question about hubs

Gary Smiley said:

I had a 1994 Specialized Crossroads Chromoly frame fail at the right rear
dropout, but my LBS honored the lifelong warranty and gave me a new frame
(minus the wheels) - it's a 2006 Crossroads, and it's aluminum (I'm not
complaining). But when I tried to swap the wheels from my old bike to the
new one, I noticed that the old wheel was a 7-speed and the new bike is set
up for 8 speeds. I installed the wheel anyway, and I noticed that the new
dropouts are now about 1/4 inch wider, to accommodate the 8th ring. And I
had to squeeze the frame together a bit with the skewers. I adjusted the
lo/hi stops on the derailler to work with the 7-speed cassette. But then I
thought about it: Am I stressing the aluminum frame- am I cold-setting it?
Isn't this a bad thing to do to an aluminum frame? Or can I get away with
it? - or - will I have to get a wheel with an 8-speed hub? Is there a way I
can make my 7-speed hub wider? With spacers, maybe?

It sounds like your old hub was 130mm width and the frame is built for
135mm widt rear hubs. I'd expect this, given the relative ages of your
parts.

To answer your questions:

1. Squeezing the frame together won't put a whole lot of stress on it.
You're moving the chainstays closer by a very small amount with a
fairly long chainstay to absorb it. If you want to leave it that way,
you'll be OK.

2. Respacing the rear hub for the greater width is an easy,
straightforward job. I've done this to fit "road" hubs (which are
typically 130mm width) on 135mm width frames. All you need is a 5mm
spacer and a longer axle... and Sheldon says you can do it without
changing the axle: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

Jeff

The problem with simply squeezing the frame together is that you have no way
to control the alignment. It will go to the position of least resistance.

Fix it with a longer axel and spacers to properly align the wheel/gear train
for the 135mm setup.

Ken

"Gary Smiley" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I had a 1994 Specialized Crossroads Chromoly frame fail at the right rear
dropout, but my LBS honored the lifelong warranty and gave me a new frame
(minus the wheels) - it's a 2006 Crossroads, and it's aluminum (I'm not
complaining). But when I tried to swap the wheels from my old bike to the
new one, I noticed that the old wheel was a 7-speed and the new bike is set
up for 8 speeds. I installed the wheel anyway, and I noticed that the new
dropouts are now about 1/4 inch wider, to accommodate the 8th ring. And I
had to squeeze the frame together a bit with the skewers. I adjusted the
lo/hi stops on the derailler to work with the 7-speed cassette. But then I
thought about it: Am I stressing the aluminum frame- am I cold-setting it?
Isn't this a bad thing to do to an aluminum frame? Or can I get away with
it? - or - will I have to get a wheel with an 8-speed hub? Is there a way I
can make my 7-speed hub wider? With spacers, maybe?

Gary Smiley said:

I had a 1994 Specialized Crossroads Chromoly frame fail at the right rear
dropout, but my LBS honored the lifelong warranty and gave me a new frame
(minus the wheels) - it's a 2006 Crossroads, and it's aluminum (I'm not
complaining). But when I tried to swap the wheels from my old bike to the
new one, I noticed that the old wheel was a 7-speed and the new bike is set
up for 8 speeds. I installed the wheel anyway, and I noticed that the new
dropouts are now about 1/4 inch wider, to accommodate the 8th ring. And I
had to squeeze the frame together a bit with the skewers. I adjusted the
lo/hi stops on the derailler to work with the 7-speed cassette. But then I
thought about it: Am I stressing the aluminum frame- am I cold-setting it?
Isn't this a bad thing to do to an aluminum frame? Or can I get away with
it? - or - will I have to get a wheel with an 8-speed hub? Is there a way I
can make my 7-speed hub wider? With spacers, maybe?

I wouldn't worry about it. You are putting some static stress on the
seat stays, but a very small one.

Gary Smiley said:

I had a 1994 Specialized Crossroads Chromoly frame fail at the right rear
dropout, but my LBS honored the lifelong warranty and gave me a new frame
(minus the wheels) - it's a 2006 Crossroads, and it's aluminum (I'm not
complaining). But when I tried to swap the wheels from my old bike to the
new one, I noticed that the old wheel was a 7-speed and the new bike is set
up for 8 speeds. I installed the wheel anyway, and I noticed that the new
dropouts are now about 1/4 inch wider, to accommodate the 8th ring. And I
had to squeeze the frame together a bit with the skewers. I adjusted the
lo/hi stops on the derailler to work with the 7-speed cassette. But then I
thought about it: Am I stressing the aluminum frame- am I cold-setting it?
Isn't this a bad thing to do to an aluminum frame? Or can I get away with
it? - or - will I have to get a wheel with an 8-speed hub? Is there a way I
can make my 7-speed hub wider? With spacers, maybe?

Add 2mm of spacers onto each side of the rear hub. squeezing the 130mm
rear triangle together with a 126mm rear wheel is not a good idea...yer
bike shop 'should' have mentioned this.

Gary Smiley said:

I had a 1994 Specialized Crossroads Chromoly frame fail at the right rear
dropout, but my LBS honored the lifelong warranty and gave me a new frame
(minus the wheels) - it's a 2006 Crossroads, and it's aluminum (I'm not
complaining). But when I tried to swap the wheels from my old bike to the
new one, I noticed that the old wheel was a 7-speed and the new bike is set
up for 8 speeds. I installed the wheel anyway, and I noticed that the new
dropouts are now about 1/4 inch wider, to accommodate the 8th ring. And I
had to squeeze the frame together a bit with the skewers. I adjusted the
lo/hi stops on the derailler to work with the 7-speed cassette. But then I
thought about it: Am I stressing the aluminum frame- am I cold-setting it?
Isn't this a bad thing to do to an aluminum frame? Or can I get away with
it? - or - will I have to get a wheel with an 8-speed hub? Is there a way I
can make my 7-speed hub wider? With spacers, maybe?

Yes, just add a 5 mm spacer to the left side, re-center the axle and
re-dish the wheel.

The reduced wheel dish will actually make the wheel stronger.

Another poster suggested:

Quoted message said:

Add 2mm of spacers onto each side of the rear hub.

That would save the trouble of re-dishing the wheel, but you wouldn't
get the strength benefit of reduced dish, and the relationship between
the rear derailer and the cassette would be compromised. I would advise
against that approach.

Alternately, if it's a Shimano hub, you could replace the Freehub body
with an 8-/9-/10-speed body and upgrade your shifting, if more gears
would appeal to you. This would require replacing the shifters,
cassette and chain.

Sheldon "Less Dish, Stronger Wheel" Brown
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JeffWills said:

It sounds like your old hub was 130mm width and the frame is built for
135mm widt rear hubs. I'd expect this, given the relative ages of your
parts.

My '03 Allez has 132.5 mm spacing. They may be doing the same with the
Crossroads frame as well. If this is the case then the frame can safely
accomodate both 130mm and 135mm hubs and there is no need to alter the
7-speed hub. If the frame spacing is in fact set at 135mm then it would
be best to adjust the hub with a longer axle and spacers of just
replace it.

Just measure the spacing with a ruler (while the wheel is out) or ask
the LBS to see if this is the case.