Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 7,374
Likes: 3,219
From: NW Oregon
Bikes: 1982 Trek 930R Custom, '91 Diamondback Ascent w/ XT, XTR updates, Fuji Team Pro CF road flyer, Specialized Sirrus Gravel Convert, '09 Comencal Meta 5.5 XC, '02 Marin MBX500, '84 Gitane Criterium bike
when changing axle lengths in a rear wheel, the non-drive side gets a shorter or longer spacer, and the freewheel or cassette remains at the same(or nearly the same) distance from the drive side dropout.
you had mentioned the new wheels you have seen are mostly 135mm O.L.D., so i included the axle change/respacing info, and mention the need to re-center the rim after changing the O.L.D....
and for reference... steel frames can and do get "Cold Set" to new dropout widths, but it MUST be done properly.... Aluminum or CF can NOT be reset.. aluminum is too stiff and can crack.. CF is brittle Epoxy Resin with stiff fibers, and it will not bend to a new shape.
Last edited by maddog34; 06-21-25 at 04:53 PM.