Originally Posted by
Chombi
IMO, amost anything replacing a Helicomatic would be a great idea. I'd stay away from Helicomatics if you can because after building a couple of wheels with the system back in the 80's, I was convinced that it might have a problem with too little dishing on the drive side of the rear hub that compromises the integrity of the rear wheel.
The problem with the Helicomatics wasn't the flange spacing but the bearings. The hub design precluded the use of standard 1/4" balls, instead they used 5/32" balls which proved to be inadequate for rear wheel loads.