Need help with frame spreading problem

[Bruce Lange]

I recently cold-set the dropouts of a Tange #2 steel road frame from 126mm
to 130mm. In the process, I overshot one side (bent the stays too far) and
had to bend it back.

I now have a peculiar situation. Checking with the Park Frame Allignment
Gauge (***-2), the dropouts are perfectly centered with the head tube and
seat tube. Checking with dropout allignment tools, they are perfectly
alligned. So I thought I had done a good job.

But just below the brake bridge, the rim is off center between the
seatstays. Measuring from the rim to the seatstay on each side, it's about
3/32" (2.4mm) further to the left stay than the right, so it would appear to
be off center by 3/64" (1.2mm).

I checked with a few wheels (properly dished), and the rear wheel is
perfectly centered between the chainstays. And again, the dropouts are fine
with respect to the head tube and seat tube. I'm inclined to think that
while not ideal, this situation shouldn't present any problems on the road.
Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance,

Bruce Lange

 

[Leo Lichtman]

"Bruce Lange" wrote: (clip) I'm inclined to think that while not ideal,
this situation shouldn't present any problems on the road. Any thoughts?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Is the seat tube parallel to the head-tube and fork? Another possibility is
that the dropouts are properly spaced, but tilted, so that the horizontal
radius of the wheel runs true, but the vertical radius is a little out.

 

[A Muzi]

Bruce Lange wrote:

> I recently cold-set the dropouts of a Tange #2 steel road frame from 126mm
> to 130mm. In the process, I overshot one side (bent the stays too far) and
> had to bend it back.
>
> I now have a peculiar situation. Checking with the Park Frame Allignment
> Gauge (***-2), the dropouts are perfectly centered with the head tube and
> seat tube. Checking with dropout allignment tools, they are perfectly
> alligned. So I thought I had done a good job.
>
> But just below the brake bridge, the rim is off center between the
> seatstays. Measuring from the rim to the seatstay on each side, it's about
> 3/32" (2.4mm) further to the left stay than the right, so it would appear to
> be off center by 3/64" (1.2mm).
>
> I checked with a few wheels (properly dished), and the rear wheel is
> perfectly centered between the chainstays. And again, the dropouts are fine
> with respect to the head tube and seat tube. I'm inclined to think that
> while not ideal, this situation shouldn't present any problems on the road.
> Any thoughts?

Sight the seat stays. One or both may be curved

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

Bruce Lange wrote:
> I recently cold-set the dropouts of a Tange #2 steel road frame from 126mm
> to 130mm. In the process, I overshot one side (bent the stays too far) and
> had to bend it back.
>
> I now have a peculiar situation. Checking with the Park Frame Allignment
> Gauge (***-2), the dropouts are perfectly centered with the head tube and
> seat tube. Checking with dropout allignment tools, they are perfectly
> alligned. So I thought I had done a good job.
>
> But just below the brake bridge, the rim is off center between the
> seatstays. Measuring from the rim to the seatstay on each side, it's about
> 3/32" (2.4mm) further to the left stay than the right, so it would appear to
> be off center by 3/64" (1.2mm).
>
> I checked with a few wheels (properly dished), and the rear wheel is
> perfectly centered between the chainstays. And again, the dropouts are fine
> with respect to the head tube and seat tube. I'm inclined to think that
> while not ideal, this situation shouldn't present any problems on the road.
> Any thoughts?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Bruce Lange

Don't worry about it. It is straighter than a lot of frames today....go
ride.

 

Hi I saw your post .And was wondering how you spread your stays.
I have a buddy that has a older road bike.The wheels need rebuilt but our
shops around here
don't want to do his with the old hubs.126 so he was looking for some newer
wheels and they are all 130.
Was this a big job or some thing kind of easy.
Thanks .
PS or do any of the others in the group know where to get some 126 road rims
in good or new shape.

--
J/O TrailBlazer At Large!!

 

[spin156]

[email protected] wrote:
> Hi I saw your post .And was wondering how you spread your stays.
> I have a buddy that has a older road bike.The wheels need rebuilt but our
> shops around here
> don't want to do his with the old hubs.126 so he was looking for some newer
> wheels and they are all 130.
> Was this a big job or some thing kind of easy.
> Thanks .
> PS or do any of the others in the group know where to get some 126 road rims
> in good or new shape.
>
> --
> J/O TrailBlazer At Large!!

Sheldon Brown has a nice article on this:

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html

I have done a couple of frames using this technique and it works great.


-- Bill

 

[Qui si parla Campagnolo]

[email protected] wrote:
> Hi I saw your post .And was wondering how you spread your stays.
> I have a buddy that has a older road bike.The wheels need rebuilt but our
> shops around here
> don't want to do his with the old hubs.126 so he was looking for some newer
> wheels and they are all 130.
> Was this a big job or some thing kind of easy.
> Thanks .
> PS or do any of the others in the group know where to get some 126 road rims
> in good or new shape.
>
> --
> J/O TrailBlazer At Large!!

Won't rebuild old hubs-geez, loweeze. If the hubs are OK, send them to
me and I'll rebuild them.

If the LBS cannot build a wheel, I doubt they can 'cold set' a frame.
Essentially, make the BB shell secure(we put it in a vice, gently
spread the stays out , how much depends on how straight the frame is to
start with. Finish up with aligning the dropouts parallel-easy.