I'd like to widen a rear fixed hub by cutting it in the middle, attach a spacer in the middle and reconnect the two halves back by some method (threading, pressfit, splines, epoxy, welding). The reason for this is to increase the angle of the NDS spokes. Current hub is very short for 126mm OLD with a road freewheel up to 8 speed. I've installed fixed gear cog on that and moved the hub to get a nice chainline which happens to be quite near the dropout. I have about 30mm of spacers on NDS and it's bending axles a lot. NDS spokes are almost vertical even if the wheel is about 5mm offcenter near the DS (i don't have rear brake so it's not bothering at all). If I would try to align the wheel to sit center in frame the NDS spokes will be dead vertical or go into negative angle (NDS spoke flange is about center between dropouts)
The hub in question is an old
shimano high flange HC-110 (before anyone saying not to cannibalize this vintage hub - the QR and axle is missing, i got a generic solid axle for it, i have cut reverse threads for the fixed lockring already so it's not a pristine matching pair of vintage hub, but a shell of a rear hub with some modifications done to it and further plan to modify it)
The caveats are more likely miss-aligning the cups both in angle or concentricty - I'll do whatever it takes to get them aligned good (in a lathe, dial indicators, etc - or even better, remove the cups and cut shoulders for a standard bearing with a custom made axle for it.. after it's welded or something the lathe should ensure perfect concentricty and gripping the threads on the DS will ensure a very true axis of rotation in relation to the rear cog - that's another project.. I'll see how it turns out and make a decision afterwards about converting to bearings)
I know it's doable but I'm wondering a few things:
- Does the NDS spoke flange get any torsion from the rear pinion? (if not i could go for pressfit and carefully lathed down would be quick, neat, great looking; If not then something stiff must be added to resist torsion threads or welding - probably I'll go press-fit and do some welding afterward) - i have a few theories about this like it does but in small percentage. To transmit anything the DS spokes must shift from the rim a fraction so the much stronger shell can transmit with the NDS spokes)
- Has anyone done this thing before? (maybe for some DIY fat bikes or something)
This is just a project of mine. I know that I can squeeze the frame to better support the axle near the NDS bearing by removing the spacers and bend only the left triangle (but this is so wrong! i don't want to touch the frame, the frame is aligned and want to keep it that way), or that I could go with a fixed gear hub that has symmetrical flanges from the center-line and it's a solid option (idk about 126OLD for fixed gear but spacers can be put to get from 120mm.. yet this leaves me in the same axle-bending situation), or get a fixed gear/track frame with correct OLD with correct hub. I'd like to make this work and I enjoy machining parts.. so no biggie in terms of cost or hassle.
Thank you, would like an opinion before I go for it - hence this thread.