# Is it possible to bend a 126mm rear-spacing frame INWARDS to 120?



## Kaboom (Jul 18, 2003)

I've always read that if you have a steel 126 mm spacing frame you can cold-set it (bend it, basically) so that you can fit a 8-9-10 speed hub on it.
i've gotten a 126mm spaced frame, and i want to make it a fixie, and the best deal i can find on hubs is for 120mm rear-spacing hubs.
i'm aware that this could be a very dumb question, but is there any reason why i shouldn't be able to do this? i'm thinking chainstay clearance and stuff here.
anyone done it?
any useful advice?
cheers!


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

6 mm is less than a 1/4 inch....1/8 per side, slide the wheel in and tighten the nuts is what I'd do (both sides at once till it's snug to make sure it stays centered....)....if it clears all the stays I think you're golden...


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

I've heard of it being done but never tried it myself. What hub are you looking at? The axle might be long enough to add a 3mm spacer on each side. If the axle is long enough, it's a very simple job


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## Kaboom (Jul 18, 2003)

I'm looking at these:

http://www.spicercycles.com/index.cgi?cat=22&sub_cat=Hubs&prod_id=407&cat_desc=Track

I know they are probably the worst kind of trash, but i'm on a budget at the moment and absolutely nobody in spain seems to sell fixed-gear parts.
those seem like a nice, cheap option. I'll build the wheels myself and hopefully churn out a decent deal.


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## DY123 (Oct 5, 2006)

You can do 1of 3 things I can think of (maybe more),

1 - Get a hub, like the Formula that is made with a long axle. You can then add spacers to get it to go from 120mm to 126mm.

2 - You can probably bend the frame 2-3 mm on each side with no ill effects. Problem is....how do you know if you have bent each drop out in the same amount? Maybe one side moved 1mm and the other 5mm.......

It is easy to check if you have an alignment table, but otherwise I guess some type of eyeballing is required.

3 – Bite the bullet and Buy a Phil Wood 126mm hub.


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## Touch0Gray (May 29, 2003)

DY123 said:


> 2 - You can probably bend the frame 2-3 mm on each side with no ill effects. Problem is....how do you know if you have bent each drop out in the same amount? Maybe one side moved 1mm and the other 5mm.......
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


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## KillerQuads (Jul 22, 2002)

I agree with the suggestion of adding symmetric washers under the lock nuts (the nuts facing the inside of the dropouts). The last 120mm rear wheel I bought had a very long axle. Even with Redline dropout protectors/chain tugs (adding 3mm outside of the drop outs on each side) there was still 8mm of axle protruding from the each of the fastening axle nuts. This of course varies by brand, but at a bike shop that carries track gear, the long axled wheels are easy to identify.

One problem with bending the stays to change the drop out width is that the drop out facing may then get out of plane (no longer parallel). This can be corrected on a steel frame with a special tool that an old bike shop may have. Since you can't do this to an aluminum or carbon frame, fewer mechanics are experienced at doing this.

I am assuming the frame in question has old style horizontal rear drop outs. Another reason not to alter the frame is to be able to revert to the original 126mm rear wheel if need be.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

yes... done it... no biggie, put the wheel in, make sure it's all centered, tighten the nuts... frame is an old steel trek... 

3mm spacers on each side is no biggie either, can't imagine that an axle would be too short to accomodate 3mm per side


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## DY123 (Oct 5, 2006)

Either way you do it, it will probably work out ok. 

I wouldn't assume that the chainstays/seatstays would bend the same. They probably would, but maybe not. Depends on how equal they are to each other regarding strength. 

How evenly they were heated during assembly? How much did they have to be bent after brazing? Were they even symmetrical to begin with (there is variation is shaped tubes)? Was one side in or out more than the other and cold set? All that effects how bending them as a pair will end up. 

I'm making a big deal of it to make a point...In reality you could probably be off a couple mm's not even notice the difference. I'd still go the spacer route. 

You should also use an "H" tool to get the drop out faces parallel to each other if you bend them.

Where are you in Spain? My brother is heading over in a few weeks with his fixed gear.


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## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

*Steel frames are amazing*

The Fuso I just built was spaced at 128mm. It was built right at the advent of 8 speed when rear dropout spacing went from 126 to 130. A lot of builders used 128 as both a 7 speed 126mm hub and a 130mm could easily be fitted.

At first I just "bolted" down the rear triangle to the 120mm spacing of the Formula track hub. It worked OK but centering the wheel was difficult and it does negatively align the dropouts. The axle was more than long enough to fit two nice 4mm spacers between the "adjusting/clamping" nut (it is a sealed bearing) and the locknut. The wheel slides right in now and the risk of a "distorted" dropout bending the axle (which can result in a broken axle) is gone.

Depending upon the hub used, cold setting a 126 to 130mm spaced road frame for a 120mm track hub really isn't necessary, as long as the axle is long enough.


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