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I think it will be fine as long as you don't get carried away.
I have done this job before with steel (it was a actually a very similar drop-out) and I'd say you can comfortably get away with extending the drop-out slots by 3mm.
If you want to do a good job, mark on both sides where you're going to stop removing metal - make sure this measurement is the same on both drop-outs. Then find a grinding bit (common in Dremel tool kits) that is the right diameter for the slot and patiently start grinding. Accuracy is key.
Hope that helps.
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Absolutely. There are many options as nearly every major brand produces a hollow axel crankset. If yours is creaking than I suggest changing the bottom bracket as well, unless you're sure it's the crankset (chainring bolts can creak). Have a look at Shimano's Alfine crankset for a start. The main technical aspect to note is the axel diameter. Shimano and many others make 24mm axels. Sram and some others do 30mm.
Hope that helps.
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Right - glad you pulled me up on that. No, mixing grease with wet thread lock will reduce the efficacy of the thread lock and is therefore a bad idea. In the case of your bottom bracket cup threads, however, I am advocating the controversial position of not applying grease.
Why? Primarily because it allows you to thread in the cup while the thread lock is wet, maximising it's dispersal and providing the best chance of solving your problem. But won't the cup corrode in the frame? Probably not, because I assume (from the threading) that both the cup and BB shell are steel, which eliminates the chance of electrolysis. So you're just left with good old fashioned rust, which develops slowly and if you take care of your bike, you can manage.
If you do want to grease your cup threads, then you can always apply the thread lock, let it dry, then grease the shell and cup and thread it in. The slight downside of this technique is that you might see strings of thread lock coming off as you insert the cup.
Hope that's helpful.
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Yeah it seems like thread lock is a good solution. Not only will it help resist precession by adding friction, it will help waterproof your BB shell from the sides. I've always used 243 in the workshop and I trust it. A blob about the size of a pea is fine for 1 BB cup. Thread it in before it dries. No need to do the non-drive-side cup because mechanical precession dictates that forward axel rotation will tighten it.
Also, yes any degreaser is fine. An aerosol can will help blast the grit out. Make sure you clean the degreaser away and let it evaporate off for a bit before you apply grease.
Despite admittedly poor design, it's worth noting that not all Italian (and some French) bikes try to kill their riders in this way. I wonder whether your BB bearings were dry, creating increased friction on the inside of the drive-side cup, and worsening the unthreading issue.
Hope that helps.
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On the Praxis website, it says that the crank spindle requires a Praxis M30 bottom bracket (https://praxiscycles.com/product/alba-m30/). I can guess why this is. Just like on the Sram systems, there is a 'stop' (a ridge where the diameter increases slightly) machined onto the crank spindle, which is designed to but up against the inside of the non-drive side bearing.
So the question is, are you using an M30 bb (made by Praxis), or a normal bb30? If not, that's probably the answer. If you are indeed using the Praxis one, then here are my thoughts:
Have you tried all the spacer combinations? I.e.
- 1mm
- 2mm
- 1mm + 2mm
- 2mm + 2mm
- 5mm
My next question would be, are the spacers the right way round? They sometimes have a thicker inner circle, which is designed to press on the inner race of the bearing without putting pressure on the bearing seal.
Hope that's helpful.
- 1mm
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Hi Cosme,
The short answers to your question are in bold, but I'll also try to give as much info as possible around them.
Sram and Shimano both make cassettes that have wide gearing rations (that is, there is a big difference between the size of the smallest and biggest rear sprockets). It is worth mentioning however, that Sram's wide-ratio mtb cassettes use a specific freehub body ( or 'driver') called the XD. If you are touring with a lot of weight, you probably have (and if you don't have them then you'll want them) multiple chainrings. If this is the case, there is no real need to have a rear sprocket that is larger than 36T, and therefore no need to buy an XD cassette with the accompanying driver. Note: if you keep with Shimano, you can have as big a rear sprocket as you like with the standard Shimano driver.
However, this brings us to the issue of having a Shimano cassette and Sram shifters. The short version of this is that you'll probably get away with it. the long version is as follows. The thickness of, and distance between, sprocket teeth and manufactured with respect to the dimensions of the chain that with fit onto them. Disregarding brand-specific tooth profiling, any cassette should work with any chain, provided they have the same speed designation (i.e. 9sp, 10sp, 11sp). So when you hear people saying you can't use Sram with Shimano, it's not always true.
Where genuine compatibility problems due occur is the interaction between rear mech and shifters. The rear shifter is a lever attached to a ratchet. When the lever is pushed a specific distance, the ratchet rotates a specific distance about its axis, a specific length of cable is pulled, which causes the rear mech to move a specific distance. The relationships between all these movements are dictated by the fulcrum position on the lever and the pivot point on the rear mech, which form its 'parallelogram'. That a lot of things working in harmony and, you guessed it, manufacturers use different standards. The conclusion is that you should use a Sram mech (preferably a Force mech) with your Sram Force shifters to get the best shifting result
The main difference between a 10sp and 11sp mech is the range, which is dictated by the limit screws. If this were the only difference, you could use a 10sp mech with an 11sp cassette by backing off the limit screws. However, because the spacing between sprocket teeth is smaller on an 11sp cassette, the mech is designed to move a shorter distance with each click of the shifter. Therefore the mech would theoretically be fine with the cassette, but wouldn't quite work with your 11sp shifter. The only way to get round this is by using a friction (non-indexed) shifter.
I could go on but perhaps that's enough for now.
Hope that helps.
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That is indeed the impression I get from Wolftooth's marketing, although the wording is unclear. As an engineer I tend not to pay too much attention to what the companies say and just think about the physics. I see no reason that it wouldn't work with a 9 speed system.
I would certainly go for it.
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It might work. You'll have to try and see.
A couple of notes: The B screw actually takes a lot of stress and extra long B screws can often bend if threaded in too much. If the B screw solution doesn't work, you can use a 'Wolf tooth' hanger extender.
Hope that helps.
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Well, there may or may not be a problem. The first and most likely explanation is that the brake is designed to run a very tight tolerance. Companies sometimes make this decision because it affects lever feel or 'mechanical advantage'. This however makes the brake hard to set up. Hope are often criticised for this.
On the other hand, we could could assume there is an issue. I notice that TRP make specific Spyre rotors. Perhaps these are thinner than the ones you are using. Another possibility is that - as you suggest - the adjustment screws have been drowned in thread lock and need some persuasion. However, if you're able to turn the screws to a certain point and then they seem to stop, it's not a thread lock issue. Don't force then of you'll round the hex hole.
Not a lot of information there unfortunately :(
Hope that helps.
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Interesting. The questions I would initially ask myself are:
- Are the hub bearing loose?
- Is the wheel firmly affixed to the fork via bolts or quick-release?
- Here's a good one: If it's a thru-axel, is the outer diameter of the hub end-caps the same as the cut-out recesses that accept them on the inside of the fork legs? If the recesses in the fork are too big, the hub may move in relation to the thru-axel.
Hope that helps.
- Are the hub bearing loose?
Cycle mechanic, furniture maker, fixer of things.