Originally Posted by
mtnbke
I guarantee you that any shop that tells you they have experience doing this does NOT have the right tools.
Guarantee? I live in small town and all 4 bike shops near me have these tools. The Park versions.
There should absolutely be a specific tool that they will use, and not just some homemade tool like and axle with some washers:
They have these too, hanging right on the wall in plain view.
I'll add that I use long bolts, nuts and washers to align my own dropouts and the result is a wheel that falls right into place, is aligned, and doesn't misbehave when I tighten things up. Straight can be measured, so whether you arrive there with Pro Tools or home made tools, it makes no difference IMO.
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^ I would not use that tool. You have no way to control which side is being set. You could accidentally make your entire change by only moving one side.
Sheldon's 2x4 method works well.
Again, you can fit a 130mm hub into a 126mm bike without doing anything. It just makes getting the wheel in and out a bit trickier, ten more seconds at the most. Better than bending a frame in my book.
Do both side flex the same amount? I'd wager no.