Originally Posted by Senior Ryder 00

Hi folks,

My trip to the auto parts store successfully solved the spacing problems. The designation for the washers is M12 for the ID of 12mm. they come in various materials, outside diameters and thicknesses. I got copper ones 2.5mm thick. The OD is a couple of mm larger than the stock one, but doesn’t cause a problem. They were $0.75 each. Other than dealing with the circlips, these are easier to work on than the early Suntour/Sunshine sealed bearing units.

The result was 3mm clearance between the outside edge of the S-M FW and the edge of the axle flange. I only had to re-center ~1mm. Easy enough. A couple of precautions; 1. Be very careful with the little circlips. 2. The stock washer needs to be next to the bearing to prevent binding. 3. The nut on the axle not only holds the NDS bearing in place, it also place tension on the bearings. Tighten cautiously.

When assembled, everything worked as designed on the work stand. Ultegra derailleurs, Shimano STI bar end shifters, SRAM chain and the Sachs-Maillard FW. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a test ride in due to the rain. I will try to get it on the road with the first clear spell.

Thanks for all the help.

Cheers,

Van

Originally Posted by Kontact

The reason 8 speed freewheels were uncommon is that every company making an 8 speed shift system offered a cassette as a standard gruppo component. While they made DA and Sante 7 speed freewheels, Shimano largely stopped doing nice freewheel stuff with 6 speed.

Originally Posted by oldbobcat

The reason 8-speed freewheels were uncommon was that the 130 mm axles broke, so the companies that made them shifted their efforts to freehubs.

130 mm freewheel hubs unfortunately still exist on low-end hybrids with 7-speed freewheels. The intent is to offer a price-point wheel with a frame that is compatible with 8-speed freehubs.

Originally Posted by oldbobcat

The reason 8-speed freewheels were uncommon was that the 130 mm axles broke, so the companies that made them shifted their efforts to freehubs.

130 mm freewheel hubs unfortunately still exist on low-end hybrids with 7-speed freewheels. The intent is to offer a price-point wheel with a frame that is compatible with 8-speed freehubs.

Originally Posted by Kontact

Nope. 8 speed freewheel hubs are a rarity. Shimano was going away from freewheels with 7 speed.

The OP's heavy axle 130 hub is unusual and not likely to fail.

Originally Posted by oldbobcat

Any freewheel hub with 130mm spacing is an 8-speed freewheel hub. While there were other cassette designs in the '70s that never got a following, (Cinelli had one), Shimano led the way to the widespread adoption of freehubs. Their 126 mm Dura-Ace and 600 freehubs predated 8-speed. But there was a brief period when Campagnolo, Miche, and other manufacturers were making 8-speed freewheel hubs by simply putting longer axles in their old designs. And when I started working in a shop 14 years ago, I had to ask why we had drawer full of new 8-speed freewheels that nobody could use. Well, you could put them on a Trek 3500 if you upgraded to an 8-speed shifter.

As for this Mavic hub, it looks like the use of sealed bearings allowed for a thicker, stronger axle. I would not hesitate to use this hub, either.

Originally Posted by Kontact

Campy did not make 8 speed freewheel hubs. I started wrenching before there was 8 speed and was in a shop when the various iterations came out.

Originally Posted by Kontact

In the lower right of the last page it says exactly what the OP needs to do to add spacers on the right side of his axle to get clearance for the 8 speed freewheel.

Originally Posted by grumpus

It actually says add spacers to an 8 speed axle, The way I read it, adding spacers to the existing 6/7 speed axle would reduce the axle engagement with the bearing to the point that it might be unreliable. Without pulling it apart, we can't really tell.

Originally Posted by Kontact

Great job!

FYI, Sachs 8 freewheels were spaced for Campy or Sachs 8 speed systems - 5mm per shift. Shimano is 4.8. So if you have a little shift weirdness on index, that's why. Adjust for the middle of the freewheel and you'll be fine. I have a Suntour set up shifting on an 8 speed Shimano cassette that works great. It's the opposite set up, but you get what I'm saying.

Originally Posted by Senior Ryder 00

Hi,
Thanks for the spacing info. It explains the 1mm width difference. I finally got the bike on the road today and discovered that the S-M freewheel with the Shimano shifters is sluggish when down shifting under a load. Change to the SunRace and the shifts were crisp.
Thanks again,
Van