Spreading Old Peugot Stays To Accept a 10 Speed Casette/Wheel



Col Defenderf

New Member
May 25, 2011
7
0
0
I'm "reviving" a 1973 Peugot PR10. After I figure out all the mechanical issues, I will have the frame repainted. So.. since that will take place I am wondering if I should just go ahead and try to alter the width atf the rear drops so I can mount a modern wheel with 10 Speed Casette.

I know there are bike shops that can do this but has anyone ever done it themselves at home?

I was thinking that if I heat the frame to red hot I could carefully spread it out.

Possible for a reasonably capable amateur or just a really dumb idea?

If you have done it, how did you control the amount of spread and how did you assure that the right and left stays were each moved an equal amount?

Thanks

Steve
 
FWIW. I have successfully spread the rear spacing on several frames to 130mm ... it is NOT difficult to do ... [COLOR= #0000ff]doing so presumes you do not have arthritis-or-other-physical limitation & that you have a moderate amount of patience[/COLOR] ...

  • IMO, you neither need to nor want to add heat -- doing so will anneal the metal which means that you will subsequently need to temper it

Beyond adding heat, there are TWO philosophies to spreading the rear stays ... the one which Sheldon Brown recommends is to use a 2x4 for leverage ... dabac said that he successfully used a hockey stick ([COLOR= #808080]which seems like an expensive lever to use[/COLOR]) ... [COLOR= #ff0000]spreading one side at a time means that you need to be more concerned with centering after the stays have been spread[/COLOR] ...

  • I have used a 2x4 to correct unevenly spread stays

I have found that simply removing the rear wheel & holding a dropout in each hand AND THEN applying whatever YOU estimate to be about 30 lbs of outward force is a better ([COLOR= #808080]for me[/COLOR]) method ...

Measure.

Repeat as necessary until the desired dropout separaton is achieved.

Undoubtedly, the method I use may be more tedious method since each application of force may only move the stays about 1mm each time you pull on the stays; so, you may spend as much as two minutes tugging on the stays.

  • I have found that if a frame is symmetrcal when you begin then it will be symmetrical after spreading the stays in the manner that I use.

AFTER you have spread the stays, you will want to realign the dropouts & rear derailleur hanger ... you can either use a medium size pipe wrench + two small scraps of plywood [COLOR= #808080][to protect the drop0uts][/COLOR] OR a large adjustable wrench ... the former provides easier-to-use leverage because of the 90º angle of the jaws ... use ONLY whatever you perceive to be about 5 lbs of force. Repeat as necessary.

Here is my mid-80s Peugeot ([COLOR= #808080]Reynolds 501 tubing[/COLOR]) whose rear was spread from 126mm to 130mm:


Here is the rear of my mid-80s Olmo ([COLOR= #808080]Columbus tubing[/COLOR]) which was spread from 126mm to 130mm:


The REVERSE is true to narrow stays -- I have narrowed two of my frames from 135mm to 130mm & on frame from 126mm to 120mm (for use as a Single Speed).

[COLOR= #000000]FYI.[/COLOR][COLOR= #ff0000] Having said all of THAT[/COLOR], I have two older French frames which are impossible to spread -- one is c1970 & the other is a mid-70s vintage ...

  • The earlier frame is a St. Etienne ([COLOR= #808080]gas pipe tubing[/COLOR]) & requires more patience than I want to dedicate to it AND the other is a Gérald Ginet ([COLOR= #808080]unknown tubing[/COLOR]) which SEEMS to have returned to its original spread after 6+ months -- [COLOR= #ff0000]it could simply be that I had planned to spread the Gérald Ginet frame and forgot that I hadn't, yet!?![/COLOR]

But, I have a carbon steel Fuji S10-S frame which did not seem to be more difficult to spread to 130mm than a Fuji S12-S LTD frame (Cro Mo).
 
  • Like
Reactions: paulmurphy
Spreading steel drolpouts is probably ok, but there's another way around it: re-spacing the rear hub and dishing the rim a little further to the left.

You start by reducing the washers/spacers on the drive side of the axle to get the outside cog really close to the right dropout, but obviously not so close that the chain rubs on the dropout. Then, if necessary, reduce the spacing on the left side to get it down to 126mm, or 127mm, there abouts. You might have to cut the axle. Then, once the spacing is sorted, dish the wheel to the left so it's back in the centre. I've done this with a couple of my '80s steel 531 frames
 
Originally Posted by 531Aussie .

... there's another way around it: re-spacing the rear hub and dishing the rim a little further to the left.

You start by reducing the washers/spacers on the drive side of the axle to get the outside cog really close to the right dropout, but obviously not so close that the chain rubs on the dropout. Then, if necessary, reduce the spacing on the left side to get it down to 126mm, or 127mm, there abouts. You might have to cut the axle. Then, once the spacing is sorted, dish the wheel to the left so it's back in the centre. I've done this with a couple of my '80s steel 531 frames
This is a good suggestion ...

But, not all rear hubs, particulaly those with cartridge bearings, lend themselves to being narrowed from 130mm to 126mm ...

And, I believe the frame in question probably has 120mm rear spacing.
 
Measured yesterday at 123mm. Maybe that counts as a "120" ? Oh and I think I will go with spreading the frame rather than modifying a hub because I hope to keep the wheels interchangeable onto another modern frame I have.