Converting Droupouts - a possibility?
10-10-07, 12:22 AM
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Converting Droupouts - a possibility?
I love the size of a current frame of mine, just a Schwinn road bike of unknown origin, no longer any remnants of the derailleurs... The dropouts are at an okiedoke angle, but there is this chunk on one side inside of the dropout preventing me from pulling the hub back as far as neccessary for good chain tension (fixied). I was wondering if welding this out would mess with its integrity too much. Another thought was actually welding a track "dropout" onto the frame. Didn't know if any of you had done this or if there was some obscenely common sense reason not to do this, I would potentially be machining this, not chopping it off of a dif. frame. My current multi-speed roadbike has had it, and I somehow have a fixed wheel and this loved - up frame and the need to bike remains great, so any help would be superb.
10-10-07, 12:25 AM
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MattFashion
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i've done it to like ten frames.
its fairly simple if you can braze, or know someone that can.
essentially, you go to your lbs and have them order a pair of henry james track dropouts,
heat yours up with a torch until you can work them free
and braze the new ones on.
obviously an extremely over-simplified procedure, but point is, its very do-able.
or, if you're in pa, swing by and i'll hook it up.
its fairly simple if you can braze, or know someone that can.
essentially, you go to your lbs and have them order a pair of henry james track dropouts,
heat yours up with a torch until you can work them free
and braze the new ones on.
obviously an extremely over-simplified procedure, but point is, its very do-able.
or, if you're in pa, swing by and i'll hook it up.
10-10-07, 01:27 AM
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raodmaster shaman
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maybe you could just file out that lump and save yourself a ton of trouble.
As long as they will hold the wheel, the difference between rear facing (track) and slanted (old road style) drop outs is no where near worth tearing a frame up over, imo. But it can be done if you are determined.
As long as they will hold the wheel, the difference between rear facing (track) and slanted (old road style) drop outs is no where near worth tearing a frame up over, imo. But it can be done if you are determined.
10-15-07, 03:15 PM
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thanks so much, I actually hacksawed out the bit and grinded it out all the way - ended up working GREAT, the tension is perfect, no half-link b.s. I still wanna mess with brazing though, sounds like fun!
10-15-07, 03:38 PM
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Horizontal dropouts (now that you've fixed them) have no disadvantage on this bike vs. replacing with track ends.
Al
Al
10-15-07, 03:40 PM
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Last edited by hockeyteeth; 10-15-07 at 06:39 PM.
10-15-07, 05:19 PM
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if you live in RVA than you most likely know jake , or his stickered up red fuji, his dropouts are welded on and they seem to work perfectly ,just go look at his bike sometime.
01-01-08, 04:50 AM
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Those dropouts were welded on and welded on again by the madman that had that frame before hims!
01-01-08, 08:58 AM
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I think what you are talking about can be taken care of with a round file and lots of beer.
01-01-08, 11:53 AM
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Agreed. Some 80's Schwinns had a filled horiz dropout to ease wheel placement. This was just a brass filled normal dropout and has no structural properties.
Looks like the OP has figured this out already.
01-01-08, 12:01 PM
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there is a how to w/ pictures in the faq thread too.
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