Frame Spacing

I have a track frame I bought a couple of months back and have only got around to measuring things up and getting ready for the build. Now the rear spacing on the dropouts came in at 114mm. I have just done some quick sheldon browning and he states that this spacing is for old 3 speed hubs. I doubt that the frame was ever built with a 3 speed so I think that in the past the frame may have been squashed in the past.

Now has anyone ever tried these methods to respace the frame? If so, is there anything that you would ad to make sure the best care is taken for the frame?

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

is it a kierin frame?

i’ve changed the rear spacing on cheap old road frames a few times, usually with a few bits of wood similar to the sheldon pics. i’d be a bit tentative doing it to a nice track frame, but 4mm one way or the other is no big deal.

it’s pretty easy to do, obviously the important thing to watch for is keeping it symmetrical. keep checking the sightlines along the length of the frame.

the crimpled* bit on the right side to make room for the chainring causes that side to be weaker, so if you try to bend both sides in one go, the right side will bend before the left side does. hence the bits of wood against the seatube.

*is that even a word?

Nope, I should also mention it is a fillet brazed frame.

Using the ‘string method’ in your link may help determine whether the frame was squashed previously - asymmetry suggesting it was.

If it is symmetrical, perhaps that was the true spacing - you might be able to swap the nuts/washers on the inside of the locknut on your hub to accomodate.

Ah okay, so just replace the axle with a shorter one could also work. I will suss it out tonight. Thanks for the replies.

Ah… changing the axle alone won’t change the spacing of the hub. However, if you are able to reduce the spacing (buy changing the nuts/washers inside the lock nut, pointed out in the picture), you could use a shorter axle.

Obviously you make the same change to both sides of the hub.

Gotchya, I will check out the hubs tonight. I can’t recall if they have spacers on or not which could help things out.