benegham

Hi,


I have a 1980's Raleigh Chiltern men's bike, and some time ago i managed to break the bottom axle. I have since brought a replacement and have fitted the new axle, however it seems to be a little to short on the A length of the axle , as the pedal arm comes just a bit too close to the side of the bike.

The old axle measured 56 mm in the centre, however due to it being broken i have had to estimate the entire length, which i thought to be about 135 mm. The new axle i purchased is 55 mm in the centre, and i think is code 16C, and is 135 mm long.

Just wondering if anyone could tell me if they know what size i would need, and if i am even on the right track, any help appreciated.


Thanks,

Ben

wrk101

Its not the center section length that determines the size of the spindle, its the overall length. Your old one should have had a code on it that would have detailed the sizing. Sheldon Brown site has all of the spindle code information.

Does this bike have cottered cranks?

Also check clearances on both sides. Do you have plenty on the non drive side, but not enough on the drive side? If so, that can be the asymmetric vs symmetric issue. Old spindles tended to be asymmetric, new ones tend to be symmetric. You can mimic this by adding a spacer underneath the fixed cup. I typically use a 2mm spacer, available at any bike shop.