ryan
10 kW
How do you spread your dropouts for a larger hub? Bonus points for pics. More points for use of simple and readily available tools.
Dropout Spreading Techniques
- Thread starter ryan
- Start date
Zoot Katz
100 kW
Sheldon Brown wrote an article on frame spacing.
Providing that you're talking about steel frames, it's pretty simple.
Providing that you're talking about steel frames, it's pretty simple.
ryan
10 kW
Interesting Zoot. If you can believe it I actually didn't consider the need to permanently space the dropouts. I was thinking about using a modified car jack (with long arms) to space them and squeeze my wheel in there. I suppose that plan works fine if I plan to always change my tire with a modified car jack on hand. 
John in CR
100 TW
It depends on how far they need stretching...steel frames only, but with bikes having fairly thin chain and seat stays I just put it on the ground, put a foot on one and pull on the other past the point I need. Then use a piece of wood or whatever is handy to maintain spacing away from the dropouts and bend them back to the correct spacing with a uniform bend left and right so the wheel is still straight. With stronger swingarms I've used a combination of car jack and long reach clamps to get the spread and shape I want. Car jacks have an issue of being different at the top to mate with the car and a wide base for the ground which easily result in a non-uniform bend of the left and right sides. Pieces of wood help avoid that issue to a large extent. I've never felt the need to use the threaded rod and 2 nuts method, though it has lots of merit if you already have what you need.
Sorry but these procedures are just too easy to ever consider taking pictures. I have faith in you that you can figure it out.
John+
Sorry but these procedures are just too easy to ever consider taking pictures. I have faith in you that you can figure it out.
John+
Ypedal
100 TW
+1 to just muscle it in...put one side in the slot.. put hand on motor and grab frame with the other.. and heave ho.....
some frames will not flex, my kmx cobra for example, square tube welded has zero give.... but most other frames will easily give up 10mm without much fuss. getting a 150mm setup into a 135mm slot ( disk hub, non-disk frame ) has been done lots of times before.
some frames will not flex, my kmx cobra for example, square tube welded has zero give.... but most other frames will easily give up 10mm without much fuss. getting a 150mm setup into a 135mm slot ( disk hub, non-disk frame ) has been done lots of times before.
Kinni420
100 W
muscle power!
aroundqube
10 kW
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2012
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- 599
I insert a threaded rod ( for picture go to homedepot.com search "threaded rod " ) of the largest diameter that will fit in the dropouts. I have a large flat washer and nut on each side to the inside of the dropouts. Turn the nuts outward to spread the frame.
wesnewell
100 GW
I take a 1x6 about a foot long, twist it in the swing arm so it's wedged between both swing arm rods, and then use a big hammer to drive it towards the seat post tube. When the spread at the dropout gets about 10mm past what I want, I knock the wood wedge out. If it springs back too much, I just do it again. Got tied of crushed fingers trying to muscle it in and this makes it simple to install the wheel. And only takes a few minutes.
dogman dan
1 PW
On a cheap steel bike, I use the foot method. Stomp on one dropout, bend the other out a half inch, then use the nuts to pinch it back when the motor is installed.
On alloy, such as a front fork, then you need to evaluate what you need. You cannot pinch in, or spread out the tubes or it will bind the fork up. So in that case you have to decide wheter you need a thin washer on the axle or a file on the axle shoulder, and make it fit perfect.
Alloy rear dropouts, I don't recomend much spreading. But 2-3 mm per side is within the natural flex of the material on most bikes, so you just spread the forks a tiny bit as you slot in the motor with your hands.
I would NOT advise standing on alloy frames and yanking on them. If you really must bend an alloy frame then pushing them out carefully with a threaded rod and nuts makes sense to me. I wouldn't consider bending alloy much further than a centimeter. So like 135mm could bend to 145mm.
On alloy, such as a front fork, then you need to evaluate what you need. You cannot pinch in, or spread out the tubes or it will bind the fork up. So in that case you have to decide wheter you need a thin washer on the axle or a file on the axle shoulder, and make it fit perfect.
Alloy rear dropouts, I don't recomend much spreading. But 2-3 mm per side is within the natural flex of the material on most bikes, so you just spread the forks a tiny bit as you slot in the motor with your hands.
I would NOT advise standing on alloy frames and yanking on them. If you really must bend an alloy frame then pushing them out carefully with a threaded rod and nuts makes sense to me. I wouldn't consider bending alloy much further than a centimeter. So like 135mm could bend to 145mm.
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