I want to buy a 7-speed Hyperglide compatible hub with a 126mm width for a frame that I don't want to spread. I'm having a heck of a time finding one for sale because all the terms I can search on are so common. I get a million hits and it's mostly 7-speed cassettes or how to put a 7-speed cassette on an 8/9 hub. I'd love to find an NOS hub with in 32 or 36 holes but can't figure out who might have one for sale. I'd settle for a good used one, but I'm just sort of flailing around teh Interweb and not finding anything. Anyone know a good place to look?

There's a guy on the 'bay who always seems to have a bunch of HG and UG NOS hubs. Search 'Exage'.
If you can find an HG-50, you can run either style of cassette.
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Will an 8 speed HG wheelset built on Shimano 600 hubs and Mavic GL330 tubulars work? They are 128mm spacing and pristine, and best of all, fairly inexpensive.

PM me.

https://store.nexternal.com/shared/St...t=products.asp

You might look for some older Deore LX or Deore XT hubs. There are a lot of these floating around on ebay. I bought a nice set of nos Deore Lx black anodized hubs with both Uniglide or Hyperglide threads on the cassette body - for under $25. Then I bought a 137mm replacement axle for it from Wheels Manufacturing. These replacement axles are very high quality and cost less than 15$. I haven't built the wheels up yet but am looking forward to doing this soon. The bearing dust cap design looks like it spins along with the axle which could add some friction. The Deore XT and XTR hubs can be adapted for the road and the early ones I've seen seem to share a similar dust cap to Dura Ace. These cost a fair amount more though, even used.

I can't find a 126mm 7-speed hub here. There's a Deore, but it's 135mm. Am I missing something?

I have a 7 speed uniglide hub/cassette if your interested in that. It's the kind that doesn't have a lock ring rather the last cog threads on. I believe you can slide a Hyperglide hub body on it.

I found a 135MM hub that I changed to 130MM by removing a spacer and replacing the axle with a shorter one to match the skewer. I slide it into my 126MM drop out steel frame without problem.
It might not be perfect, but it works.

JonesBicycles on ebay has a bunch of NOS Shimano Deore XT and DX, and STX hubsets for sale.
The Deore DX and STX units are 7 spd HG/UG compatible, and come with a 135mm spacing. About $25 pair.
I bought the DX set, and they are nice quality, similar to 600. It was their 80s touring line.
If you're handy, replace the spacers to get 126mm, then measure and cut off the excess axle on the NDS. A Dremel, chop saw, would make short work of it.

I think I've got an early '90s 36 hole 7-speed hub you could have for the cost of shipping, but it came on a mountain bike so the spacing is probably 130mm (or maybe they were 135mm by then?)

As said above...you can take almost any new or used 8/9 speed Shimano hub and swap out the freehub body for a used or NOS 7 speed one. Respace the locknuts for 126mm, then cut off the excess axle. Sell the 8/9 speed freehub to recoup some money. If you find a 7 speed mountain bike hub you just need to repace the axle from 130 to 126. If you can find a 7spd road hub, well then you're done!

https://cgi.ebay.com/Shimano-600-Hubs...QQcmdZViewItem

Ask a local bike shop before going nuts on the interweb - they might have a box of old parts from upgrades and something might turn up in there (like a freehub body). There were a lot of 7 speed wheels made, and lots of them got upgraded to 8 then 9 spd leaving all these orphan 7spd freehubs, hubs, and even wheels floating around ....

I wasn't using any freehub stuff then, though I've bought a couple hubs now -- but I don't believe there was any difference between the actual freehub used for 126 mm or 130 mm dropout spacing. If all you want to do is use a freehub on a bike that's going to have a 7-speed cassette, then you have two basic choices:
a) the 130 mm hubs I've seen have a spacer that's about 4 mm wide on the non-drive side axle. Remove it, and apart from axle length (which may work, or may have to be cut with a Dremel), you've got a 126 mm dropout assembly. Of course, if it's already laced to a rim, you might need to redish the wheel, since now the hub centerline is 2 mm left of where it was before.
b) if you can't spread your 126 mm spaced stays 4 mm further apart when installing a 130 mm OLD wheel, then you've either got an aluminum frame, or you need to eat more Wheaties and spinach.

BTW, I've bought two sets of the NOS early Deore XT hubs from Jones Bike on eBay. They were inexpensive, the hubs are beautifully finished, and nicely designed, and they come with a freehub already -- unfortunately it is a Uniglide on mine. That's no problem, really, if you have a Dremel tool or are good with a file. You can disassemble a Hyperglide cassette, and grind the one wider inside spline on each sprocket (on the correct side!) so that they'll all fit onto the Uniglide freehub's even-width splines. Then reassemble the cassette and pop it on.

Sheldon Brown wrote an excellent article on this subject, covering most of the above:
https://www.sheldonbrown.com/k7.html

Do find the mention that right-side "cone and the dustcap" (search for this) may not be compatible between older and newer bodies. And, as usual, Dura-Ace is a compatibility nightmare unto its own.

NOS is great if you can find it, but used isn't terrible, most of the time. Many of these Shimano hubs are pretty tough if not completely abused by their former owners. I still have a 7-speed HG freehub that I was given years ago as part of a $10 deal with a bike frame left outside in the trash yard behind the LBS for 10 years before I got it. New ball bearings and occasional use of a Freehub Buddy still keep it in great condition. What you're looking for is something like a Shimano 105 FH-1055, HG/UG 36-hole 7-speed.

Is this for one of your Fujis? I can report I recently installed a modern FH-5501 130mm 36-hole Shimano 105 8/9 speed hub with 7-speed 14-30 cassette (made out of two HG cassettes) onto my Fuji Berkeley (formerly 5-speed freewheel with 126mm stays). By removing the large spacer for a thinner one, and carefully adjusting the axle spacing, this hub needed only a very slight tug to pull the wheel over its beveled washers and into the dropouts. No trimming of the axle was needed, as the Suntour rear derailleur hangar allowed a longer axle without protrusion.

I think I've found a pair of Dura-Ace hubs (post 1997 / pre 10-speed) that can be brought down to 126mm by removing the spacer as Charles mentions. These are 32 hole hubs and I happen to have a pair of 32 hole rims I bought recently for an "unspecified future project."

This is for the Merckx/Falcon frame and fork I recently bought. I've got the Nexus-8 in my Fuji Royale -- that's a great bike. I cold set that at 130 as I have also done with my Schwinn Premis and Schwinn Varisty. I want to leave the Merckx/Falcon frame as it was made.

Reviving this thread: I am also seeking a 126mm 7sp HG hub to replace the HelicoMatic horror that I have on my Trek now.

There's a few uniglide hubs on ebay. You can switch out the freehub body for a hyperglide.
https://www.amazon.com/ACTION-HUB-BOD.../dp/B001CCDHRS

Think you may even be able to dremel the UG hub into accepting HG freewheels if you feel adventurous.

I have a practically new 126 OLD Uniglide freehub and matching 7 speed UG cassette. PM me if you're interested.

I am pretty sure I have a HG 7 speed hub. It's not a high end one, but is in good condition. If you would like me to dig it out and give you some details, please PM me.

To convert a new 8 speed 130 mm rear hyperglide hub to a 7 speed 126 mm hyperglide hub buy the following:

Standard Shimano HG50 7-speed Cassette of your choice
Shimano 7 Speed Freehub Body
Quick Release 137mm Axel and Skewer
Shimano Tiagra 4500 or 105 8 Speed Read Hub
Cones and Spacers as needed from https://wheelsmfg.com/
Tools

Then replace 8 speed free hub and axel with the 7 speed free hub and 137 mm axel. Use spacers and change cones if necessary to make the Over-Locknut distance equal to 126mm and to make sure the nut on the cassette side sticks out enough so that the smallest gear with chain on it clears the frame. I have done this conversion a couple of times to build new rear wheels for my old 27” wheel touring bike with no problem.

I have a Deore LX NON PARALLAX 7 speed HG hub 32° in Black that is in great shape! It's an orphan so let me know.

Reply in this thread, for I don't have PM privileges yet.

Alan

If you have a local bike co-op, check their hub drawer. I have picked up a few 7-speed HG hubs, or just freehubs at mine for next to nothing. Most Shimano freehubs can be swapped out, then just re-space, trim the axle, and Bob's your uncle.

i would include the number 126 in my search. that should reduce the number of hits.

as far as suitable 126 hubs go, i use the shimano 600 126mm uniglide hubs from the 80's. they came in 28, 32, and 36 hole drillings AFAIK. they show up on ebay from time to time and usually end of costing about 30-40 bucks. before i install them i usually swap out the old uniglide freehub for a hyperglide one.

I have a 126mm 600 tricolor 7 speed hub that can take UG or HG if anyone needed it. Too lazy/too early to read through the thread...

I have a 126mm Shimano 105SC 7 speed hub that can take UG or HG if anyone is still looking. Don't trust that Puget Pounder guy.

Not the wrongest thing you've ever said.