110mm Dropouts/ 8mm Axle

General Help
1

Just picked up a Watanabe NJS frame but realised the rear dropouts are spaced for 110mm hubs and 8mm axles. A quick google search tells me I can just file out the dropouts to 10mm. And I can bend the dropouts out to 120mm, sounds very sketchy but if Sheldon Brown says its ok… But then I can just run any standard rear wheel.

Or should I just go ahead and find a rear hub thats the right size? Seems like just NJS hubs come in that sizing and Phil Woods do one too - not exactly the cheapest option. Other non NJS/ Phil Woods options out there?

Opinions?

2

Also additional question… noticed something odd with the seat stays. There seems to be a slight ‘bend’ in the left seat stay. Hopefully the pics show it well. Worth worrying about?

Left side

Right side

The bend seems to be where this section has been touched up.

3

  1. Post a wanted ad for 110 hubs, I’m sure someone will have some.

  2. Bend looks nasty, you’ll need to take it to a bike cycle shop to get the alignment checked.

4

Plenty of track hubs have big enough spacers that you can replace them with smaller ones to go 120->110.

And yeah, get that alignment checked.

5

just get some 110/8mm off njs export / ebay. Cheap and cheerful.

build em up to TB14’s and you can lace 4x with NJS 305mm spokes.

6

There’s a few sets floating on ebay for $200ish and free shipping, not too bad. But sort of wanted to just be able to throw on the wheels I had already. Will do some more searching on those.

Also for getting the seat stays checked - any recommendations for where to go in Sydney?

7
8

Will straightening the seat stay get you a 120mm rear end?

9

Yeah, as you have to get it checked for alignment anyhow, why not just see if it can be spread 5mm either side??

or as blakey sez, just respace a 120mm hub.

10

Yeah that’s what I was thinking of doing. Will shoot Spirito an email later tonight.