Cold set frame or spacers?

I pulled an old Peugeot out of a bin after work today, and am now looking for a rear wheel for it.

Number of 126mm axled wheels on eBay- 0
Number of 120mm axled wheels on eBay- 345,574

So- do I cold set the rear dropouts or use spacers?

cold set - more fun

More fun.....until the loud cracking noise, and I notice that the back of my bike is trying to overtake me?

Why not manipulate it look at my post in mechanics, heat and slowly bend.

cold set, but not how Sheldon advice, there is abetter method.
you will need a "thing" that I don't know how is call, but describe, basically is a bar with threads all the way, like a big screw. A couple of nut and a spanner.

put the big screw in the drops and one nut in the outside of the drops then turn the same number of turn each nut.
meausure the space. you need to go way more than the 120mm
stop and measure again, repeat
repeat until you are spot on.

this method can be use to open the frame, just put the nut in the inside of the drops

I don't know if I had explain myself clear, so any question welcome

I actually used 120 hub on 126 frame, but since the dropout were not perfectly parallel I put some spacers I had lying around, about 1.5 mm each. Perfect now.
I advise you do the same.

More fun.....until the loud cracking noise, and I notice that the back of my bike is trying to overtake me?

if its a steel frame, cold set it. If you crack the shell / stays, it won't be using more pressure than you generate from riding. I've done it loads, never had a problem. Though I've always used the patented dogsballs method, frame on side, stand on stays, flip and repeat.

Do NOT heat your frame.

why not heat?

granted i actually realised its 3mm each side.

You don't even need to cold set it. You can squeeze the stays in with your fingers and it'll work fine. Been doing it for years on my conversion.

granted i actually realised its 3mm each side.

its such a small amount, why modify the frame (no matter how easy) if you can just bunch a couple washers on.

Cold setting waste of time if your just going from 126 to 120

You don't even need to cold set it. You can squeeze the stays in with your fingers and it'll work fine. Been doing it for years on my conversion.

best option, 3mm is nothing.

its such a small amount, why modify the frame (no matter how easy) if you can just bunch a couple washers on.

Cold setting waste of time if your just going from 126 to 120

Indeed, indeed.

pulling each stay in 3mm is no big deal on a steel frame, spacers are not necessary

rik, essentially it's like a threaded bar with two nuts on each side to pull in the dropouts?

Either that or does anyone have a goldtec axle in a 130mm flavour?
Or as my fixifying of this bike is only temporary- as it will soon (hopefully) revert to my geared bike of choice (the moser being dead and all), what do people reckon of using the goldtec nuts to squeeze the dropouts temporarily?

Washers it is, thanks chaps.

cold set, but not how Sheldon advice, there is abetter method.
you will need a "thing" that I don't know how is call, but describe, basically is a bar with threads all the way, like a big screw.

rik, essentially it's like a threaded bar with two nuts on each side to pull in the dropouts?

A big bolt with no head - it is called threaded rod, you can get it at places like Homebase. Good for things like pressing heasets in.

A big bolt with no head - it is called threaded rod, you can get it at places like Homebase. Good for things like pressing heasets in.

agree, is very useful, the cold setting using this technic is more controlable, for the headset is the only good way, if you don't have the proper tool, that at the end of the day is the same thing

oh, and rik, I'm trying to sort out polo mallet, dunnae worry.

I did today one, a littel bit of cowboy-polish job, but will work

I've used one of those before.
plenty of times now- but now I'm in london I have no access to the wonderful place that is OCW.
:(

but now I know what to do in the future, just don't want to set and then re-set the frame.

That's it.

Threaded rod, two bolts, two big thick washers.

i did it the object way. (and thats without knowing him) on floor lift flip lift. done

do have a home made headset press which works amazingly well for most jobs.