non-quick release hub to quick release
 

I have a stock non-quick release rear Suzue hub that I want to upgrade on my Raleigh Olympian. Both wheels are 1983 27" 36sp aluminum ARAYAs. I am probably going to upgrade to a pair of 1988 700c 36sp aluminum ARAYAs with front and back Joytech quick releases that I have lying around.

Can I somehow convert the Suzue hub to a quick release one, without taking apart the spokes, or is this impossible/hard?

In general should I bother saving the Suzue and Suntour hubs from my 27" wheels before I donate them to the local co-op?

It is possible to do without taking the wheel apart, you'll only need to dismantle the hub. The one time I tried to do this, although the quick release axle I had looked similar to the old bolt-on axle I wanted to replace, the cones and other hub parts would not screw onto the quick-release axle because the thread pitch was slightly different. You may get lucky and find a compatible axle, but it probably won't be that easy.

You don't replace the whole hub to do this. You only need to replace the axle from the solid one you have now to one with a thru hole for the quick release. You'll get a compatible axle thread in the quick release style but it may take a bit of wandering around from bike shop to bike shop.

Axles with the right thread pitch are get-able but it's probably going to be a special order. Another thing to consider is axle length. For quick release to work it has to be pretty precise. The axle has to seat in the bike's dropout without projecting, even a little bit, through to the other side.

does that suzue hub have cartridge brearings? if so you will need to check if it standard threaded axle or shouldered or some other odd job

And if the axle happens to be too long, can it be filed down so it fits? I ask this because I bought an older wheelset, to convert from 27" to 700C. The front works fine, but the back QR won't tighten. I figured the cam was worn out--never thought to check the axle length. Thedropout opening and the axle appear to measure out to be the same length, but that's a difficult measurement when the axle is inside the hub. Shimano 600 hub with Mafac MA40 rim.

Yeah.

Install the wheel minus the quick release and feel the outside of the dropout with your finger. If the axle projects outward at all on either side it's too long. If you file it down until it's a skosh short, that should fix it.

Thanks loads, RG!

hardened steel axles may make your file toast, ,
and definitely don't drag the file backwards, think 'saw, not sandpaper'.

better to measure, put a nut on to restore the threads , after you use ... the grinder..
Nut will push the burrs out of the threads .. so you can put the cones etc. back on,
to put the thing back together..

Fixed.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../Photo1454.jpg
My current rear wheel. Its some sort of '83 Suzue touring hub with lock nuts. Stamped "RALEIGH 30 LPF"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../Photo1456.jpg
The '88 Joytech 700c I have saved off another bike.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3.../Photo1455.jpg
Some '80s hub off a 215 Weinmann rimmed wheel thats coming off my fiance's decomissioned mixtie.

I've decided to stay with 27"s because of pedal clearence problems. I already replaced the 165mm crank with 170mm standard, and 700c would lower it even further. I was going to just put my freewheel on my fiance's 27" and put that on my bike, but it has several stripped spoke nipples so I'm not sure what is harder to fix.

They all look like they have cartrige bearings to me.

Typo? 165mm cranks will give you more pedal clearance than 170s. Unless this is a fixed gear, I really don't see how the wheel size swap could be a problem. Solution: don't pedal through sharp corners.

Those are just dust covers. They can be carefully pried off to allow better cleaning of the insides when re-greasing. Although cartridge bearing hubs may exist from that time period, those certainly are not and I have never seen one that old.

It is a 21" frame, and it came with 165mm crank. As a taller rider I got a taller stem and raised the seat to the max mark. I also replaced that crank with a longer 170mm one.

I'm concerned for the times I forget to stop pedaling or move the pedal up.

Almost all the bikes i've worked with were old, so yeah I dont know what cartrige hubs look like yet.

Sounds like your frame may be too small for you?

But anyway, back to your question. If the QR wheel fits in your dropouts now, you can just swap the axles. If you've never disassembled and regreased bearings before, this should be all you need: http://sheldonbrown.com/tooltips/hubs.html

Once you get everything apart it should be obvious how to swap axles and reassemble.

If you swap an axle with a shoulder for one without I can't see how the axle will keep the hub centered. That's what stopping me from converting some old Suzue hubs on a Specialized MTB I have.