. A dura-ace track axle is 164mm long so they've allowed 22mm each side for dropout and nut, you'll be down to 17mm with the wider spacing. Note that with the integrated washers, track nut threads don't start at the inner face but are outset by several mm. You need at least three turns on according to an old engineering rule of thumb but more is better and if the outer end of the nut is overhanging the axle dirt will collect in it, it looks untidy and random people will suck their teeth and question you about it when they notice it. If your axle is any shorter than 164mm then you are losing some of the margin of error.
If it is a steel frame you can also either squeeze the dropouts a little when fitting the wheel or 'cold set' them permanently to be narrower. Having to squeeze makes wheel fitting a little trickier.
TLDR - you can probably make it work with a combination of adding spacers and/or squeezing the dropouts together, or buy a longer axle e.g. a shimano or velo solo https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/shimano-wheel-axle-assemblies/?length=180. Although 180 is too long and will protrude quite a bit beyond the tracknuts which also looks untidy. Around 170 is ideal for a 130mm frame.
-
• #4
@Alexnharvey thank you for the detailed response - this is super helpful! I will measure how thick my dropouts too and work out what I require the axle length needs to be to make it work.
The frame is actually carbon so I would like to avoid any squeezing of the frame and dropouts so hopefully getting an appropriately sized axle and adding spacers will solve that!
-
No problem. As well as £20 quid axles Velo-solo also sell M10 CNC spacers which could make a neat job of it but like their axles, it's a more expensive option. You can also get CNC spacers elsewhere, or be frugal and use a bunch of stainless M10 washers or steel spacers from other hubs. Depends how much disposable income you want to throw at it and how pretty you want the result to look.
-
You might find 2mm ones off the shelf more easily than 2.5mm? These people will make you whatever thickness you want for not a huge amount of money. https://www.ultraturn.com/ of course so can a hundred other companies closer to you or indeed anyone with a lathe but finding one who will do little jobs like this for a reasonable amount can be tricky.
-
There are both 2mm and .5 mm spacers here. Could combine to make your 2.5
Alexnharvey
PhilDAS
cip1000
vilms5000
Skülly
3c70-
Post a reply
About
Question on fitting 120mm wheels to 130mm rear spacing frames
Posted by
@ryanchan26
Hi, this is probably a very simple question, but this is my first time putting track wheels on a road frame and just looking for come clarification.
I'm looking for a flip flop wheelset and the hubs typically come in 120mm spacing in the rear and 100mm spacing in the front. My road frame, however, has rear 130mm spacing and 100mm front.
I don't need to do anything to the front wheel, but if I just get a wheelset that uses threaded axles, do I just need to get some spacers on each side of the hub and that will work? Is it as simple as this?
Do I need to look out for or ask for a specific length of threaded axle? Or is it as simple as just adding some spacers in to any track wheelset that has 120mm rear hub spacing?
Plus in the future if I come across other frames with different spacing, like 126mm for instance, is the procedure the same? Just get any fixed wheelset with 120mm rear hub spacing and add spacers?
Cheers