vintagerando

Ok. Can a frame with 126mm spacing work with hubs that measure 120mm? They are Campy high flange. Can a spacer be added? Would I need a different axial? Please see photos.

JohnDThompson 

If your goal is to use a 6 or more cog freewheel, you'll want to get a longer axle. Wheels Mfg has some 10 x 26tpi axles that ought to work.

If your goal is simply to use the wheel with a 5 cog freewheel in a frame with 126mm spacing, you can just use the wheel as is, or re-space the frame to 120mm.

bikemig 

+ 1 although personally I wouldn't respace the frame to 120 mm since 126 is more common. I'd get the longer axle and additional spacers. Then you can either redish the wheel so that it works for a 6 speed freewheel (I think you have to redish in going from 120 to 126mm but it has been a long time since I have done this) or simply add 3 mm of spacers on either side and keep the wheel 5 speed.

reshp1

Should work fine. Don't re-space. 126mm is close enough to work for both 120mm and 130mm.

Homebrew01

You might get away with adding a couple washers to your existing axle, getting it to 124mm or so, then squeeze the dropouts a little bit when inserting the wheel.
Maybe not the "best" option, but "good enough" depending on you.

Bill Kapaun

As noted there are several approaches.
The "best" approach is the most difficult, but not exceedingly so.
Add a 6mm spacer on the NDS and redish.
This will result in a much more symmetrical wheel with spoke tensions noticeably closer to each other.
Looking at spokechart from mrrabbit, it appears the hubs you have are Nuovo Record, since those are the only high flange in 120mm spacing listed.
With the current configuration, NDS tension is 56% of DS tension.
Adding 6mm to the NDS would result in 71%.
IF you recenter the axle, you'd lose 3mm per end. That MIGHT still leave enough to insert in the dropouts. It just depends how much you have sticking out now.

You could flip the bike upside down and place the new wheel in the drops and see if there is enough protrusion to keep it in place.
IF there is, the QR will lock the wheel in place when tightened properly.
Else, just get longer axle. It's probably time to service the bearings anyway.

Yoyo2012

Faced the same issue,but mine is 126mm hub on 130mm rear spacing. the LBS mechanic just decided to ignore the mismatching adding no spacers to the hub,since he believed it's not a problem for steel frames. But I have always doubted there might be a bad effect to the frame.

HillRider

Typically quick release rear hub axles are 10 mm to 11 mm longer than the nominal hub OLD width so a 120 mm hub has a 130 or 131 mm axle which gives 5 to 5.5 mm protrusion per side. Respacing it to fit a 126 mm hub leaves 2 to 2.5 mm per side sticking out. According to Sheldon Brown, this is enough to position the wheel securely particularly since the locknuts and skewer pressure are most of what holds it in place.

Andrew R Stewart 

I've never liked squeezing a frame open or closed if instead I can work the axle spacing and wheel dish instead. In a production repair shop this extra time/cost might not be allowed. It's too bad because this is some of what makes one shop better then the other. Andy.