Bent axles with 8 speed freewheels
 

How frequently or how likely is it that a 10mm standard axle will bend when using an 8 speed freewheel?

I ask because I would like to run an 8 speed but have incompatible parts, Campy Chorus with 8 speed original and 8 speed cassette but EXA configuration. 8 speed original cassettes are exorbitant on the bay compared to an 8 speed freewheel.

I have an older Chorus/Record hub for a freewheel that is unused and laced already. Plus, since the spacing is the same, I can use the 8 Speed ergo's.

Is the spacing the same, and not Shimano spacing?

Not on Phil Wood Freewheel hubs, because their axle assemblies are very strong.


but generally cassette freehubs were created to cure bent/broken axles, Only being 10mm..

by moving the right axle bearing to the right outboard end of the hub, in the driver.

Otherwise there is significant leverage on the end of the axle , with a thick spacer, between the lock nut and cone..

QR will hold the Broken Axle bits together , then you replace the axle..



IDK about .." I can use the 8 Speed ergo's." you can try..

I have 2 Campag Freewheel bikes, 6 speed ,in 130 frames ,, 'Wheels' Replacement axles have been OK..
Perhaps less Brittle hard Tempered steel than <C>?

I don't ride them much .. so they're more a thing from my youth..







...

@fietsbob - I was looking at Sachs Aris 8 speed with 2.0 sprockets and 1.8 vs 1.9 spacing. Oveall block of 36.8 vs 36.9.

How about Mavic 500 series hubs? They have a nice size axle:
[IMG]https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5476/...fe26619e_z.jpgP9151226, on Flickr[/IMG]

It likely will depend a bit on how you ride.

Almost every used MTB axle (solid 6 or 7 speed) I've encountered is bent. :eek:

Personally, I've never had any problems on my road bikes, although don't think I've used 8 speed before switching to a cassette. I do, however, have an 8 speed freewheel rear-end on my cargo bike, and don't think I've bent the axle... yet.

Anyway, if you're pretty light on the wheels, avoid running over stuff, avoid potholes, etc... you'll probably be ok.

@CliffordK - my thoughts as well.

Measured the 501 which is 15mm.

Couple of things:

Old Aris 8 freewheels have the correct 2.0 spacing for Campy. Newer 8 speed freewheels likely have 1.8mm spacing.

The amount and location of the respacing you do is up to you, and it doesn't have to be 2mm per side. If you can get away with 1mm on the DS and still keep the chain clear of the chainstay, then do that and put the other 3mm on the NDS. That will minimize the tendency to damage the longer DS unsupported axle and will improve dish.

There is a fair amount of space to play with - I have several freehubs with added 1mm spacers under the cassettes and there is still room for the chain in high gear.

Depending on sprocket size and frame design, it doesn't take a lot of clearance for the freehub and the last sprocket. 1mm?

Get the spacing tight, and it is impossible to drop the chain to the right of the freewheel... I think. :foo:

Thanks. Kinda been there, done that, with conversion from 6 to 7.

[IMG]https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7357/...eb1b8f70_z.jpgPA121374, on Flickr[/IMG]

Friend of mine, weighs about 230, experienced road cyclist -knows how to unweight wheels for bumps and whatnot.
Tried an 8spd freewheel once, said his axle lasted about a week. Rebuilt the wheel with a cassette hub.

What did you have to "convert" to go from 6 to 7 with a friction derailleur?

Buy elsewhere. There are many cassettes in Taobao selling for <SGD$10.

Campy 8 speed cassettes?

@SJX426 - Miche makes Campagnolo-compatible 8-speed cassettes at reasonable prices. They seem to be scarce in the U.S., but you can order them from overseas.

bike24.com is a German site that carries 'em:
https://www.bike24.com/p220047.html

Do you know which Campy freehub these are meant to work with?

The Miche Primato 8M cassettes use the Exa-Drive spline pattern.

It's been a couple of decades since I had a Campy freewheel hub that had a snapped axle but there was at that time aftermarket sellers who made replacement axles that were made of stronger steel. I can't remember the details but a little searching may turn up something. Also make sure your dropouts are aligned properly as if they are even slightly not parallel it can cause bending or breaking of the axle.

@SkyDog75 - Thanks but I need the Original non Exa-Drive cassette to match the hub I have. The only source I have found is Ebay and the prices are about $100. I could get a new hub for less.
@Crankycrank - That is interesting to note. I will keep that in mind. DO are already 130 as it is currently supporting 7400 drive train.

Assuming the info on Branford Bike's web site is right and I'm interpreting it correctly, an Exa-Drive cassette should fit a pre-Exa 8-speed freehub.

Campagnolo Cassettes & Hubs - Branford Bike

...but if you've already got an Exa cassette in hand and it doesn't fit...

Well that might be. I have a 9 speed cassette for EXA-Drive that I thought I could use just 8 of the sprockets. The issue is that the "tabs" that engage the spline groove are too "long." I could grind all of them down to fit the splines of the hub, but there are 8 tabs on the large sprockets and 4 on the smaller ones. Then I would need a lock ring as well.

The 9 speed cassette was free so maybe it is worth it to try. Would I spend $100 worth of time grinding all the sprockets?

edit:
Now that I visited the site, again, I see that the 8 speed hubs have the same spline dimensions except for the one narrow spline on the EXA-Drive hub. Thanks for helping me pay attention to the details!

Yeah, it really doesn't appear that using cheap Miche 8 speed cassettes is an issue on any Campy 8 speed freehub.

No.

Don't bother getting western brands from taobao. Same price or more expensive than western websites.

Taobao sells Asian brands cheap.

Then why did you suggest buying the necessary Campy cassette from Taobao? :foo:

Or are you recommending using a cassette with the wrong spacing?

Did i say "campy" cassette?

This is a thread about Campy compatible index parts. So if you aren't talking about buying compatible cassettes, what are you talking about?