Using 130mm hubs in 135mm spaced frame

Re-space the hub. Undo one locknut, insert extra 5 mm of spacer, redo cones, redish wheel, done.

What brand is the hub?

Some Shimano MTB 7/8 speed hubs have a 130/135 capability with a removable 5mm spacer and a choice of axles, yes they are different lengths.

bobbyOCR said:

Re-space the hub. Undo one locknut, insert extra 5 mm of spacer, redo cones, redish wheel, done.

Easier solution: Add a 2.5 mm spacer to each side, adjust your RD. No re-dishing needed. Technically your solution would allow making a rear wheel with less dish and therefore more strength, but is MUCH more work.

Thanks all, i am going to have a look at an old wheel of mine, and see if I can cannibalise a spacer from it. I dont mind re-dishing the wheel, not too hard. Also it would give me an oppotunity to tweak the wheel for a good chainline.

The LBS around where I live, generally give me incredulous looks when I ask them about stuff like this. Not sure I want to waste my time sourcing a spacer from them.

John M said:

Easier solution: Add a 2.5 mm spacer to each side, adjust your RD. No re-dishing needed. Technically your solution would allow making a rear wheel with less dish and therefore more strength, but is MUCH more work.

Because of the RD, you normally don't space the drive side. I built an old thread-on freewheel hub into a singlespeed wheel by respacing/redishing. You are right. hours and hours of work getting it right.

John M said:

Easier solution: Add a 2.5 mm spacer to each side, adjust your RD. No re-dishing needed. Technically your solution would allow making a rear wheel with less dish and therefore more strength, but is MUCH more work.

Here here I do that all the time with wheels for my fixed wheel bikes

there is one possible long term problem if you use a 130mm hub in a 135mm aluminum frame - the stays (probably chainstays) may crack. This is not the case with steel or Ti.

Although it requires redishing the wheel, I would recommend using the 5mm spacer on the left side (along with a longer axle). Redishing the wheel is not a lot of work - it's a matter of tightening all the spokes on the left side an equal amount. It may be as little as 1 full turn of the spoke nipple. If you tighten the spokes evenly, you are maintaining, for the most part, the status quo of the wheel. Any "truing" necessary would have been necessary before the spacer work. Your wheel will be stronger, stiffer, and more evenly tensioned. There are no drawbacks unless you have old corroded spoke nipples (that won't turn), the "truer" messes up, or your spokes are at the end of their usable life and tightening them up is the last straw.

In addition, if you space the right side, you may not be able to fit a lockring tool onto the wheel (to remove the cassette).

If you leave the right side of the axle as is, it'll be easier to adjust the rear derailleur (you won't need to touch it), it will allow you to use any 135mm wheel (the derailleur will shift into the small cog and not shift into the spokes on a given wheel). Finally, if you are not touching the right side, it'll be hard to mess up transferring the parts from one axle to another.

1. Transfer right side cone/washer/nut to new axle.
2. Start sliding new axle into hub and use it to push the old axle out. If the axles are touching the whole way, you won't lose any loose bearings.
3. Leave new axle in, remove cone/washer/nut from old axle, add a 5 mm spacer, and put on new axle.
4. Redish wheel. You're done!

The only potential problem is if you are using a Campy hub with a built-in cone on the axle. I don't remember the specifics of these axles (width, model, etc) but basically the axle has a cone on it. I believe it can be moved a little bit but it may not be possible. Some axles has the cone built in, others the cone screwed on.

If you have a single speed and it's listed in your signature, I don't see it (I've disabled signatures). Unless you want to fiddle with chainlines, I would still put the spacer on the left side to preserve a good chainline. If your chainline is off just a bit, then use smaller spacers on both sides and fiddle till it's better.

hope this helps
cdr

carpediemracing said:

The only potential problem is if you are using a Campy hub with a built-in cone on the axle. I don't remember the specifics of these axles (width, model, etc) but basically the axle has a cone on it. I believe it can be moved a little bit but it may not be possible. Some axles has the cone built in, others the cone screwed on.

The driveside cone on MY older (8-speed style) Campagnolo hub's axle is integrated and in the middle of the axle -- that is, the bearings are in near the flange, but inside the "bell" of the hub. No signficant left-right adjustments are truly possible.

Campagnolo does make an axle for 135mm rear spacing for their older-style hubs (again, the original 8-speed freehub with the FAT "bell"😉 ... I do NOT know the part number or how easily it can be "located" (my LBSes seem reluctant to spend more than a minute-or-two looking up spare parts OR even ordering them, sometimes!) ... I happen to have a MIRAGE rear hub (9-speed freehub shell) which came spaced for 135mm rear dropouts otherwise I would not have known this ...

I don't believe that there is a way to make a "newer" Campagnolo rear hub fit a wider frame spacing ...

FWIW. I agree that using a single, ~4mm spacer on the non-drive side and re-dishing the wheel is better than two ~2mm spacers.

BTW. If the rear hub in question is a Shimano, then I recommend you take advantage of the fact that a longer axle can be inexpensively cannibalized from a number of less expensive MTB/hybrid Shimano hubs. Doing so will provide you with the necessary 4mm spacer AND you'll have a spare freehub body, etc. for the future.

The reason to swap to a longer axle is because the ends of the axle are chamfered/beveled, so only about 3/4 of the dropout is touching the axle to begin with ... reduce the axle that is protruding beyond the nut by ~2mm and, only about half the dropout is "being supported" ... okay, hopefully, the wheel is locked into place by the quick release, but if it is indeed a Shimano hub, then the axle is probably steel, and will eventually (could be decades later, but it's the principle) notch the dropout.

Come to think of it you can buy QR axles from frame material supply stores. You could also do what Alfeng said. Or go left field and machine your own.

thomas_cho said:

I remembered asking at a local bike shop selling Surly frames if I could use 130mm hubs in the LHT frame which was spaced 135mm, and the shop guy emphatically said no.

Only reason not to do this would be messing with the chainline, I would have thought, given that the LHT frame is steel.

An axle kit for 135 drop out can be bought for about $10, it includes axle, cones, lock nuts and spacers, yes a hole down the middle for a quick release skewer. 😉